How to Grow Carrots for Beginners
Eating healthier and growing your own food go hand in hand, so picking up a few tips on how to grow carrots for beginners can help you add some crunchy goodness to your backyard garden. From planting and watering to mulching and harvesting, you’ll find the step-by-step help you need to grow better.
Start your Gardening 101 journey with these tips that will help you to grow bigger and better-tasting carrots than what you see at the grocery store.
Carrots – What You Need to Know
Before planting carrots, the most important thing to remember is that they’re a root crop, which means they need loose, sandy soil to thrive. If your soil is clumpy, packed with clay, or full of rocks, you’ll need to prep your garden first.
1. Planting and Growing
Carrots are not only an easy option, but they’re also pretty hardy and can handle a frost. They take about 70-80 days to grow and be ready for harvest.
For a summer harvest, plant your seeds 3-5 weeks before the last spring frost. For a fall harvest, aim to plant mid- to late-summer, about 10 weeks before the first fall frost. To keep the harvest going, plant a new batch of seeds every 3-4 weeks through late spring or early summer.
2. Seeds are small
Planting carrot seeds can be a bit tricky because they’re a bit tiny. Their small size makes it easy to accidentally plant too many in one spot, which can lead to overcrowding.
To make things easier, you can try using seed tape or mixing the seeds with a bit of sand to help spread them more evenly when planting.
2. VariEties of Carrots:
When it comes to growing carrots, there’s a variety to suit every garden and taste.
- Nantes – These carrots are perfectly cylindrical from the top to the bottom and they have a sweet flavor. They are fairly low maintenance.
- Imperator – These are the ones most commonly seen in grocery stores. They have a higher sugar content than other varieties so they’re a bit sweeter.
- Chantenay – If you don’t have the right soil conditions for other varieties, you can still grow these. They’ll grow well in heavy soil, growing 6-7 inches long. Just be sure to harvest as soon as they’re ready. If they stay in the ground too long, they’ll lose some flavor.
- Danvers – These long, skinny carrots grow well in various soil conditions, even clay soil. While they’re mostly orange, they also grow in other colors.
- Mini Carrots – Unlike the mini carrots you see in the grocery store that have been shaved down from full-size carrots, there are varieties of carrots that grow smaller, some even as small as radishes. These varieties tend to be sweeter, and because they’re so small, they do better in containers.
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Tips to Know before you Plant
Before you break open those seed packets, there are a few things to know first.
• Choose the Best Spot
Carrots like full, direct sunlight, preferably 6-8 hours per day. While they will still grow in partial shade or with fewer hours of sun, they’ll grow larger and you’ll have a fuller crop if they get direct sunlight.
• Temperature
Carrots thrive in the warmer months—spring, summer, and fall—but they’re hardy enough to handle a light frost. This means you can start planting them in early spring and continue growing them into late fall, depending on the climate in your region.
• How Many Seeds to Plant
Most families only need a few rows of carrots for a good harvest. The amount you plant will depend on your family size and how much you enjoy carrots. Since each seed produces one carrot, calculating how many to plant is straightforward.
If your family loves carrots or you plan to preserve some for winter, aim for about 48 plants (or carrots) per person in your household.
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How to Grow Carrots for Beginners
To grow the best carrots, start with the soil and build from there. The quality of your soil plays a crucial role in the size and success of your harvest.
#1. Soil Prep
Preparing your soil is the first step before planting carrots. Start by removing any rocks and breaking up clumps to create a light, loose texture. Carrots thrive in well-tilled, sandy soil that’s free of stones and debris. Adding a bit of compost to the soil before planting can also help provide the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.
#2. Planting
There are two schools of thought on seed planting. One is to plant fewer seeds further apart to avoid needing to thin the plants out later. The other is to plant seeds in larger groups to help them germinate and then thin them out after they start to grow. If you choose this method, the plants will need to be thinned to 12 plants per foot in a row.
Be aware though, when planting seeds close together it can sometimes attract carrot flies which can cause grubs to grow and tunnel into the roots.
Sow seeds 2-3 per inch in rows that are 12-24 inches apart. Carrot seeds are tiny, so don’t stress if a few land a little closer together—you’ll thin them later.
Gently sprinkle the seeds and cover them with about 1/4 inch of loose soil or sand. Carrot seeds germinate best when planted shallowly.
It will take a couple of weeks to start seeing the sprouts pop through the soil, be patient and keep them watered. Remember that if you planted your seeds closely, you’ll need to do some thinning out after they sprout.
#3. Watering
Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Water lightly and regularly to help the seeds germinate. Once the plants are established, aim for about 1 inch of water per week. Deep watering encourages longer root growth.
#4. Mulching
Add a thin layer of mulch over the soil to retain moisture and prevent the seeds from drying out. This also helps block weeds.
#5. Fertilizing
Carrots are one of the few vegetables that don’t like to be fertilized. Avoid using fertilizer in your soil because if the soil is too fertile, the root will fork, and the carrots won’t grow as big.
#6. Protect from Pests
If you notice any signs of pests, such as carrot rust flies or aphids, take action right away. Covering your plants with a row cover can help prevent infestations.
#7. Keep Rabbits and Deer Away
Rabbits and deer are big fans of carrot plants. They’ll happily munch on the green tops and even dig up your growing carrots for a snack. To protect your crop:
- Install fencing – Surround your garden with chicken wire or similar fencing to block these hungry visitors.
- Use natural deterrents – Look for all-natural repellents at your local garden center to discourage them from approaching your plants.
#8. When to Harvest Carrots
Harvest carrots when they reach 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter—about the width of your thumb. Smaller carrots often have a sweeter, more tender flavor. For the best results, try to harvest in the morning before the day heats up, as high temperatures can make the roots fibrous.
Carrots taste even better after experiencing a frost or two. The cold prompts the plant to store energy as sugar, enhancing their sweetness. If you plan to harvest after the first hard frost of fall, cover the tops with about 18 inches of shredded leaves. This will protect the plants while allowing them to continue growing.
#9. How to Store Carrots
To store your freshly harvested carrots for later, twist off or cut the tops, scrub off any remaining dirt under cold water, and let them air dry. Once dry, store them in airtight plastic bags and put them in the refrigerator. If you put them directly in the refrigerator from harvesting, they’ll go limp fairly quickly.
You can also leave mature carrots in the ground a little longer if cold weather and pests aren’t a problem. Or you can store them in tubs with moist sand or dry sawdust in a cool, dry area.
Growing Tips for Carrots
- When weeding, be careful not to disturb the roots of the young carrot plants.
- Using a tool like tweezers or a spoon will help you plant the dark, tiny seeds without getting them too close together.
- Remember that your plants need about 2-3 inches between them to grow healthy so you’ll need to thin them out once they sprout. Do this by snipping them at ground level instead of pulling them out; this will prevent damage to the roots of the remaining plants.
- Carrots need plenty of water, at least 1 inch every week. Keep the soil moist but not too wet with frequent, shallow waterings. To test if the soil is wet enough, stick your index finger into it; it should be moist up to an inch deep.
- Carrots can take 2-3 weeks to start sprouting so don’t worry if you don’t see any signs of life right away.
- Gently mulch around the carrots to help retain water in the warmer months and speed germination. This will also block the sun from directly hitting the roots.
Carrots are an easy crop for beginner gardeners. They don’t take a lot of work and they have a longer growing season than many other vegetables. If you have plenty of space, can prepare your soil well, and make sure they get plenty of sun and water, you’ll enjoy carrots for several months of the year.
Get creative with all the carrots from your garden. Make carrot ginger soup, carrot casserole, or souffle, or use them to bake a delicious carrot cake. You’re certain to find a number of ways you like to enjoy your harvest.
