Carrot foliage is finely dissected with fern-like compound leaves.
Carrot flowers have five petals and sepals and are born in compound umbels.
Carrots are best known for long, orange roots, but they actually come in several colors and shapes.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Plant carrots in the springand seeds will germinate in 10 to 21 days.
From seed to harvest typically takes 50 to 75 days.
How to Plant Carrots
When to Plant
Carrots grow well in cool weather.
The Spruce / K. Dave
You cansuccession plantcarrots every couple of weeks throughout the spring.
Inwarmer climates,you might have better luck growing carrots in the fall and through the winter.
Growing carrots in raised beds with fluffy soil is the ideal situation.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Carrots don’t need support; But, they don’t like to be transplanted or disturbed, either.
Soil
Carrots need loose, well-draining soil.
Rocks and clumps will causethe carrot rootsto split and become deformed.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Carrots prefer a slightly acidic soilin the range of 6.0 to 6.8.
Temperature and Humidity
These biennials are typically grown as annuals in all zones and in all climates.
In warmer climates, carrots are sometimes planted as a late fall and winter crop.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Any good quality organic vegetable fertilizer will do.
Some notable varieties to try include:
Carrots vs. Parsnips
Carrots can often be confused with parsnips.
Carrots and parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) also share the same family.
The biggest difference between the two is their taste; Carrots are sweet and parsnips have a spicy bite.
Often they are both used in the same recipe to bring full flavor to a dish.
Use the days to harvest on your seed packet as a guide to know when to start harvesting.
The only true test is to lift one of the carrots and taste it.
Don’t harvest too soon, thinking you will get sweet baby carrots.
Immature carrots will be bland because they have not had time to develop their full sweetness.
Often sweetness develops when the crop has been through a frost.
If the soil is very soft, you might twist and pull the carrots from the soil.
Remove the leaves immediately after harvesting.
How to Grow Carrots in Pots
Carrots require loose well-drained soil.
Container carrots will require more water than crops in the ground; Water the container deeply once a week.
Pruning
To prevent deformed roots, keep the area free of weeds as the carrots are growing.
If you better thin them again later, you’re free to use the tiny carrots in salads.
But, carrot seeds are tiny making it difficult to plant them evenly.
They may take as long as three weeks to sprout.
Overwintering
you’re able to leave carrot plants in place over the winter.
verify you thoroughly weed the area before the first frost.
Heavily mulch the area with about three inches of straw or fallen leaves.
You might even consider installing a fabric row cover if you live in a very cold climate.
The carrot tops will die but the roots will continue gathering their sugar to survive the cold weather.
Even if left in the ground into winter, the roots can still be quite delicious.
Harvest these carrots before the early spring arrives or they will start to form flowers.
Carrot weevils can do similar damage.
Nematodes, microscopic worms, can become a problem later in the season, causing badly deformed roots.
Heating the soil through solarization can kill nematodes.
There is not much you’ve got the option to do once the plants are infected.
Keep a close watch and remove any plants showing signs of disease.
Even experienced gardeners can be challenged to growing carrots that are long and sweet.
Very often, carrots can disappoint with bland, misshapen, tough roots.
Yes, and no; A carrot is a taproot that can’t regrow itself.
Carrot Leaf Blight Diseases and Their Management.Cornell.Edu.
