Prepared Housewives

SIMPLIFIED: Food Storage • Emergency Prep • Survival Skills

HOME       ABOUT        >> START HERE <<       CONTACT

  • GET PREPARED
    • New? Start Here!
    • Why Prepare?
    • Lists & Printables
    • Preparedness Q&A
    • Giveaways & Freebies
    • Resources & Spotlights
  • FOOD STORAGE
    • Food Storage in 5 Steps
    • 1 – PLAN Food Storage
    • 2 – BUY Food Storage
      • Food Storage Distributors
      • Kitchen Tools & Gadgets
      • Survival Gear
      • DIY Projects
    • 3 – PRESERVE Food Storage
    • 4 – ORGANIZE Food Storage
    • 5 – EAT Food Storage
      • Recipes
      • Off-Grid & Alternative Cooking
    • Water Storage
  • RECIPES
    • Breakfast
    • Main Meals
    • Side Dishes
    • From the Garden
    • Dessert & Snacks
    • Bread
    • Food Storage Basics
    • From Scratch
    • Substitutions
  • EMERGENCY PREP
    • Disaster Planning
    • Emergency Kits & Bags
    • Prep for Babies & Kids
    • Survival Skills
    • 1st Aid & Medicine
    • Dental Prep
    • Weapons & Defense
    • Off-Grid & Alternative Cooking
    • Sanitation & Hygiene
    • Fire, Heat, & Light
    • Shelter & Clothing
  • SIMPLY SURVIVING
    • Family & Home
    • Garden & Homestead
    • Hunting & Fishing
    • Money & Finances
    • Beauty & Fashion
    • Fun & Games
  • FAVORITE THINGS
    • Food Storage Distributors
    • Kitchen Tools & Gadgets
    • Survival Gear
    • Preparedness Books & Media
    • REVIEWS of Products
    • DIY Projects
  • TMI ;)
    • About Me…
    • Contact Me
    • As Seen In…
    • Currently Stalking :)
    • Best of Prepared Housewives
    • Disclaimers

Growing Carrots: It’s Easier Than You Think!

Tips For Growing Carrots

Written by Mike the Gardener

Carrots Are Easy to Grow at Home

Carrots are a very popular vegetable to grow in most homes gardens.  You can eat carrots raw, steam them, and add them to stews and soups and so much more.

Besides the ways you can consume carrots, they are easy to keep for long term storage through blanching and pressure canning methods.

Even though I would not classify carrots as being ideal for someone with limited space, since one carrot seed produces one carrot, I would classify them as easy to grow, and can be grown just about anywhere.  Growing carrots is easy because they are one of just a few plants that can grow well even when they are mismanaged or under managed with their care.

Set Up the Area:

The best place to begin when growing carrots is making sure the area where they are going to grow is ideal.  That means plenty of compost mixed with something that makes the soil friable.

This is very important because if the soil gets too compacted, you will get thick, short and stubby carrots.  While those carrots are still edible, what you really want are nice long and thick carrots.

I like to use peat or coir with my compost to make sure the soil is very loose.  The soil should crumble through fingers when you pick it up.

Spacing:

There is no need to start your seeds indoors.  Carrots grow best when they are direct sowed into your garden bed.

Make sure, when planting your carrot seeds, that you space them out eight to twelve inches.  You may be able to get away with less, but if you want carrots that are large, thick and healthy, give them some room.

Care:

As mentioned earlier, carrots do very well even when they receive very little care.  If you want great carrots though, show them a little love.  Make sure to keep their soil moist, not saturated and free of weeds.  I like to feed my carrots every two weeks with some compost tea.

Harvest:

This to me is the million dollar question.  How do you know when they are ready to harvest since you can’t actually see the carrot?

Most carrot varieties reach full maturity in 60 days.  That does not mean if you pick your carrots before that time they will be bad or even less tasty, it just means they should reach a good size at that time.

But in all honesty, you can pick carrots as soon as 30 days.  They will be a bit smaller, and with some varieties like little finger and tenderswseet, they will have a nice sweet flavor to them.  Almost like candy!

Carrots are Easy to Grow

Final Notes About Growing Carrots:

Here are a couple of final notes before you race out there and start planting and growing carrots.

  • Make sure you plant them in an area that receives a lot of sunlight.
  • Also, make sure your soil is friable.  I mentioned that earlier but it doesn’t hurt to mention that again.
  • Deer, rabbits and other rodents love eating your fresh carrots, so make sure you protect your garden beds.
  • Because carrots are a root crop you can fully encase your carrots in a cage and they will grow fine.  Carrots also grow great in cold frames which comes in handy for those areas that experience frost.

P.S. Here are some other great tips from Mike on how to grow Kohlrabi & Cabbage in your garden!

ABOUT THE AUTHORmike-the-gardener
Mike Podlesny

Mike Podlesny is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person as well as the creator of the  Seeds of the Month Club.

Mike is a member of the Garden Writers Association and you can listen to him each week on the Vegetable Gardening Show where he interviews gardening industry experts.

ENJOY THIS POST? NEVER MISS ANOTHER!



Comments

  1. 1

    Merry says

    November 7, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    I am a novice, so please forgive the question-Is this a crop I can start now, in the Fall, or should this be done in the Spring, Summer?

    Reply
    • 2

      Mike the Gardener says

      November 7, 2014 at 6:39 pm

      Hi Merry,

      That is a great question. You can definitely start it now, but since we are moving into the colder months, if you live in an area that is currently getting frost, you will need to use a cold frame or some kind of row cover so your soil does not freeze.

      If you are not in an area that is getting frost, then you should be ok to plant right now. Carrots are very versatile. Just make sure your soil is loose.

      Reply
  2. 3

    Susan says

    January 19, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    How do you make your compost tea?

    Reply
  3. 4

    Alyssa says

    April 16, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    “Make sure, when planting your carrot seeds, that you space them out eight to twelve inches.”

    Does this mean one carrot every 8-12 inches (which seems like way too much space) or 8 carrots per 12 inches (which seems too close to me, but maybe it’s ok)???

    Reply
  4. 5

    Betty says

    May 4, 2015 at 10:37 pm

    great tutorial. gonna give carrots a try. did not know that one seed equals one carrot. can you retrieve seeds from heirloom carrots?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Hi! I’m Jamie!

I'm a Texas wife & mom of 4. I believe everyone can be prepared for the little & big emergencies in life; the hardest part is Just Getting Started...

What Are You Waiting For?

GET PREPARED

Readers Favorites…

  • 37 Creative Storage Solutions to Organize All Your Food & Supplies 37 Creative Storage Solutions to Organize All Your Food & Supplie...
  • SWISS CHEESE CHICKEN: A Must-Have Meal for Your Freezer & Food Storage! SWISS CHEESE CHICKEN: A Must-Have Meal for Your Freezer & Food St...
  • Supersizing Food Storage with BUCKETS Supersizing Food Storage with BUCKETS
  • Build a #10 Can ROCKET STOVE: It Cooks an Entire Meal With Twigs! Build a #10 Can ROCKET STOVE: It Cooks an Entire Meal With Twigs!
  • Food Storage Inventory Spreadsheets You Can Download For Free Food Storage Inventory Spreadsheets You Can Download For Free
  • LDS Cannery (aka Home Storage Center): What You Need to Know Before Going LDS Cannery (aka Home Storage Center): What You Need to Know Before Go...
  • Bullet Proof Vest: What You Should Know Before Getting One Bullet Proof Vest: What You Should Know Before Getting One
  • How to Filter and Purify Water for Survival How to Filter and Purify Water for Survival
  • Canning Beef: Put a Cow in a Jar Canning Beef: Put a Cow in a Jar
  • How to Preserve Eggs With Mineral Oil How to Preserve Eggs With Mineral Oil

Instagram

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

Facebook Friends Rock!

Let’s Be ‘PIN’ Pals!

Find a Circle to Put Me In : )

Join & Vote:

What Do You Need Help With?

Main Categories

Pin With Me…

Visit Prepared Housewives profile on Pinterest.

What Are You Waiting For?

GET PREPARED

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 Prepared Housewives


WANT TO BE PREPARED, BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START? 

You are NOT Alone!

Enter your email below to stay updated on the latest tips and ideas to help you get started... or just keep going!

x