Garden Culture and Uses - Carrots
Carrots require a rich, deep soil that has been well prepared. Plant the seed directly in garden. The seed will germinate in ten days to three weeks, depending upon soil and weather conditions. Sow the seed thinly in rows. After the seedlings are up and about an inch high, thin to about one to two inches apart.
Carrots may be planted in late March in southern Indiana, with biweekly sowings until mid July to ensure a constant crop. To harvest, just pull on the leaves firmly. If the soil is hard, you may have to dig the roots with a trowel. Snap off the leaves and toss on the compost pile. Wash the roots and you are ready for fresh carrots.
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| Carrot Seedlings |
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| Gardeners Guide to Growing to the Carrot |
Planting Carrots
Prepare the soil well before planting carrots. Dig the bed well and remove any stones, sticks and other debris. Work the surface to a fine texture. Water the soil deep before planting. Using a trowel or stick, make a shallow furrow in the soil and drop the seeds at one half inch intervals in the furrow. Cover the seed with a thin layer of fine soil. Water the bed again, using a fine mist to avoid dislodging the seed. It is important to keep the soil moist during germination. If the soil dries out, the seed probably will not germinate, especially during hot weather. Some growers cover the beds with spun bond fiber that they remove after germination. The seed will take from ten days to three weeks to germinate.
Gardeners may plant small crops of carrots two weeks apart to ensure a continuous supply. By mid to late summer, plant a larger crop to over winter under a layer of leaves for winter or early spring harvest.
The first crops may be planted in early spring as much as six weeks before frost. The seed will take longer to germinate in the colder ground. But spring conditions are usually more favorable for germination. Rain is frequent and carrots do prefer cooler temperatures.
Carrot seed does not transplant well, so plant the seeds in the place they will grow. The author has had success planting mid summer carrots in recycled toilet paper tube pots. Sow the seeds in the pots in the greenhouse, or under lights. Plant the seedlings in the garden after the seedlings begin showing the first true leaves. The seedlings should be about two inches tall, or slightly shorter, when transplanted. Since the roots are not disturbed during transplanting, the roots don't usually fork or bend.
