New to Gardening? Five Tips for Growing Carrots

By Alex S

After a long and stressful week, there’s no better way to relax and unwind over the weekend than by heading outdoors for a spot of gardening.

Gardening is one of those hobbies in which you get out exactly what you put into it. The harder you work, and the more care and attention you have, the more you’ll be rewarded.

When gardening, not only is it satisfying to have a bright, colorful, and pristine-looking garden, but it can also be equally rewarding to grow your own food. Growing your own produce is not only fun, but it’s also fulfilling as you get to enjoy the literal fruits of your labor.

If you’re new to gardening and are looking for food to grow, carrots are a great starting point. Not only are they versatile and delicious, but they’re also fairly easy to grow and harvest, provided you know what you’re doing.

To help you out, here are 5 useful beginner tips for growing carrots.

Plant in Deep Soil Free of Debris

We all know what a carrot is supposed to look like, right? Well, for a carrot to take on its trademark shape, it needs to grow straight and deep into the ground, as it’s a root vegetable. That’s why you need to make sure there is plenty of soil for the carrot to grow down into.

Ideally, you should plant them in raised beds or even in grow bags, as this allows you to control the amount of soil used.

It’s also important to ensure that the soil is free of rocks, stones, and other pieces of debris. Otherwise, this will prevent the carrot from growing straight. The result will be misshapen carrots. They’ll still taste great but won’t win any beauty awards.

Plant Carrots Well Away from Weeds

When planting vegetables, of any kind, it’s always best to plant them in soil or compost away from any weeds and other greenery.

This will not only help the carrots to grow more easily, but it will also ensure that there’s less chance of slugs, snails, and other pests. Weeds and greenery are more likely to attract pests, which could munch their way through your carrots.

Fewer weeds mean fewer pests.

Ensure There’s Plenty of Drainage

Carrots are a root vegetable that grows underground. As a result, it’s important to ensure that the soil in which they grow has plenty of drainage.

If the soil can’t drain properly, this will result in it becoming waterlogged. This means that it will be too wet for the carrots to grow, and they’ll simply rot underground and turn to mush. Worst of all, you won’t know this until the time comes to harvest them.

Ideally, your soil should also be nice and loose, as if it’s too compact, it could cause them to split.

Feed with the Correct Nutrients

To encourage your carrots to grow healthily, you’ll need to ensure that the soil in which they grow is rich in nutrients. You can help it along by feeding it.

To make life simple, you can purchase a simple all-in-one carrot feed, or you can feed with phosphorus, as it’s great for healthy roots. If fertilizing, make sure you choose a feed low in nitrogen. Nitrogen promotes foliage growth rather than root growth. Here, you want nutrients that promote root growth, such as phosphorus, as carrot is a root vegetable.

Harvest After the First Frost for a Sweeter Flavor

Let’s face it, for most people, the sweeter the carrot, the better the flavor.

If you enjoy sweeter carrots with a better crunch, leave them in the soil for longer and try not to harvest them until after the first frost. Most people will sow their carrot seeds in late June and harvest in late fall.

Carrots are a hardy vegetable, and in this instance, frost will actually be beneficial for the flavor, giving them a sweeter taste and crunchy texture.