Carrots Growing Guide
Sweet, tasty and packed with vitamins, carrots are a traditional grow-your-own favourite. They are straightforward to grow from seed, taking up little space, and can also be grown in containers. Sow small batches regularly from early spring onwards, for harvests almost all year round. Home-grown carrots may not always be as straight and uniform as those sold in supermarkets, but they taste so much better and sweeter when freshly harvested.
This guidance applies to the crop in general. Individual varieties and local conditions can differ.
Planting information
Carrots should be sown directly outdoors, as transplanting can disturb the roots and lead to forked or distorted carrots. The main sowing season is from April to early July. Early varieties can be sown in February or March if protected with cloches or biodegradable fleece. Avoid sowing in ground that has recently been used for carrots, as it may harbour carrot fly eggs. Make a shallow drill, about 1cm deep, water along the base, then sow the carrot seeds as thinly as possible along its length. Space any additional rows 15–30cm apart. Carrot seeds can be slow to germinate, so be patient. Sowing small batches every three to four weeks will give you continuous harvests. Protect carrot seedlings from slugs and snails if possible, and cover the crop with insect-proof mesh to keep carrot fly away.
Harvesting information
Carrots are ready to harvest about 12–16 weeks after sowing. Harvest as soon as they’re large enough to use – don’t aim for the biggest roots as flavour tends to decline. Spring sowings in particular are best when young, sweet and crunchy, ideal for eating raw. Baby carrots, just a month or two old, are also full of flavour. Main-season carrots, grown to full size, can be harvested through summer and into early autumn. They can also be left in the ground into winter, for harvesting whenever needed. Lift carrots carefully using a fork to avoid snapping them, especially if your soil is heavy.
Storage information
At the end of the season, in late autumn, you can leave carrots in the ground and lift them as and when required through winter. Just remove the leaves and cover the crop with straw or cardboard to protect the roots from frost. But if your soil gets waterlogged over winter, it’s better to lift and store any remaining carrots.