How to Grow Carrots
Carrots are relatively easy to grow and highly recommended for the beginner 
gardener and a great way for getting kids involved. They are rich in essential nutrients, mainly in Vitamin A which is needed for good eye sight. Just ask Bugs Bunny.
Steps on How to Grow Carrots in your Garden
1. Prepare the soil where you will be planting. Note that carrot seeds should be planted at least two weeks before the last expected frost date. Make sure the soil is rich in compost and well aerated, up to a foot or 30cms into the ground since carrots can reach very deep. A sandy loam is the best but a clay soil can be suitable if there is lots of humus.
2. Sprinkle the seeds in rows. A good trick is to mix the carrot seeds in a jar with sand or seed raising mix and sprinkle the mixture out along the rows. Keep at least 10 inches or 25cms in between rows. Once the seeds are sown, a strip of hessian or shade cloth lying flat over the seeds will keep the birds away and assist in germination. Make sure to remove as soon as they have sprouted.
3. Water your carrots regularly to keep the soil moist. Once the tops have grown to 2-3 inches or 5-7 cms, water less often but more deeply. This will encourage the carrots to grow deep in the soil where the moisture is.
4. At this stage of growth you can fertilise with a complete fertiliser and start mulching around the stems to conserve moisture and keep the weeds out. Your carrots will mature in between two to four months depending on the variety. When harvesting, use a hand fork or trowel to loosen the soil and be careful not to damage your carrots.
Harvesting Tips
You can start harvesting your carrots when the plants reach mature size. Thin seedlings out after around 8 weeks so competition between seedlings is reduced and your carrots will grow lovely and fat. Chop any leaves off your carrots as you pull them from the ground and store them somewhere cool.
Carrots the long lasting vegetable
Another good thing about carrots is that they keep well. Even though eating them fresh out of the ground is great, they do ok in your veggie crisper for a couple of weeks. To enjoy your carrot crop for a bit longer, why not give pickling them a go.
Learning how to grow carrots will keep you stocked up on Vitamin A. Vitamin A is very good for keeping good eyesight especially in kids. The sweetness of a home grown carrot can be a hit even with kids that don’t like veggies.
What are your secrets in growing carrots in your garden? Feel free to share your thoughts in our comments section below.
Interested for more? Here’s what other garden experts say about growing carrots in your garden:
- How to grow carrots, with Dr. John Navazio — A Way to Garden – how to grow carrots, with dr. john navazio. March 15, 2012 at 8:10 am. WHEN THE MOST COMMON CHALLENGE readers confessed in a recent story on vegetable gardening was “I can’t grow carrots,” I knew whom to call: John Navazio…
- How to Grow Carrots | HGTV Gardens – HGTV Gardens blogger Gayla Trail offers pointers for growing a very difficult vegetable: the carrot…
- Vegetable Garden Basics: How to grow carrots | Sustainable Suburbia – Carrots are a timeless vegetable. They add heartiness to a mid-winter stew or just the right amount of crunch to a summer salad. Most people think of…
