How To Grow Carrots

Growing your own carrots is reasonably easy. Of note, carrots are actually biennials which are grown as annuals. Carrots produce thin green leaves up to 30cm high, and long orange roots e.g. the carrots.

Carrots are strong in Vitamin A, B and C. Commonly they are orange however lighter coloured varieties do exist. Carrots need good quality soil, well manured from the previous season. The soil should be loose not firm to allow the roots to grow freely downwards.

The soil should be prepared as to be as fine as possible before sowing. Carrot seeds are very small and one trick is to mix it with some fine sand to help spread the seed more evenly and avoid thinning out so much later.

The carrot seeds should be sown in drills about 1cm deep with and about 20 cm apart, gently firming over with a thin layer of soil.

Carrots can be sown as early as February and late sowings as late as July, although this depends on the variety you are growing. Always read the seed packets to establish the correct sowing periods. Successive sowings every two weeks should produce a regular supply of carrots.

As the carrots grow start thinning them to around 6 to 10cm apart, making sure to protect them from carrot fly with netting or clear plastic up to a height of 60cm all around the carrots. The bed should be kept as weed free as possible and watered on a regular basis.

Early carrot crops can be harvested in as little as seven weeks after sowing, and the main crop after ten weeks. To pick simply pull them out by hand or with a small fork. Cut off the top leaves and store in a box in a cool dry place.

Carrots are susceptible to problems so read up on Carrot Pests And Diseases

If you like root vegetables then why not learn How To Grow Parnsips as well.

By Richard Allen -