How to Grow the Best Carrots

Growing the best carrots is really easy once you know and understand their requirements as a plant. If you will be growing carrots this year and want a harvest that is both flavorful and abundant follow these simple tips.

Prepare the Soil

Carrots require rich, healthy soil that is moist and fertile. The best soil for growing carrots will have plenty of organic matter worked into the seedbed before planting. Add compost to the soil a month before sowing and again two weeks after planting. 

When preparing the bed make sure you remove all large organic debris, sticks and stones. Since carrots grow underground it is important that the soil they will be pushing down into does not have anything blocking their growth. Turn the soil in the bed and rake through it several times to make sure you do not miss any large material that may be buried.

Select a Variety

There are several varieties of carrots available for you to grow but choosing one type is actually very simple. Each type of carrot grows better in a different type of soil so determine what soil type you have and then choose accordingly. If you have heavy soil that holds a lot of moisture choose Nantes carrots. Danvers carrots, which grow longer are great for loose, sandy soil.

Don't stop there though. Take a look through seed catalogs and see what other varieties you can find. There are several varieties of white, yellow and purple carrots that you can grow.

Timing and Temperature Are Crucial

Sowing your seeds at just the right time is one of the most important steps to growing the best carrots. Sowing too early in some zones when it is still cold can cause your carrots to seed sooner than you want. At the same time planting carrots mid summer when the ground is consistently warm will result in a poor harvest. Make sure you follow the recommended sowing instructions for whatever variety you choose to get the preferred temperature during both the day and night for growing carrots.

Keep the Soil Moist