Carrots
Daucus carota var. sativus. APIACEAE.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Carrots
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow carrots in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many carrots to plant
- Growing conditions for carrots
- When to plant carrots
- How to plant carrots
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning carrots
- Companion plantings for carrots
- How to harvest, store, and use carrots
Growing Carrots
Carrots are cool-season annual root vegetables of the Celery and Parsley family, the Umbellifers.
Usually grown for their flavorful crisp orange, red, cream or white roots, 2–10 in. (50–250 mm) long, depending on cultivar and soil texture, carrots may be conical and tapered, cylindrical, or ball shaped.
Short cultivars generally are easier to grow and tend to be sweeter than the tapered varieties.
Carrot Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 20–30 plants per household member.
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 14–25 days.
Average Climates: Sow seed in full sun in early spring–late summer when soil warms to 40–85°F (4–29°C) and until 80 days before first frost.
Mild-Winter Climates: Sow seed in autumn–early spring. Sow seed 1/4–1/2-in. (6–12-mm) deep, 1/2-in. (12-mm) apart, thinning to 1/2–2 in. (38–50 mm) apart, in rows 1–2 ft. (30–60 cm) apart.
Autumn–Winter Gardens: Sow seed from Mid-June–August for harvest in winter–spring.
Plant successions every 2–3 weeks.
Best Conditions for Growth
Growing temperature: 45–75°F (7–24°C). Best in mild climates.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained, sandy loam. Fertility: Rich–average. 5.5–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 1 ft. (30 cm) deep.
In heavy, clayey, or other poorly textured soils, carrots may fork; choose Chantenay, Kuroda, Nantes, or other short varieties in such conditions.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist. Apply ample water during the root-enlargement stage. Fertilize monthly with 5–10–10 formula supplemented with wood ash or garden potash to provide ample potassium; cultivate and water after fertilizing. Mulch. Pest and disease resistant.
Pairing Recommendations
Chives, leeks, onions, peas, rosemary, and tomatoes.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
50–75 days; 30–40 days for thinned baby carrots. Pull roots when 3 in. (75 mm) long for tapered cultivars; 3/4-in. (19-mm) wide for round cultivars.
How to Store and Preserve
Fresh in vegetable keeper of refrigerator for 1–2 months; sliced, blanched, and frozen, 6 months; brined and pickled, 1 year. In mild-winter climates, store mature carrots in-ground until ready for use; in cold-winter climates, dig before first frost, avoid washing, and store in damp sawdust in a dark, cool spot, 3–4 months. Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, a nutrient recognized for multiple health benefits.