At a glance
Ease of culture: Moderate
Where: All regions
Best climate: Cool to warm conditions
When: spring, summer, autumn
Spacing: 3cm
Harvest: 3 months plus
pH 5.5-7
Climate
• Carrots can be grown all year in mild temperate regions
• In the subtropics, carrots are best grown from autumn to early summer, and in tropical areas, during the cooler dry season. Always plant in cool conditions
• Carrots need an open sunny position to thrive
Soil
• Carrots grow best in a deep, loose sandy loam. Shallow, compacted or heavy soil causes the thick taproot up out of the ground, turning them green due to their exposure to sunlight
• Don’t add compost and manure at planting. Carrots are best grown as a follow-up crop to hungry corn or leafy greens, where any compost or manure added has broken down well
• Carrots need low levels of nitrogen but higher levels of phosphorous, and perform well as a follow up to crops that have been fertilised with chicken manure. Overly rich conditions or too much organic matter can cause carrot roots to fork
• Prepare soil for planting by weeding and digging it deeply with a garden fork, breaking up any clods as you go
• Remove stones and pebbles – these will cause unwanted distortions in the roots
• Finally, rake the surface with a steel rake to create a fine tilth. Saturate the bed and leave it for a day before sowing
Sowing
• Always plant the seed directly in the ground. Don’t buy seedlings – carrots hate being transplanted
• Push a garden stake into the soil to create shallow grooves for sowing seed. Make three of them approximately 1 metre long and 30cm apart
• Carrot seed is very fine, and difficult to handle and sow evenly. To make sowing easier, mix a cup of dry river sand with ½ standard packet of carrot seed in a small jar. Dribble the mixture along the planting grooves
• Water in seed and keep the soil moist until seeds germinate (10-14 days). Don’t let the soil dry out at this delicate stage – it will lead to a poor germination rate. This may require a light sprinkle of water twice daily on warm days. Some gardeners cover the planting area with moistened hessian to help hold moisture in, removing it once germination has occurred
• Once seedlings appear, thin them to approximately 3cm apart.
• You can buy 'seed tapes" (seeds arranged on paper tape). They offer the convenience of seed arranged at a perfect spacing, but are a more expensive option
• Sow a fresh crop every 6 weeks for a continuous harvest
Watering, fertilising and maintenance
• Carrots must be watered regularly for a sweet juicy harvest. Gradually increase the depth of watering as the plants mature. Never let the crop dry out for prolonged periods – this can cause cracking and bitter flavours
• Carrots need less nitrogen and potassium than most other crops, but do require a good supply of phosphorous for root development. This can be supplied with a very light dressing of rock phosphate along the rows 4 weeks after germination. Weekly applications of ½ strength liquid seaweed will help to keep plants strong and healthy
• Keep the crop weed-free as it develops. Scratch out weed seedlings when they’re young – removing large weeds from amongst a carrot crop is difficult and can upset their development
Harvesting
• Finger sized carrots or 'baby carrots" can be harvested at around 10 weeks. This is a good opportunity to selectively thin crops and allow other plants greater space to develop
• In cool conditions, carrots can be left in ground until you’re ready to use them
