How to grow Carrots with pictures and advice

Growing Carrots

Carrots
Get the soil conditions correct and carrots are one of the easiest vegetables to grow in the cooler climates. Incorrect soil conditions lead to mis-shapen carrots - these may well cause a chuckle when dug up, but they are not so well appreciated at cooking time!

CARROT QUICK GUIDE

Latin Name
Daucus carota

Type
Edible root vegetable

Site and Soil
Full sun for early varieties, partial shade for maincrop varieties. Very well dug light soil.

Plant to Harvest Time
Early varieties 10 weeks, maincrop 16 weeks

How Many?
6 kg (13lb) per 5m (16foot) row for maincrop. 4kg (8lb) for early varieties.

Carrots are rich in vitamin A, calcium and trace elements and a good source of fibre. Maincrop varieties can be stored for up to three months making it possible to have a near year round supply.

The tastiest carrots are the early varieties, which can be harvested as early as early June when they are at their most expensive in the shops.

All in all, a good vegetable for the beginner gardener to try, but read the section on carrot fly carefully.

Where To Grow Carrots
Carrots prefer a light soil which has been improved with lots of well-rotted organic material fully dug into the soil. Carrots grown on heavy soil, or where organic material is not well-rotted, will become misshapen and grow 'forked. Stones in the soil will have the same bad effect. Prepare the bed two weeks or so before planting, forking in a handful of bonemeal for each square metre (yard). Ensure that the soil is dug to a spade's depth and is of a crumbly texture.

Early carrot varieties do best in full sun, especially if they are to be harvested when young. Maincrop varieties do best with some shade especially in mid-summer.

Carrots are ideal vegetables for growing in containers and raised beds. Click here to go to our page on raised beds.

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