Sowing carrots: growing carrots all year round in 5 steps

Carrots are a vegetable that you can truly use for everything in the kitchen; you can even make a delicious pesto with the greens. With a little attention and some special tips and tricks that you will read in this article, these super healthy and easy vegetables are a must to grow in your vegetable garden. In addition to many other vitamins, they contain primarily vitamin A, also known as beta-carotene. Do you know the joke: Why are carrots good for your eyes? Have you ever seen a rabbit with glasses? #kidjoke. Well, thanks to vitamin A, carrots are indeed good for our eyesight; they help our retina function optimally and help your eyes switch between light and dark. In addition, carrots have properties that are very beneficial for a healthy skin and mucous membranes, and they also give your resistance and immune system a boost. So, there is no reason not to sow a few rows of carrots in your vegetable garden. Also, sow in several batches. That way, you will have fresh spring carrots as well as delicious winter carrots.

The carrot belongs to the Apiaceae (parsley) family and are, of course, edible! It is an easy vegetable to grow, even for beginners, and they can be grown in open ground as well as in pots, provided these are deep enough for the long roots. Sowing carrots is ideal if you only have a small piece of land or a raised bed. For the best result, sow carrots in a sunny spot, for example in the garden, on the balcony, or on the terrace. Give them loose, rich soil without clumps and stones, and a soil temperature between 8 and 29°C. Yes, you read that right: you can grow carrots at any time of the year, even in winter with some protection in the greenhouse. Especially in winter in the greenhouse or early in the spring in the vegetable garden, it is best to provide some protection in the form of fleece fabric or a blanket. Fleece fabric is very light and highly insulating, making it somewhat more suitable for protecting the carrot seeds and mini plants.

Short carrots like Paris Market can be grown in 60-70 days. Ideal if you want to grow carrots all year round.

Carrots are slow to germinate. So, definitely have plenty of patience and consider placing a soaker hose along your seedlings. If you activate it briefly and regularly, the carrot seeds will never dry out and will germinate optimally.

A raised bed, a half barrel, a wooden crate, or open ground... 1 thing is very important: make sure you have loose soil, at the depth your carrots need. For long carrot varieties, it is essential that the soil is loosened deeply so that the roots can develop properly. Carrots that grow to 5 cm (Paris Market) require less loose soil than the Flakkeese, which can grow up to 50 cm long. Most people choose varieties like Amsterdamse Bak or Nantes, which reach 20-25 cm in length. The ideal depth for a broadfork or spade. You don't need to fertilize your carrots, as too much nitrogen generates a lot of foliage, which comes at the expense of root development.

Carrots like light, loose, and moisture-retaining soil with good structure, free of stones and clumps, so that the roots are well-positioned in the soil and you get straight, perfect carrots. Personally, like many kitchen gardeners, I use a broadfork. In sandy soil, you have free rein; remove the stones and clumps and you can begin. If you have heavy clay soil, mix in sand, lava meal, or well-rotted compost. Fortunately, carrots are not demanding; a little bit of compost is enough. If your soil preparation is not done properly, your carrots may split or become deformed.

Note: carrots are difficult to transplant because of their taproot. Therefore, it is usually better to sow directly in the open ground rather than sowing in pots and transplanting later.

If you have bone meal, sprinkle it on your soil and rake it lightly into the loose soil. Bone meal is rich in phosphorus and the supplier of a good root system, also for other vegetables. Definitely do not use fresh manure in your carrot bed, as it will give you hairy carrots and much more foliage than root. Water your bed well with a spray nozzle two days before sowing carrots; this allows the soil to become gradually moist without compacting it too much. In well-distributed moisture, your seeds will also germinate better.

These are my 2 carrot-growing success makers:

Carrot seeds are very small; it is easy to sow too many, which then requires a lot of thinning. A steady hand is very useful, and a seed dispenser with different settings is a convenient tool. You can also buy your seeds as a seed tape, in which case you don't need to thin them. When using a seed tape, the rule "keep your beds evenly moist" applies even more. Some vegetable gardeners mix their carrot seeds with fine sand to make them easier to sow.

It is best to sow carrots directly into the open ground, as they do not transplant well. Pre-sowing is less common for carrots; sowing them directly in the open ground gives the best results. Always sow carrots in the open ground. Sow your carrots from mid-March to about the end of July. If you want to grow carrots in a pot or on a balcony, make sure the pot is deep enough (at least 30 cm) so the carrots can develop properly. Use potting soil and ensure adequate fertilization.

Use a Hori Hori, trowel, or a small garden rake to make a shallow furrow of 0.5 cm (in clay soil) to 1.25 cm (in sandy soil). Sow each seed thinly and evenly in a row, with 15 to 30 cm between rows, depending on the size of your carrots. When sowing, bury the carrots about 0.5-1 cm deep. For Amsterdamse Bak and Nantes varieties, I use a spacing of shoe size 43 (+/- 25-30 cm apart). Keep in mind that each plant needs 2.5 cm around it to develop optimally. Now, cover your seeds in the furrow with sowing and cutting soil or potting soil and press down firmly. This will ensure that the seeds make good contact with the soil. This is necessary for proper germination.

Be careful not to sow too deeply; the depth depends on the variety and soil type. After sowing, water regularly to promote germination. Carrots usually start to germinate after about two to four weeks, provided conditions (moisture and temperature) are right. Keep the top layer of soil moist during germination to prevent the carrots from cracking. Let the carrots grow peacefully; after about four months, you can harvest the first ones by gently feeling if they are large enough. If you are sowing carrots in the open ground, pay attention to the right timing and conditions for good emergence. After sowing, check regularly to see if the carrots have emerged and thin them out if necessary for optimal growth. Too many seedlings can lead to misshapen carrots. Thin the seedlings to 3 to 5 cm apart for optimal growth.

During the previous steps, keeping your soil evenly moist was very important for the germination process. It is important in that phase to water the carrot bed daily with a fine spray nozzle or to activate the soaker hose of your irrigation system for 10 minutes every day. The soil must not dry out. However, once the young carrots seek their way toward the light and develop a root system, they will follow the water level in the soil. It is important that the soil is constantly moist, especially the first few weeks after sowing. Carrots only need water during extreme drought. You no longer need to provide large amounts of water then. Only when the carrot foliage starts to droop should you provide extra water. Also, when the top layer of your carrot bed is dry for 8 cm, you must water. Otherwise, you do not need to do anything.

Healthy leaves are essential for the growth of the carrot because they take care of the absorption of nutrients and energy. Ensure that the carrots have sufficient space so they can grow well and develop strong leaves.

If you want to grow beautiful carrots, remove weeds around the plants. Weeds hinder the growing space of your carrots and also compete for the available moisture in the soil. Suppressing weeds is important because they compete with the roots for water and nutrients. Regular weeding ensures that your carrots can grow optimally. As with any crop, mulching once the carrots are 10 cm high is a miraculous weapon against weeds and evaporation of soil moisture.

Do you recognize this? You want to sow carrots but they just won't grow as they should, or they stay a bit behind. Very recognizable! This can be anything. Perhaps your soil is too dry (or has turned into a mud puddle), or your plants just need some extra nutrition. Ensure that the soil stays nicely moist, but not so wet that you leave muddy footprints in it. A scoop of compost or some organic fertilizer can do wonders. Your carrots will thank you.

Check on your carrots every now and then to see how they are doing, so you can intervene quickly if unwanted critters or diseases appear. And don't forget to thin them out if they are too close together. Carrots also need their personal space! With these simple focal points, you ensure that you can soon enjoy a beautiful harvest full of tasty, firm carrots. Have fun in the garden!

Thin your young carrots to 2.5 cm apart. If you don't, you'll end up grating a lot and eating very little :) You can pull the young carrots out of the ground, but a good tip is to only trim the tops of the young carrots. This way, you don't disturb the soil. Only do this if you are using insect netting, because the scent of your clipped seedlings will attract the carrot fly from meters away. Save your thinned carrots, wash them, and toss them into your salads; they are very flavorful. Suppressing weeds is important, as they compete with the carrots for water and nutrients.

Speaking of the carrot fly, it is one of the biggest threats to your carrots. A tiny fly that, to reproduce, lays its eggs close to your carrots. The fly is then certain that its offspring can feed on your carrots. The carrot fly larvae then eat their way through the roots, which causes damage and can affect the harvest. So keep a close eye out for feeding tunnels and other signs of larvae in your carrots. No matter how animal-friendly we are, in this case, we definitely want to eat our own carrots. Therefore, invest in good, strong, and durable insect netting. A mesh size of 0.97mm x 1.54mm keeps the carrot fly off your crops. Remove the insect netting for thinning or weeding early in the morning or in the evening, when the carrot fly is not active. You can stretch the netting over the carrots, but you can also stretch it around the perimeter (the carrot fly usually stays low to the ground).

Pay attention to companion planting: root parsley and parsnips are related to carrots and share the same diseases and pests. It is therefore wise not to plant these directly next to carrots to prevent problems.

Carrots are usually sown directly into open ground and not transplanted, because transplanting carrots can disrupt root growth. Direct sowing gives the best results, especially for root vegetables.

Carrots are ready to harvest when they are big enough for you to eat. Young carrots are delicious in salads; leave them to grow until autumn and winter to use in soups and stews. Winter carrots can be harvested in the autumn and stored well for later use. Good winter varieties are Berlikum and Flakkeese. You can leave winter carrots in the open ground for a long time; your vegetable garden becomes a freezer and refrigerator in one.

This insect netting is perfect for protecting your carrots; it is also suitable for the onion fly and the cabbage white butterfly.

The right time to pull your carrots from the ground? That depends entirely on which variety you sowed and when you did it. Early carrots are real sprinters and are often eager to be pulled after just ten weeks, while winter carrots are perfectly happy to stay in their beds for sixteen weeks. I always take a regular peek underground by carefully moving some soil away from the top – just with your hands, no need to overcomplicate it. When harvesting, it's best to use a garden fork or simply pull them out very carefully with your hands. Damaged carrots are like people who have fallen: they don't last very long.

After harvesting, you can rinse the carrots and use them immediately in the kitchen – wonderfully fresh from your own soil. Want to keep them a little longer? Then cut off the tops and store them in a cool, dry place, for example, just in the refrigerator. This keeps your home-grown carrots crunchy for longer, and you can enjoy your own harvest for weeks. Have fun with your carrot harvest!

This is my best harvest buddy, also for leeks, parsnips, potatoes, ... Anything delicate that is deep in the ground:

You've harvested your own carrots and want to enjoy them for as long as possible? Then it's smart to store them correctly. Keep them unwashed and dry in the refrigerator; they will stay crunchy and fresh the longest that way. Only wash your carrots just before use – I know, it feels a bit strange to put dirty vegetables in the fridge, but moisture can really cause annoying mold during storage. Did you harvest more carrots than you can eat? Then you can also freeze or dry them, which is handy for later in soups, stews, or a fresh salad. If you want to store carrots, you can wrap them in a damp cloth or place them in a thin layer of water to prevent drying out.