Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Carrots
Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables in the world. Pulling
a baby carrot from the garden, wiping off a little dirt, and biting into
it is an experience everyone should have. There is nothing better
than a freshly picked carrot! Carrots are great to grow if you have
children around because they grow fairly quickly and can be picked
at any size-and children love to pull them out of the ground.
The time-consuming part of growing carrots is the bed preparation.
Carrots need a deep, loose, sandy soil that is free of debris to grow
their best. They are a great vegetable to grow in raised beds
because the soil texture is often lighter than in a regular garden bed.
If you have a heavy soil, it is important to dig in compost or aged
animal manure to lighten the soil; however, if the soil is too fertile
the carrots may get hairy and misshapen and they may not taste as
good. It can take a few years to get your soil to the proper consist-
ency to grow fabulous carrots. If there are any obstructions in the
soil, the carrot will grow around them, producing oddly shaped roots.
It is important to take the time to break up any lumps of soil and
pick out rocks that are larger than very small pebbles before planting
your carrot seeds.
Carrots are a cool-season crop and are best planted in the early
spring to be harvested in the summer. If you live in an area where
you get mild winters, plant another crop in late summer for a fall
harvest. The carrot has its best flavor when grown in the full sun
with cool nights. Carrots are direct-seeded and need to be kept moist
in order to germinate, so you may have to water the garden bed two
to three times a day until they germinate. Water carefully so as not
to wash the seeds away. It is important to keep the soil moistened
because the seeds may not be able to break through the hard and
crusty soil if the soil dries out.
