Carrots are all year round vegetables in areas that don't get snow. They are also not fond of to rich a soil so can be grown in relativley poor soil with good results. In fact if you plant carrots it is best to grow them in soil where compost has not been added for a year. Carrots do like well drained soil, so clay soils are not the best choice for growing carrots.

How to grow carrots - planting

Start preparing your planting area by loosening the soil to a spades depth and removing any rocks and stones. Seed is sown directly into the bed by making shallow drills across the width of your bed. The depth should be about 1cm and the rows about 10 - 15cm apart. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. Slugs and snails are a big problem with carrot seedlings so use an environmentally friendly solution to protect them.

Long term care

When the carrot tops appear, thin them out to about 2cm apart leaving the strongest seedlings in the ground. When they are about 15 cm tall you can thin them again.

Harvesting Carrots

After about 8 - 16 weeks, depending on the cultivar, your carrots will be ready to harvest. Each evening you need only pull what you need and use them. Leave the remaining carrots in the ground and they will continue to grow. But don't leave them too long as baby carrots are much sweeter and better tasting than woody ones.

Quick Notes

When to plant: Sow seed all year unless you live in a snow zone.

How many plants: 2 rows about 1.5m across.

How long to harvest: 8 - 16 weeks

Successive planting: Every 4 - 6 weeks