How to Grow Organic Carrots
It’s fall and cooling down here in my zone 8A garden in Georgia. But although the temperatures are dropping there are still a lot of crops that will grow - and thrive! - in these cooler temperatures. Today I’m going to focus on one of my favorites to eat - carrots! And it seems I’m not alone in the popularity of carrots - they are in the top 10 most popular vegetables in the world. And for good reason! Carrots are full of vitamins and minerals, like Vitamin A, biotin, potassium, and B6, as well as carotenoids like beta carotene, lutein, lycopene that have antioxidant effects and numerous health benefits. Carrots are linked with a reduced risk of cancer, blood pressure and heart disease, and improved eye health. There’s so many health benefits to carrots, and as a bonus they are super easy to grow! Here’s a few things to keep in mind to grow great carrots at home. If you’re worried about keeping it all straight though check out our Garden Reference Cards, with all of the information you need to know from sowing to harvest!
Loose Soil
Carrots, like most root vegetables, need loose soil for their root (the carrot crop you are growing them for!) to have room to grow. Compacted or very rock-heavy soil can inhibit the growth of the carrot and lead to forking, or branching, of the root. Make sure to grow your carrots in loose soil, free of rocks and debris to at least 12” deep. If you don’t have a full 12” of loose soil you can still try growing carrots, but choose a shorter variety that doesn’t go as deep in the soil - Danvers is a great option, and reaches just 6-8” long.
Easy on the Nitrogen
While nitrogen is a critical element for plant health, it is used by plants predominantly in the production of leaves/greens. An excess of nitrogen in your growing area can lead to beautiful carrot greens, but minimal root production, and can also result in forking of the root, or split and rough or hairy carrots. To keep my garden soil balanced I add compost to my growing area a few weeks before planting. Once they’re growing you shouldn’t need to add any additional fertilizers/compost.
Keep it Cool
Carrot seeds germinate best when temperatures are cool-moderate, between 45-85F, which works perfectly for spring and fall sowing. And just like they prefer cooler temperatures to start growing they also like cool temperatures during the season - their taste and quality actually declines at soil temperatures above 70F.
Plant your Seeds and Keep ‘Em Coming
To plant carrot seeds spread the seeds in your growing area about 1” apart in rows about 1’ apart. Barely cover the seeds with about 1/4” soil, or finely screened compost, or even grass clippings. It’s KEY to keep the soil consistently moist while they germinate, which can take up to 3 weeks. When the carrot seedlings are about 1-2” tall thin them to around 3-4” apart by using scissors to cut off the greens at soil level. I recommend using scissors so you don’t risk damaging the roots of their neighbors by trying to pull.
Carrots are a great crop to succession plant for a continuous harvest. Rather than sowing all of your carrot seeds at once, instead spread out your planting and sow seeds every 2-3 weeks. Because all of the seeds planted at the same time will mature at the same time succession planting helps to ensure you keep the bounty coming.
If planting in late winter or early spring you can sow carrots as early as 3-5 weeks before your last frost, continuing to sow them every few weeks into the summer. Just keep in mind that carrots are a cool weather crop; as temperatures increase and soil temperatures reach above 70F the quality of your carrots will decrease, and they can become bitter and more fibrous. Plan for a fall crop of carrots by sowing seeds up to 12 weeks before your first frost - just be sure they have enough time to reach maturity before significant winter cold sets in.
If you’re in a time-crunch for getting your carrots in the ground OR to beat the summer heat try a fast-maturing variety such as Nelson or Adelaide.
Prevent Pests
Leafhoppers don’t pose much immediate risk, but they can spread a disease called aster yellows which results in carrots becoming hairy, smaller, and bitter in flavor. If this is an issue you can use floating row cover to keep leafhoppers from reaching your plants and transmitting the disease. Be sure to reduce your risk of disease by keeping the area free from weeds that can harbor aster yellows over the winter, such as ragweed and thistle.
Carrot flies are another pest that can target your crop - as their name would suggest this pest is attracted to the smell of carrots. Although the flies themselves don’t pose an issue their larvae will burrow down into the soil and make a meal of your carrots, ruining the crop for you. Row cover can be helpful in this case as well. Another great prevention tactic is to interplant carrots between other garden plants, making it harder for them to be found by pests. This is especially effective when grown between pungent garden partners such as chives and garlic.
Harvest Your Crop
On average, carrots are ready for harvest in about 60-80 days. Check your variety to be sure of your anticipated date! Plan to harvest when your carrots are at least 1/2” in diameter. Sometimes the top of the carrot while stick up out of the ground, although that’s not always the case. To harvest use a shovel/spade to loosen the soil around your crop - but be careful not to damage the fruits (vegetable!) of your labor. Pull up the root by the greens, being careful not to break them.
Carrots planted at the same time will be ready at about the same time, but you can actually leave them in the ground until you’re ready to use them - this is especially true in winter. In fact, carrots in the winter are often sweeter because of the way that they increase and store carbohydrates as a defense mechanism against frost damage! If you leave your carrots in the ground over winter make sure you mark the growing area so you can find them after the tops have died back or become covered with snow. If you’re growing carrots in the spring I recommend pulling them as they’re ready, so they don’t lose quality as temperatures increase - when soil temperatures reach above 70F the carrots will become more bitter, fibrous and hairy.
If it seems like there’s a lot to remember then fear not - the Garden Reference Cards have everything you need to know! From crop rotation and seed starting, to companion planting, harvesting and SO MUCH more! Check them out here!
Happy Growing!
Ina Marie
