It doesn't take much gardening expertise to be able to harvest fresh carrots directly from your own garden. Growing carrots is child's play if you ensure that the soil is sufficiently loose and nutrient-rich and there is adequate protection from pests.
How do I plant carrots in the garden?
Planting carrots is easy: Sow the seeds directly outdoors from the end of February or beginning of March, choose a warm, sunny location, keep the plants moist and ensure a row spacing of around 25 cm. Depending on the time of sowing, the harvest takes place between May and November.
Which plants are recommended?
Basically, carrots are generally not available to buy as young plants because the effort involved in pricking them out is not worth it. However, the types of seeds available in stores usually have detailed instructions on the package that provide information about the specific needs of the respective carrot variety. A rough distinction is made between early varieties for fresh consumption and later varieties for storage over the winter.
What is the right location for carrots?
First of all, you should be careful not to grow carrots in the same place two years in a row. In fact, carrots should ideally only be in the same bed about once every three years, as they are medium feeders and otherwise attract pests more. Carrots love a warm and sunny location such as a raised bed, but should be protected from drying out by watering them regularly.
How are carrots ideally sown?
Pre-pulling and pricking carrots only makes sense if you want to harvest the first carrots very early in the year. Otherwise, carrots are sown in rows directly outdoors from the end of February or beginning of March. Make sure that the tiny seeds are not sowed too densely and water the seeds well.
Can I transplant carrots that are too close together?
It doesn't just happen to beginner gardeners that the carrot plants that become visible after a germination period of around three weeks turn out to be too close together. If the plants are too good for you to simply pull out, you can also gently separate them. To do this, first water dry soil a little and gently pull excess plants out of the soil by the greens. Make sure the root collar is intact and sink it into a hole drilled with your finger at the new destination before gently pressing the soil around it. As an alternative to transplanting, it is also possible to use the young carrots directly for consumption once they reach a certain size.
When can I harvest carrots?
If carrots are sown in February and March, a harvest is possible in May after a cultivation period of around three months; with appropriate re-sowing, the season lasts until November. The carrots intended for winter storage should be sown in June at the latest if they are to develop sufficiently before winter.
How much space do carrots need?
When sowing, the distance between the rows should not be less than 25 centimeters. About two weeks after germination, the carrots should be separated at a distance of at least five centimeters from each other in the row for optimal conditions.
Tips & Tricks
Carrots should not be placed too deep behind boundary walls, even in raised beds, as a windy location is more likely to protect against infestation with carrot fly larvae. You can also keep this pest at bay by planting onions and marigolds between the rows of carrots.
