One of our most basic vegetables, carrots are a rich source of vitamins as well as potassium. Nothing you can buy tastes as good as freshly harvested carrots.
Soil
Carrots like a deep soil, loose and friable that is free from stones, these result in distorted roots.
Very heavy or clay soils are not suitable, use raised beds. Shorter varieties are more likely to succeed in heavier soils and raised bed cultivation.
Add plenty well rotted organic matter in autumn but do not sow carrots in ground where freshly manure or compost has been incorporated as this causes forked carrots.
Site
Carrots need a position in full sun in a loose sandy soil.
Sowing Seed
As a root crop, carrots need to be sown where they are to be grown. Prepare a seed bed, working the soil into fine tilth. Adding a handful of superphosphate to the soil before cultivating will give the carrots an additional boost.
Make a shallow drill in the soil using the corner of your rake or your trowel.
The seeds are very small and easily displaced so moisten the soil before planting. Mark the row at least until the seeds have germinated.
Sow the seeds evenly and sparsely, to avoid thinning, in rows 20-25 cm (8in to 10in) apart. Some intensive systems sow carrots in rows only 3cm (1in) apart.
Using your rake, cover the seeds with a fine layer of soil.
Germination can take up to 21 days. Sow carrots every three weeks to provide a succession of supply.
Timing
Sow early carrots in mid-spring, and main crop carrots from late spring onwards. Winter carrots can be sown as late as mid-summer.
In warm areas you can sow from August through April with main crop sowing in January/February. In cooler regions sow carrots from September until March with main crop sowing in November-December.
Care
Thin seedlings when large enough to handle, spacing the plants 5 cm to 7cm apart (2in to 3in), and then thin again when pencil sized.
Baby carrots can be harvested to thin out the crop, giving the neighbouring carrots space to develop.
Carrots develop faster and crop more heavily if you keep them weed free.
Closely planted carrots will discourage weed germination once the tops fill out.
Harvesting and Storing
Lift carrots once they start to show good, bright colour or when the tops are approx 2.5cm (1in) wide.
Harvest as and when required, lifting & storing them in autumn. In milder areas, main crop carrots can be left in the soil.
To store carrots, remove the tops after lifting, and compost. Remove any excess soil form the root. Lay on a bed of sand in a wooden box, layering sand between each layer of carrots.
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Carrots fresh from the garden
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Popular Carrot Varieties
- Chantenay Widely grown, stores well
- Early Krop For spring sowing
- Scarlet Nantes An old favourite that produces even crops. Good as a baby carrot or mature 25cm (10in) long
- Paris Market Small round early maturing carrot.
- Manchester Table
- Mini Sweet Good, bright orange carrot only 10cm (4in)
- Minicor 13-15cm (7-8in) long, blunt tipped. Resistant to cracking and splitting, very even crop.
- Top Weight
- Touchon 14-17cm (5-7in) long
Always check the seed packet to confirm sowing time, depths and spacing. | |
Chose a carrot variety that is suited to your soil type
Thin seedlings when large enough
Pests and Diseases
Carrot rust fly is the main pest and the main season for this pest is mid-summer. The fly lays eggs on the carrot and, after hatching, the maggots of eat holes in the carrot root.
The flies are attracted to the smell of the leaves, so be sure to compost tops of harvested carrots and not to leave them by the rows. Row covers, or frost cloth, placed over the rows will prevent access until the carrot fly season has passed.
Onions and sage are said to deter carrot fly, presumably by disguising the smell of the leaves. |
More Vegetable Gardening
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