The first stage to growing carrots is preparing the bed in which you plan to plant your carrot seeds.
Raised beds work very well as a home for carrots. Containers also work very well when growing carrots.
Once you have chosen the bed in which you are going to plant your carrots, you should turn the soil over at least 12 inches.
You should ensure that the soil is suitable for growing carrots. It needs to be loose for the best growing conditions for carrots.
If you find that the soil in your bed is heavy, you can add some sand and compost and turn it over to loosen the soil.
You should also ensure that you remove any stones and clods from the soil so that the carrots have space to grow.
If you don’t have this space, then you may end up with some disformed carrots.
You should avoid adding manure to the bed that you intend to grow your carrots on because there is nitrogen in manure.
This nitrogen causes hairy roots on carrots which is better when avoided.
Before you sow your seeds, you should water the bed and leave it to settle for a couple of days.
After you have done this, you are ready to start sowing your carrot seeds!
2. Sow Your Carrot Seeds
Now that your soil is ready for the carrot seeds, you can begin sowing the seeds.
Carrot seeds are very small so you should be careful not to sow too many seeds in the bed.
Sprinkle the seed across the bed evenly. Ensure that you are giving each carrot at least an inch of space surrounding it to give it enough space to grow.
Don’t just sew the seed freely, you should sew the carrot seeds in rows to make it easier to water.
When you are sewing your seeds you should ensure that you are pushing the seeds into the soil.
Without this, the seeds will not take and the carrots will not grow.
Once you have sewn your seeds, you should protect the seeds from anything that may expose the seed before it has the opportunity to grow.
You can cover these seeds with a protective cover, and keep looking at the seeds every couple of days.
You only need to keep this cover on until the first sprout comes through the soil as this indicates that the seeds have taken to the soil.
3. Weed Your Carrot Bed
It is very important to ensure that the carrots are protected from any weeds that may begin to grow.
These weeds interfere with the growing space of the carrots and so can stop them from growing properly.
When you are weeding, you should also thin out the seedlings of your carrots.
If they have grown too close to each other, you can simply pull out the seedlings to prevent them from continuing to grow too close to each other.
Make sure the carrots have at least one inch either side of them to grow.
You should also keep the carrot moist, without letting the soil dry out.
When it comes to watering your carrots, you should ensure that every time the green tops of the carrots begin to wilt, you give the carrots some water.
If the soil dries out up to 3 inches, then you should water the carrots.
4. Pick The Carrots
When the carrots become big enough to eat, they are ready to be picked.
Push the soil away from the carrots and pull them out of the ground.
If they are ½ inch wide, they will be tasty and will be delicious to use in salads, soups or stews as well as many other foods!
Important Tips
Carrots grow best in loose soil with good drainage. They do not grow well when there are rocks present.
It is important to weed your beds and ensure the carrots are growing with a good distance between them to make sure that the carrots have enough space to grow healthily.
The Stages Of Carrot Growth
The stages of carrot growth can be put into three categories. These stages are:
Planting and germination
Dormant stage
Seedlings stage
After these stages, you can harvest your carrots and enjoy!
Frost
Frost can kill off your carrots and so you may want to put in some protective measures if there is frost expected.
During frosty weather, the water that is within your carrots will freeze.
The tops of the carrots will also die in the frost. When the water freezes, the cell walls break down.
Final Thoughts
Usually it takes around three or four months from planting to harvesting your carrots.
When the carrots push through the soil, this is your indication that they are ready for harvest.
You can choose which size you would like your carrots to be when you harvest them. It depends how you wish to use your carrots.
If you are looking to use them in salads, younger carrots are more delicious.
If you are looking to use you carrots in soups, the larger varieties are better.
