How to Grow Carrots
Want to learn how to grow carrots? You've come the right place. Smart, health
conscious gardeners grow them. They are a favorite of weight watchers and
health conscious crowd. Carrots are loaded with vitamins, and they
are nutritious. On top of being good for you, carrots taste good, too.
They can be nibbled and munched upon whenever the urge arises. Bunnies
like them because they know just how good and healthy carrots are.
Varieties:
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There is a variety of carrot for everyone. Carrot varieties are largely
categorized by length.
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Short varieties come as small as two inches, and are as wide as they are
long. These are the carrot of choice for gardeners who have hard clay or
rocky soils.
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The longer varieties do best in rich, well worked soil rich in compost. The
long, fat carrots are the most popular of home gardeners.
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While most carrots are orange, there is a yellow and a red variety for those
looking for a different type to try.
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Baby carrots are a shorter type of carrot.
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There is even a Chinese baby carrot to choose from.
Planting Carrots:
Prior to planting carrot seeds, work the soil deeply. Add liberal amounts
of compost. If compost is not available, add peat moss. Remove any rocks,
stones and debris which may impede the downward formation of the roots.
Carrot seed are among the smallest, finest of garden seeds. They are very
difficult to space. Sow them very thinly, about 1/4 inch deep. Cover them
with a fine garden soil. Or sprinkle them on top of the soil, and lightly
water them into the soil. Space rows 1 to 1 1/2 feet apart. We recommend
double rows spaced 1 1/2 feet apart, and then wider rows, to afford easy
access.
Broadcast sowing is also popular with carrots. With broadcast sowing, sprinkle
or spread the seeds across the area you are planting. Seeds fall randomly,
and do not develop in rows.
Whichever method you use, it is important to thin the seedlings before crowding
impairs their growth. After the seeds have germinated, thin to two inches
apart.
Care and Feeding of Carrot Plants:
Keep carrots well weeded early in the season. They are easily overcrowded,
with any competing weeds usually winning out.
While they may not show it, carrots need a good supply of water, in soil
that drains well. They also respond well to fertilizer applied prior to sowing
carrot seeds, and a couple of times during the season.
Tip: Make sure to mark the rows well, as carrots take a long time
to germinate. We suggest you plant a few radishes in the rows to "mark" them.
After the carrots have germinated, the radishes can be harvested.
Days to Maturity:
Carrot roots are ready to pick approximately 65 to 75 days, depending upon
variety.
Insects and Pests:
The most common problem is the maggot stage of the Carrot fly. This 1/4 inch
white maggot eats along the outside of the carrot.
Bunnies are well known to enjoy carrots. Experienced gardeners know that
bunnies much prefer other crops like the leaves of beans and lettuce. Mice
and moles will also nip at the tops of the carrot roots.
Disease:
There are some diseases, particularly viruses, that can occasionally infest
your crop. To the home gardener this is usually infrequent, except in wet
weather, or poorly drained soils.
Harvesting:
Begin to harvest carrots as "baby" size, thinning the row as you harvest.
Once you begin picking, you can harvest as needed. After the plants have
died off, the carrots do not need to be harvested right away. They can remain
in the soil for weeks or more.
In the "old days" before refrigeration, carrots were kept in the soil, and
covered with a thick layer of leaves. Then, they were dug up as needed, for
consumption. Carrots kept in the ground will last well into the winter months.
Note: Keeping carrots in the ground for long periods can affect flavor.
Hardiness:
Carrots are somewhat hardy. They will withstand cold weather and a light
frost.
More Information:
Carrot Cake Recipe
Our Garden Recipe Collection
Buy Carrot and Vegetable Seeds Finest quality Ferry
Morse Seed, America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee to
grow".
Pest Netting - Keep rabbits, deer, and other foraging
animals out!
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