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Carrot Seeds Sowing instructions:
No veg seems more classic than the carrot. And growing your own means you will be rewarded with a crunchy, sweet and flavoursome crop. Not only are carrots a delicious veg to grow, they also store incredibly well, are highly nutritious, and if you time your sowings right you could be self-sufficient through most of the year with this classic ‘stockpot’ vegetable.
Sow
March to August
Harvest
July to December
Sow
When it comes to successfully growing carrots good soil is key.
Fresh manure is not very suitable for carrots – the high nitrogen content encourages excess leaf growth, and manure can also cause the roots to fork. However, well-rotted compost is fine.
Apply a general purpose organic fertiliser (such as chicken manure pellets) about two weeks before sowing. Avoid general fertilisers high in nitrogen.
Before sowing the soil should be worked to a fine tilth (small crumbs of soil), as the seed is small – compacted soil equals poor germination.
Carrots are best sown direct in the soil, as they do not transplant well.
Carrots can be sown from March through to late July.
For large main crop carrots, a sowing in May or early June is best.
Sow carrots thinly at 1cm depth, in rows 15cm apart.
Be patient as carrots can take up to three weeks to germinate.
Grow
Carrots need thinning when 2 or 3cm high – thin to between 3-6cm (depending on the size of carrots you want).
Carrots dislike competition from weeds, so keep the bed weed free – use a hoe along the rows and hand-weed around the carrots.
Once the plants get established the leaves provide a thick canopy, which will keep weeds away.
Keep the seed bed moist until the seedlings emerge, then water the carrots in dry periods.
Harvest
Baby carrots will be ready about 8-12 weeks after sowing (depending on the time of year they are sown) – larger carrots obviously take a little longer.
Lift by hand, or ease out with a fork carefully if ground is hard.
Early sowings of carrots need to be harvested when mature to stop them splitting or going woody (store in the fridge).
Later maincrop sowings, which mature in the autumn, can be left in the ground until required – although dig up and store in boxes of sand or the fridge if they start being damaged by slugs or heavy frost is forecast.
Visit the GIY Veg directory for more growing details and tips.
