How to plant and grow Carrots

You've never actually tasted a carrot until you've eaten an absolutely fresh one, with the soil being rinsed off under the tap. The smell - it's an important part of the flavor - instantly becomes familiar and enticing, but fades away quickly and is only noticeable when grown on its own. One of my favorite dishes is midsummer pasta cooked with baby carrots, peas, broad beans, fresh garlic and good quality olive oil. This is the happiest meal of the year.

Carrots are biennials that develop good roots in their first growing season and, if untrained, produce flower umbels in their second growing season. Wild carrots have white roots, and it wasn't until the 17th century that the Dutch cultivated the now ubiquitous orange carrots. Since then, breeders have been working to increase their sweetness. Therefore, this absolutely "natural" vegetable is artificial.

Carrots can be sown any time between spring and midsummer as long as the soil is warm, although early crops sprout vigorously and can be quite patchy. They do best in light, well-drained, slightly alkaline soils, which are slightly different from our heavy clays - we can still get a good harvest. Sow very thinly, either in shallow drills or sprinkle on the surface, then gently rake to cover the seeds. I now always like to spread out the seeds and harvest one clump at a time, consisting of different sized roots. Not only is this more convenient, but it also avoids thinning, making it less attractive to carrot flies.

Carrots are in the same family as parsnips, parsley, and celery, all of which are best grown as part of a crop rotation (see page 293) that follows cabbage varieties like kale and purple sprouted broccoli. The soil should be dug well, but don't add any fertilizer or compost over the past year as this can cause cracking. Also, don't add fertilizer to the soil, as this will promote overgrowth above ground at the expense of the root system.

The earliest harvests are best from Amsterdam-type strains, which have narrow, cylindrical, smooth roots. Nantes varieties are usually larger and can be grown as an early crop and as a staple. The Chantenay, Berlicum, and Autumn King strains are all best for your main crop in the fall and can have the largest roots. Carrot flies lay their eggs in the soil around the roots, and when the larvae hatch, they chew on the carrots, leaving black horizontal furrows, especially those harvested in the fall and winter. These insects have an extraordinary sense of smell and can spot fresh carrots half a mile away. When you damage the leaves, the sparse seedlings will emit the intoxicating aroma of carrots into the air, which is what attracts flies. If carrot flies are an ongoing problem, it is best to harvest the roots when they are young and eat them fresh rather than leaving them in the ground for long periods of time.

Family:	Apiaceae
Growing zones:	N/A
Growing season(s):	cool weather: spring and fall
Spacing:	2 to 3 inches
Spacing:	direct sow
Start indoors or direct sow:	N/A
Earliest outdoor spring planting:	4 to 6 weeks before average last frost
Soil temperature:	N/A
Fall planting:	4 to 8 weeks before average first frost
Sun needs:	6+ hours
Water needs:	moderate
Harvest category:	one harvest
Troubleshooting Tip:	If you find your harvested carrots bitter in flavor, most likely they matured in hot weather. Replant in the fall for a winter harvest, and you’ll find the flavor much sweeter and milder.

Snapshot	Carrots can be some of the most rewarding vegetables to grow, although they can be challenging. Though grown in both the spring and the fall, most gardeners prefer a fall planting, as flavor soars when roots are harvested after several frosts.
Starting	Carrots require loose soil. Prior to planting seeds, use a shovel or trowel to loosen the soil to a depth of about 8 inches. Remove rocks and crush clods. For even rows of carrots, use a rake to create many rows of shallow trenches. Plant the seeds no more than ¼ inch deep, or simply scatter the seeds on top of the soil and graze it with a rake or your fingers to lightly settle the seeds into the soil.
Growing	Carrot seeds can take up to 3 weeks to germinate. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout that time. After seeds germinate, snip extra seedlings at soil level to ensure the final spacing is 2 to 3 inches between plants.
Harvesting and Storing	Plan to begin harvesting around the time when the “days to maturity” on the seed packet has elapsed, though in the fall it may take longer. Use your finger to scrape the dirt around the base of the carrot top, and harvest when the diameter of the root is about 1 inch across (some varieties grow to 2 inches across). To harvest, place a trowel vertically into the soil several inches from the root. Loosen the soil until you can easily pull the carrot. Remove the greens immediately (otherwise the carrots quickly soften), and store the root in the refrigerator. For long-term storage, place the carrots in a container of sand in a cool, dark area such as a garage.
Common Problem	The biggest problem carrot growers face is poor germination. This is usually because the soil was not kept moist. Place a burlap sack or flat floating row cover on top of the soil to limit moisture loss, and supplement with irrigation when rainfall is inadequate.