Guide to Growing Carrots and Care

Carrots are a great vegetable to grow however; one must follow certain guidelines if he/she wants his/her carrots to be the best in appearance and taste. Rich in vitamin A, carrots are best flavored when they are fully mature and therefore deeply colored. The right time to sow carrot seeds is early spring when the ground is a little loose and workable. The carrot seeds are slow in germinating and may take up to several weeks before finally breaking out. For this time, the seeds must be kept moist, evenly to enable germination.

Sowing of carrot seeds

Before sowing the needs, ensure that the soil is stone-free, moist and cool. Sow the carrot seeds half an inch deep with the width between the seeds being the same. As the carrot seeds take nearly one to three weeks to germinate and break out of the soil, radishes can be planted along side to loosen the soil. The soil should be well-drained and the site must get good sun to enable the carrot seeds to germinate. If the soil is dry, then you can water it daily to speed the process of germination. The ph of the soil must be around 6.5 and it must be weed and stone free so that the roots are not deformed.

Maintaining and taking care of carrots

Although a successful carrot crop can be obtained if there is full sun, yet light shading is effectively tolerated by carrot seedlings. Since carrots are moderate feeders, green and fresh animal manures must not be used when planting carrots. However, moisture is essential for a good root formation. An essential step while taking care of carrot plants is that of thinning. This is the process of thinning the plants before they are 2 inches tall to reduce competition from the other neighboring plants.

Harvesting of carrots

The best part about carrots is that they can be harvested anytime throughout their life cycle. To get baby carrots for salads, you can thin the carrots in stages. Otherwise let the carrots turn bright orange and harvest them after 2 – 3 months after being planted. Carrots can remain fresh in the soil for months even if frost destroys their tops. Therefore, you may leave the carrots in the soil until the soil starts freezing. Small amounts of carrots can be picked as and when required. However, you must take care to not harm the roots while picking. You can simply pull up the tops and loosen the root before it pulls out. Shake off the excess soil, wash it and then store in an airtight bag.

There are certain plants that can be planted along with carrots and these include radish, bean, leek, tomato, cabbage, onion, chive, leaf lettuce, pea, pepper and Brussels sprouts. To get the best carrot crop change the spot of planting them so that they do not catch diseases. You can even harvest the seeds from your carrots by pruning the umbels of flowers when they start turning dry and brown. The best seeds are from the first and second umbels of flowers that appear on the carrot plant.