Carrots are one of the vegetables that develop very gratefully and easily, even for garden beginners. If you pay attention to a few basic things when sowing carrots, nothing will stand in the way of a rich carrot harvest later.
How do you sow carrots correctly?
When sowing carrots, fresh seeds should be used in loose rows about 20 cm apart. Sowing outdoors or cold frames is recommended. Additional seeding of radishes helps make the rows more visible. A regular harvest is achieved with staggered sowing dates.
Choosing the right seeds
As with all plants, many factors for later growth are determined with the seeds of carrots. Choose seeds that are as fresh as possible (€1.00 on Amazon) for a good germination rate and sow them in loose rows about 20 cm apart. You can also use pilled seeds to make it easier to maintain proper plant spacing and save on thinning later.
Early and late varieties
There are many different varieties of carrots, each with their own special characteristics. Early varieties with a ripening period from May are particularly suitable for fresh consumption immediately after the harvest. Late varieties, on the other hand, have better properties for storage after the carrot season.
Important information for sowing carrots
What all carrots of different varieties and colors have in common is that pre-cultivation and subsequent pricking of the plants is not really worth it. So you save a lot of work if you sow directly outdoors or in a cold frame. Mark the carrot rows for better visibility by sowing some radishes at the same time
Harvest radishes and carrots from a row
It's an old trick to sow radishes together with carrots. Since carrot seeds take about 14 days to germinate, the rows will become visible to emerging weeds much more quickly with the radish seedlings. When the radishes are harvested after about four weeks, the space between the carrot plants is freed up for the growth of their main roots.
Staggered sowing for a long harvest season
Carrots can sometimes be harvested in May if they are sown in March, although these carrots, like bunch carrots, still have a rather thin main root. If sowed every month, summer carrots can be harvested and eaten fresh between May and November. Winter carrots for storage should be sown in June at the latest in order to reach a size that can be stored by the first frost.
Tips & Tricks
Be careful when thinning out excess plants from the rows of growing carrots. This way you ensure sufficient space for the individual carrot roots and avoid stunted growth and a disappointing harvest. Summer carrots should be 5 cm apart from each other, while winter carrots need up to 10 cm apart.
