WHEN TO PLANT
Carrot seeds can be sown outdoors 3 weeks before the last expected frost; and when the soil temperature remains at least 45 ° F during the day. A severe frost can damage baby carrots.
Germination in carrots is slow, often taking a month when planted early in cooler temperatures.
In subtropics, plant carrots in fall or winter.
Floor temperatures of 75-80F during the day are optimal and can be achieved in cooler temperatures by using row covers over the bed to keep warm.
Carrots take between 70 and 80 days to ripen.
Plant a quick-ripening variety early for a summer harvest; Plant a second crop 2-3 months before the last expected frost date for your winter crop.
WHERE TO PLANT
Carrots grow best in full sun, but can tolerate light shade.
Plant in soil that is mostly rock-free for best results.
PREPARING THE SOIL
Carrots are capable of having a very deep root system (up to 3 feet deep).
Loosen the soil in your carrot bed 10-12 “down; remove larger rocks and break up the lumpy soil. Once the soil loosens, you can add 12-18” of loose soil on top to form a raised bed if desired.
Mixing fully composted material will help loosen the soil, but avoid using fresh manure as high nitrogen levels will produce long, bad-tasting carrots.
Test the pH level in your soil; carrots require a pH between 6.0 and 6.5.
SEEDS AND GERMINATION
Carrots are difficult to evenly space and easy to over-plant. The best way to sow carrot seeds is to spread them between your thumb and forefinger.
Sow about 5-6 seeds per inch. Cover your seeds with a minimum of ¼ “of soil but no more than ½”.
Planting your seeds in a row, even if the rows are widely spaced, is easier to handle when it comes to thinning and weeding compared to broadcasting.
Once you have planted the seeds, water the bed very gently so that you do not wash them, do not let the soil dry out.
GROWING CARROTS
Once the carrot tips have grown 2 “tall, the slender plants 1” apart; after another two weeks, thin the plants again to a distance of 3 “-4”. This will allow ample room for the growing carrots and prevent them from warping.
As the seedlings grow, cover the tops (where the carrot meets the stem) with an organic mulch such as dry leaves or straw; exposed crowns will turn green and make the carrot taste bitter.
We prefer to use straw as mulch; leaves work well, but before they have time to compost, they will likely spread throughout the garden. If available, use barley straw; it is more absorbent than wheat straw and retains moisture longer.
Once the soil temperature rises above 70 ° F, carrots are stunted and taste bland. Covering the carrots with straw or other organic mulch will keep the soil temperature low when the temperature starts to rise.
We have a personal note:
We used a leaf spray this year that increased both the size and sweetness of our carrots called Organic Garden Miracle ™. Increase plant sugar in plants, flowers, and even trees in your garden. We are very impressed with this product.
IRRIGATION
The mulch you apply will help provide uniform moisture levels and minimize weeds. If your soil is dry, gradually water the bed over several days.
Avoid sudden heavy watering; This could cause the roots to split.
COMPANION PLANTATION / ROTATION
Good companions for carrots are tomatoes, beans, rosemary, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, peas, onions, lettuce, radishes, and bell peppers; all of these have shorter root systems and do not hinder carrot formation.
Bad companions are celery, dill, and parsnip, as their growth is affected by proximity.
WHEN HARVEST
Patience is rewarded with sweeter, crunchier carrots; carrots taste better the longer they have to ripen.
You can harvest your carrots as soon as they are big enough to eat or wait until they are fully ripe and harvest them all at once to store for the winter. If you are harvesting the entire crop, do so before your first frost in the fall.
Moisten the soil the day before harvest if necessary to soften the soil, making carrot removal easier and less prone to breaking.
Using a digging bar (inserted a couple of inches from the root and rocking back and forth) has worked very well for us when trying to remove deep-rooted carrots; A shovel fork is not recommended as the roots are more likely to bruise or damage, and a shovel may not go far enough and the carrot may break off at the tip.
We have a personal note:
This year we put 12 to 18 inches. Layer dry barley straw mulch over our half of our carrots to prevent them from freezing in the ground, ruining the carrots. We’ve had nights this year as low as -15F, and the carrots stay warm enough that we’ll be harvesting fresh carrots in late winter or very early spring!
STORAGE
When storing carrots for the winter, twist the tops of only ripe, straight, undamaged carrots and line a box, plastic bucket, or wooden box with newspaper. Layer the carrots (preferably without touching each other) by placing newspaper between the layers (sand works well too, but is a bit more fiddly to handle).
Preferably store it in a basement or in a cool, dark place (such as under the house or in the garage). Ideal storage conditions are 32-40 ° F and 95% relative humidity.
We have a personal note:
Our basement contains a refrigerator and three freezers, so it doesn’t get too cold, so Barry dug a 4-foot meter. wide x 6 ft. long by 4.5 feet. Deep hole in the edge of the garden, he lined it with a plywood box and covered root crops like carrots and potatoes with dried barley straw, at least 12 ″ thick. It keeps carrots nice and fresh all winter long and they don’t freeze.
COMMON PESTS AND PROBLEMS
When carrot cultivation Their greatest threats are animals such as deer, rabbits, marmots and gophers; Protecting your garden with fences is your best option.
If carrot flies (rust flies) are a problem in your area, waiting to plant until after June 1 and harvest before mid-September will prevent the first and second hatching of larvae.
Sage or black salsify is also known to repel carrot flies.
SEED SAVING
Insects can cross pollinate carrot flowers up to 200 feet (1,000 feet is recommended to ensure pure seeds). For the backyard gardener who is new to saving seeds, grow a variety and make sure your neighbor isn’t growing carrots nearby.
Queen Ann’s Lace, a close wild relative, will also freely pollinate with carrots from your garden. If this common herb grows in your garden, keep it cut or plucked when the carrot seeds are in bloom.
To harvest the seeds, collect the seed heads when the second set of heads has matured; If you wait for the third or fourth umbel to mature, the previous seeds will “break” (they will come loose and fall to the ground).
To collect the most seeds, the plants can be bagged with spun polyester fabric (also known as Reemay) to catch all the seeds that mature as they break.
