When to plant carrot seeds. If you opt for planting seeds but don’t know when to plant them?
When to plant carrot seeds
We have brought a handy guide that helps you plant carrot seeds and observe them growing amazingly in your yard.
- Biological name – Daucus carota
- Family– Apiaceae
Planting Season & Zone
- Season: Cool seasons (before starting winters)
- Exposure: Full-sun
Timing
Summer species
- They are sowed in the last frost time to late summer for harvesting
- For continuous harvest, maintain a 3-week interval.
Winter species
- Sow In mild winters (first two weeks of August)
Temperature Required
Optimal soil temperature
- 7-30°C (45-85°F)
Germination Time
- 14-21 days
Seed Information
- If you provide optimal requirements, 60% of the seeds will germinate.
- Seeds life-Up to 3 years.
Seeds required per area
- Per 100′ row- 2.4M seeds
- Per acre- 1,044M seeds.
These Rates are for raw seeds, not the pelleted ones.
Preparing Garden Soil for Seeding
- Till down the soil; 12 inches
- Ensure no rocks, stones, or soil clumps.
- They might impede the carrots’ growth.
- Remember not to amend the soil with nitrogen-rich material.
- They may include;
- Manure
- Fertilizer
- The nitrogen-containing fertilizers make the carrots fork and grow small side roots.
- Ideal soil pH required– 6.0-6.8.
Soil specification
- Soft
- Humus-based the soil
How to treat dry soil
- When it gets dry in spring, dig in.
- Take half a cup of organic fertilizer and add it every 3m (10′) of the row.
- Remember to avoid fresh manure.
- Carrots, when hit in the ground, can become misshapen.
- In this case, they are still edible.
- Keep the soil moisture by proper watering.
Procedure for Seeding
- Start by watering the soil deeply.
- Carrot seeds are tiny and need to be sowed shallow. During the long germination time, keep the top layers of soil damp.
- Take the seeds and directly sow them at 5mm (¼”) deep.
- Distance between seeds must be; 4 seeds per 2cm (1″).
- After seeding, firm the soil lightly.
- Ensure the seeds are not that deeply buried.
- After that, Water the soil gently.
- You can use a lightweight row cover to maintain moisture and avoid carrot rust flying.
- Remember to provide constant moisture till the sprouts come out.
- Provide proper care to ensure loose and stone-free soil.
Thinning
4-10cm (1½-4″)
- Thinning requires a 2cm (1″) tall plant.
- Increase the spacing to obtain an increased amount of carrots.
- A tight spacing may create suffocation to their growth.
Harvesting the Carrots
- Season– winters
- Color– bright orange
- Size– any size
- Storage– cold temperatures (above 0ºC).
- You can store it in the sand or sawdust.
Recommended Varieties of Carrots to Be Sown
Carrots come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes.
Select the one that best fits your garden.
Bolero
- Shape-slightly tapered
- Size -7 to 8 inches
- Features
- Resistant to most of the leaf pests and blights
Danvers
- Classic heirloom
- Size-6 to 8 inches long
- Shape- tapers at the end
- Color- rich, dark orange color
- Soil- suited for heavy soil
Little Finger
- Nantes type small carrot
- Size – 4 inches long
- Width-one inch thick
Features
- Good for containers
Nantes
- Shape- cylindrical
- Size- 6 to 7 inches
- Taste-exceptionally sweet
- Texture- crisp texture
Thumberline
- Shape-round in shape
Soil
- Better for clumpy soil
- Clay soil
- Containers
Red Cored Chantenay
- Color ‘Solar Yellow’
- Unique one
Conclusion
If you opt for planting carrot seeds but don’t know when to plant them? We have brought a handy guide that helps you plant carrot seeds and observe them growing amazingly in your yard.
Remember not to sow the seeds too deep. Keep the soil moist. Carrots are high in beta carotene that contains vitamin A. Use the above method to sow, grow and harvest bright orange, sweet carrots.
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