CARROTS - Hilltop Hanover Farm

CARROTS (Daucus carota, a member of the Apiaceae family)
How much seed do I need?
1 oz sows about 280 ft.
Carrots average 18,000-30,000 seeds/oz (variation among varieties).
Seed stays viable for about 3 years, if you store it in a cool, dry location.
Carrots yield about 1 bunch or 1 lb per foot planted.
When can I plant carrots?
Carrots are hardy biennial vegetables (meaning they produce seed in their second year) that grow
throughout the season in NY. Sow carrots starting in early spring, and plant winter storage carrots into
July. You can plant “successions” of carrots by planting smaller amounts of seed every three weeks
throughout the growing season, so that you will always have fresh carrots on hand. Some growers are
experimenting with growing carrots over winter in protected hoop houses or unheated greenhouses.
What kind of soil do carrots like?
Like most veggies, carrots prefer a fertile sandy loam, but can grow in other soils if you choose a variety
adapted to the conditions. Chantenay or Danvers types are best for heavy, compacted soils. If your soil is
shallow or rocky, your carrots will still likely grow, but may be crooked!
How should I prepare and plant my carrots?
Carrots like loose soils, so we usually try to use raised beds, or else fork or till our carrot beds deeply. The
long Imperator type carrots need beds with soft soil at least 10” deep. Prepare the beds a week before
planting and let the soil settle. Right before plant, I usually rake or hoe the beds to dislodge any weeds
that are germinating. Carrots prefer direct seeding, and don’t grow as well from transplants.
How far apart should I plant my carrots?
I usually plant a few seeds every inch and thin them as the plants start growing (sometimes the rabbits help
in this thinning process). Seed depth should be ¼ to ½ inch, with 15 to 45 seeds per foot (if in rows).
Rows should be 16-24” apart, but can be closer if you are using tighter bed spacing (down to 10-12”
apart). When the plants are 2-4” high, I thin the carrots to ½” apart. Thinning is critical if you want to
have carrots! When they are 6-7”, I thin to 1 or 2” apart. (In general, thin carrots more vigorously if you
want larger roots.)
What temperature do carrots like?
Carrots need at least 40° to germinate (optimal range 60–80°), emergence takes 17 days at 50°, 10
days at 59°, 6 days at 77°.
Why haven’t my plants come up yet?
Carrots take a while to germinate and start growing—sometimes up to 3 weeks before they emerge. Just
keep the ground from drying out by regular watering (but don’t saturate the soil).
What kind of care do carrots need?
Keep the soil moist after planting, and don’t let a crust form over the soil. One they are up, weed
shallowly between the carrot rows as needed. If the tops of the roots push out of the soil, hoe a little soil
over them to keep the crowns from greening.
When do I harvest the carrots?
Carrots are ready to eat after they turn a good color (nice bright orange… unless you planted yellow,
purple, or red varieties!) and taste good. I usually start snacking on them when they are 6” long. Carrots
store best in the humid drawer of a fridge, with their tops removed.
Can I store carrots for winter?
Carrots are great for winter storage. Plant the carrots you plan to store about 100 days before fall frost
(beginning to middle of July). Harvest the roots after it has begun frosting but before the ground freezes.
Cut off the carrot tops after harvest, and store them unwashed (but with soil bushed off) in a cold, humid
place. I’ve also had some luck leaving the carrots in the ground under hay bales. To harvest, I pull off the
bale and dig up the roots. This works until the heavy cold sets in.
Are there diseases or pests I should be on the lookout for in my carrots?
Carrots can get the fungal blights of Alternaria dauci (starts with dark leisions with yellow margins on the
older leaves, which may shrivel up and die) or Cercospora carotae (small dark spots on the newer leaves)
Both blights reduce yields. Rotating crops and incorporating previous crop residue can help minimize this
occurrence, and copper fungicides can be a control in the worst cases. White mold (Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum) can be a problem in poorly drained areas later in the season (it looks like a cottony white
mold around the roots and lower leaves), but rotation also helps reduce this. Insect pests include
wireworms (the little segmented orange guys) and carrot rust fly (a brownish beetle). Good fertile soil and
established ground (not recent sod) cuts down on these guys, and fabric row cover can help keep them
from getting to the crops.