When
growing carrots the ideal soil is well drained
and rich in organic matter. It is best to dig
the soil over deeply and apply a layer of manure
two months before setting the carrots in the ground.
Carrots are notoriously hard to transplant and
therefore should be grown directly from seed in
the garden. The time to sow the carrot seeds is
mainly dependent on the climate you live in and
the variety of carrots you are wishing to grow.
Here in the UK I find the best time to sow the
carrot seeds is during the months of April and
May when there is little chance of frost and the
weather is starting to warm up.
Prepare
the soil by digging the patch deeply and removing
any large stones, weeds and break up the soil
as much as possible to avoid the roots becoming
misshaped due to hard objects in the soil. Sow
the seed approximately 0.5 inches deep. If you
are growing the seeds in rows, separate the rows
at 8 inches apart.
When
the carrots have sprouted, thin them out so the
plants are approximately 3-4 inches apart to avoid
overcrowding. While the carrots are growing it
is best to keep the soil moderately moist. Over
watering can lead to the plants not producing
a good root, whereas not watering enough can lead
to the root becoming woody.
The
time to harvest the carrots is when the top of
the root is approximately an inch in diameter
which usually takes 5-6 months after sowing the
seed. As a rule of thumb, the smaller the carrot
the better the taste.
Courtesy of www.vegetable-gardening-club.com
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