How to Grow Carrots

Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables grown in home gardens. They are fairly easy to grow, and fun for the whole family! Mostly known for their orange color, carrots can also be found in yellow and purple (as shown in the picture), as well as red and white. They also very in shape and size, ranging from short and round, to long and skinny.

Timing is Everything: With any vegetable, you want to find out when your first and last frosts of the year will be. Most planting schedules are based off this, as well as your Climate Zone. Click here to find your Climate Zone ~ http://www.backyardgardener.com/bulb/climatezone.html  Carrots are a cool-weather vegetable so you want to start sowing in your garden 2-4 weeks before your last frost. Successive planting can be done every 3 weeks until about 2 months before your first fall frost. If you live in a location with very warm summers, you want to grow your carrots primarily in fall, winter and spring.

Location Location Location!: Carrots like full sun, however they will tolerate partial shade. Because carrots are a root vegetable they require loose soil that drains well. Garden beds are a good choice for carrots, but you want to make sure the depth of your bed is at least 8 inches, to allow full growth. Make sure you soil is worked enough that there are no clumps or rocks, as this can cause "forking" in your carrots. Carrots are usually not recommended for starting indoors.

Depth and Spacing:  Seeds should be planted about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep and about 1 inch apart. If you are planting in rows, put about 12 inches in between each row. When your seedlings are about 1 inch tall, thin to about 1 seedling for every 2-4 inches, depending on variety. This can be done by simply cutting off the top of your seedlings.

TLC: Do not let your carrots dry out. Keeping them evenly moist is very important as it promotes fast growth which is the best way to get the sweetest carrots! If the crowns of your carrots begin to become exposed, gently cover with loose soil. Being exposed to the sun can cause them to become bitter in taste.

Friends: Plant your carrots with radish, rosemary, chives, sage, and leeks.

Foes: Keep you carrots away from onions, garlic and dill

Reaping What You Sow: Depending on the variety of your carrots, they can be ready for harvest anywhere from 30 to 80 days. Check the top of your carrots, if they are the diameter you want them, or what your variety calls for (usually around 1/2 to 3/4 inch for regular carrots), then they are ready. Another way to tell if they are ready is to just pick one and see if it's the correct size! Carrots can be harvested over a 3-4 week period.