How to Grow Perfect Carrots

Carrots have two growing seasons — spring and fall. With spring gardening season just around the corner, it’s time to start preparing what you want to grow – when, where, and how. Today, I am talking about how to grow perfect carrots in your garden.

How to Grow Perfect Carrots

Ever tried to grow carrots and ended up with short stubby crooked roots that “kind of” resemble carrots? You are not alone. For most first-time carrot growers, the first harvest can be a bit disappointing. There are a few things you can do to grow great carrots.

First, let’s talk about when to grow carrots. Carrots have two growing seasons – spring and fall. In the spring, you’ll want to sow carrot seeds in fertile, well-worked soil about two weeks before your last frost date. For fall harvesting, begin planting seeds 10 to 12 weeks before your average first fall frost.

Best Place to Grow Carrots

Start with deciding where to grow your carrots. Many people think to sow them directly into the ground, but in the end, this is the most common downfall of carrots. The soil in our land is full of things that can stunt the growth of your carrots or lead to very odd-shaped carrots — instead, plant in a large pot or a raised garden bed.

Best Soil for Carrots

The soil you use to plant your carrots is vital. Sift through the dirt and remove any large chunks of organic matter, tricks, and any trash that may have ended up in your gardening soil. Doing this will ensure there is nothing left to force your carrot roots to change direction, leaving you with an extensive collection of no good carrots.

Carrots thrive in well-drained sandy or loamy soil. These soil types give carrots the ability to dig into the ground, allowing them to grow deeper. If you are using thicker soil, try mixing in peat moss to make it more carrot-friendly.

Prepping Soil for Carrots

Avoid using fertilizers or compost on your carrots. For most plants, you would happily add these to your soil before planting. For carrots, this can lead to significant issues. You want your carrots to have one main root that is relatively clean of other roots. If you add plenty of nutrition to the soil, your carrots will grow new roots on the side, leaving you with a very unattractive carrot.

Related: 7 Edible Flowers For Your Garden

Plant Carrots near these plants; but avoid others

There are carrot-friendly vegetables to grow next to or near to, but other vegetables are not. So, if you are looking to make the most use of your space, plant your carrots with several other plants, including beans, peppers, and chives.

Avoid these plants near carrots

Avoid planting with potatoes and other root vegetables.

Related: 20 Healthy Fall Soups to Make Right Now(Opens in a new browser tab)

How To Start A Herb Garden

For more than just carrots, check out this culinary herb garden kit featuring Basil, Cilantro, & Parsley. Click on the photo.

Now it’s time to PIN IT. Pin the below photo to your garden Pinterest board – the gardening season is here or if you missed it, save it for next year!

Healthy Homemade Carrot Soups

Well, because you are here seeking to grow carrots, it’s only wise to give you some carrot soup recipes from my friends for you to make with all your perfect carrots!!
CARROT TURMERIC MISO SOUP
ROASTED CARROT GINGER SOUP
EASY CARROT SOUP RECIPE

Still not sure how to grow perfect carrots? Try reading up on the type of soil in your area. Where we live in Texas, our soil is clay-based and unsuitable for certain types of planting. So be sure to know your soil before planting anything. Happy Gardening.