Carrots grow
in a range of sizes and colors.
Carrots are hardy root crops and make up an important part of early-spring gardens. These frost-hardy crops withstand frost and taste best after being grown in cool, moist seasons. Amend soil before planting to give carrots a loose foundation and plant seeds in early spring for early and continued harvests.
Instructions
1. Start carrots in an early spring garden, when the ground warms and dries enough for easy digging. Carrots germinate at 55 degrees Fahrenheit and grow best in temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees. High temperatures lead to tough, bitter carrots.
2. Put carrots in spots with four to six hours of spring sun every day and quick site drainage. Carrots fail in tight or muddy soil and rot in standing water.
3. Dig up the top 10 to 12 inches of soil in the carrot plot to loosen and aerate the foundation. Pull out rocks, which disturb carrot growth. Turn 4 to 5 inches of organic compost into the foundation to keep the soil loose, moist and nutritious. Add 5-10-10 granular fertilizer per manufacturer directions for better nutrition and a quicker start.
4. Plant the entire carrot crop at this time. Plant the small seeds 1/8-inch deep in the amended soil or place them on top of the soil and sprinkle light sand over them. Give each seed 1/4 inch in the row. Leave 12 to 18 inches between rows.
5. Give the carrot patch 2 inches of water every week to maintain a moist environment and use 1 to 2 inches of organic compost to maintain soil moisture and keep weeds from growing.
6. Thin the carrot seedlings to every 2 inches in the row when they sprout. Carrots grow straighter and healthier without intense competition.
