![]() ![]() And if they seem crowded later? I can always thin them, and probably will need to anyways. The thing is, they may not all germinate, so I don’t want to sow too sparsely. No huge empty spaces with several inches of exposed soil, but not dozens of seeds piled up on one another either. Enough that every area I look has some seed. What is “a good amount of seed?” Well, this is sort of hard to explain, but I will try… I pinch and sprinkle until I know that there is a light dusting of carrot seeds over the entire bed. If we are planting several types of carrots, I go light on each kind – knowing that the cumulative total will be enough to put a good amount of seed down. I generally pour a small pile in one hand, and use the other to collect and sprinkle a little pinch here and there – almost as how you would to salt or garnish a meal. Try to get them fairly evenly distributed across the raised bed, container, or designated growing space. Lightly scatter carrots seeds over the soil surface. The key to a good carrot crop is proper thinning (discussed below) moreso than the choice of sowing method. We have done both methods over the years with success.! I tend to scatter seed when growing carrots in smaller beds or wine barrel planters, but plant them in rows in our larger raised beds (especially now that we have drip irrigation lines that are also in neat rows). You can either sow them in neat rows, or lightly scatter seed across a wider surface area of soil. There are a couple of ways you can go about sowing your carrot seeds. Therefore, it is not recommended to start them early indoors! Like most root crops, they do not take well to transplanting. The container needs good drainage too!Ĭarrots grow best when directly sown in place. However, keep in mind that some containers will dry out more quickly than raised beds or in-ground gardens, so you may have to increase your water frequency. When growing carrots in containers, the same type of soil, planting, and other tips described in this article apply just the same. ![]() These tall fabric grow bags would work perfectly! Just make sure it is nice and deep for them. It is possible to grow carrots in a container! We often times grow them in half wine barrels, but something smaller than that would work too. Too much nitrogen or strong manure can cause the carrots to branch, develop excess legs, side roots, or even split. However, avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers when growing carrots. We typically top-dress our carrot beds with compost and a small sprinkle of organic kelp meal, alfalfa meal and crab meal between seasons. They will appreciate the nutrients from a mild, well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer and/or well-aged compost. Check your planting calendar to see exactly when yours are. If you don’t have one already, I have you covered! The free Homestead and Chill garden planning toolkit has planting calendars for every zone.įluffy loose soil, getting pre-moistened before sowing carrot seeds.Ĭarrots do not need particularly rich soil. However, carrots can survive temperatures down to 15☏! They get even sweeter after a kiss of frost.įrost dates vary by location and growing zone. For a fall harvest, sow seeds in the late summer to early fall – about 10 to 12 weeks before your average first frost date if possible. ![]() They can be sown directly outdoors a couple weeks prior to your last spring frost date. Yet the roots themselves prefer cooler temperatures to develop.įor an early summer harvest, sow carrot seeds in the spring. They love temperatures around 70 to 80 degrees to sprout. On the other hand, in locations with hot summers, stick to early spring and late summer or fall planting.Ĭarrot seeds will germinate more slowly in the cooler weather of spring, so be patient. This is referred to as succession planting. In places with mild summers, carrots can oftentimes be continuously sowed straight through the summer for a perpetual harvest! Especially if they’re provided a little afternoon shade, or shade cloth during germination. Here in frost-free zone 9b/10a, we can grow them right through the winter! They do drastically slow down however, so it is best to get them sown by late fall for a winter crop. Carrot seeds are best directly sown outside, and can take 3 to 4 months from planting to harvest. To see a full list of the places we like to buy seeds from, check out our article “12 Places to Buy Organic, Heirloom, and Non-GMO Garden Seeds”.Ĭarrots are generally a cooler-weather crop, perfect for spring and fall in most climates. ![]()
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