I think carrots are hands down one of the easiest vegetables to grow {zucchini and peas are at the top of the list too}. This year I’ll be growing 3 different kinds of carrots:
- Cosmic Purple {My favorite!}
- Calliope Blend
- Danvers 126
Brief description: Carrots are a root vegetable. They have a sweet mild flavor. They are super easy to grow–and once you’ve had homegrown carrots, it will be tough to go back.
Where to Plant Carrots: Plant in raised beds and garden beds. I plant mine in a garden box that is about 12 inches deep.
Planting Seeds: Sow outside 2-4 weeks before last frost. You can sow them every couple of weeks for a continuous crop, but stop about 2 months before the first expected frost. Sow seeds about 1/4″ deep. Thin to 1 every 3″ when seedlings reach about 1″ tall.
Growing Tips: Carrots prefer loose, well-composted soil. Don’t allow young carrots to dry out, consistent watering will provide the best growth and limit cracking.
How to Harvest: Don’t allow carrots to get too big. Check your seed packet for full grown length, and harvest by loosing the surrounding soil and pulling the carrots out by hand. Digging them up sometimes results in damaged carrots. Carrots actually get sweetest after a light frost.
Are you ready to start your garden but you’re not sure when you should plant your seeds or set out your transplants? Head on over HERE and you’ll be taken to a handy dandy chart that is broken down into what vegetables should be planted {or transplanted} each month in your area.
Anyone can do this. Dirt + Seeds+ Water = Food!
~Mavis
Here are a few of my Favorite Carrot recipes:
Chicken and Thyme Rice with Carrots
Fun Fact: In the 16th century, Dutch carrot growers invented the orange carrot in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. They created the carrots by cross breeding pale yellow carrots with red carrots.
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Diane says
Do you ever have problems with the carrot rust bug? Do you cover your carrots with remay? I’ve only tried the Parisian market carrots. They look like golf balls. I sure would like to try a Danvers type carrot, but want to be ahead of the bug headache if possible. Anyone have any suggestions?
Evelyn says
Save your coffee grounds to spread around your carrots that should take sare of the problem.
Kimberly R says
How many carrots did you grow last year? I have about 4 packets of carrots that I’ll be growing throughout the season but I think I may not have enough..
Cindi Myers says
I’m growing rainbow colored carrots for the first time this year — excited to see how they turn out. And I always plant Davers Half Longs. You’re right — carrots are one of those veggies that are so much better home-grown.
Vanessa says
I made your carrot cake on Sunday morning. I guess I got something wrong because it was a huge FAIL!! I filled my cake pans half full and put it in the oven. Later, I smelled burning- I opened the oven and found a carrot cake explosion! They had completely overshot the pans and flowed to the bottom of the oven. I can only think that I may have added too much baking soda or baking powder, or maybe my costco eggs were too big. Anyway, I took a picture of my messy oven! It was awesome!
Dina says
Just can’t seem to get the carrot-thing down. I just planted my blue potatoes over the weekend and I feel like a child waiting for Christmas. What a beautiful, informative and very relaxing blog you have here!
(As a farmer’s market manager and coordinator of an urban farming growing group, I will visit here again and again. Thanks for the very informative and inspirational posts).
Cecily says
I love Ingot, super sweet and almost no core.
Knitting with Olof says
I just planted the carnival mix and then it has rained for 2 days straight after planting. So perfect!
Jillian says
What about soaking the seeds? Do you do it?
Mavis says
Nope. 🙂
Evelyn says
I WILL be making that Carrot Cake Jam. YUM I had never even heard or thought of that. Do you have children Mavis? I will never forget when our twins were 5 and had a playdate and thier friends saw them pull a ‘carrot ” out of the garden LOL You would have thought they were Moses parting the red sea.Our grand girls go to the same elementary school which now has a garden.Many children have no idea carrots do not come washed in a bag 🙁
Mavis says
Yes I have 2 teens and I agree, most kiddos think carrots come in a bag! 🙂
Patrick says
I am rather new to the whole gardening thing. I always feel stupid when people tell me carrots are one of the easiest veggies to grow. I have not had much success with them. I think it may be my soil but do not know how to improve it. It is a combination of top soil, compost, soil conditioner, and lawn clippings. They are in raised beds. I have tried starting the seeds indoors and sowing directly. I have yet to harvest anything substantial and am nowhere close to recouping my costs.
Patrick says
BTW I meant to mention. I used to live in Silverdale. Exerpts from a joke I once saw. 50 ways to tell you have lived in Seattle too long. You can point to the closest volcano even when it’s foggy….. You know 20 ways to order coffee… You walk out and don’t even realize you forgot your umbrella….. You no longer realize how often the weather man talks about the “convergence zone”. You get the idea. 🙂