How to Grow Your Own Carrots

Chantenay is deservedly well known, a popular small variety of carrot with orange-red flesh and a fine crisp texture. A premium all purpose, intermediate, stump-rooted variety, with broad shoulders and a blunt tip. With a good, sweet flavour, they taste as carrots used to taste.

When choosing the best container, depth is the most important factor to consider. Carrots can be grown in most container shapes ranging between 6 to 15 inches in depth.

Check the specific depth requirements according to the variety of carrots you’re growing.

Most Carrots grow easily in loose lightweight soil, with good drainage and free from twigs, stones, or any other hard bits. Soil or compost that is not smooth, but rather, has obstructions such as stones, will cause carrots to grow either hard, oddly shaped or with 2 or 3 legs. It’s best to buy a good quality potting soil to use in your containers, or alternatively make your own. Make sure the soil’s pH is between 6 to 7. Most varieties require a minimum container depth of 12 inches, with 1.5 to 2 cm of spacing available between seedlings and the container edge. Good spacing and depth will allow carrots to grow well and fully develop.

 How to sow your first carrot seeds:

1. Add soil or compost to the chosen container, remove and lightly water to create moisture.
2. Create planting holes, 1.5cm deep with spacing 1.5cm apart from other holes and the edge of your container.
3. Sow your carrot seeds thinly, filling each hole with three carrot seeds. Then cover with soil and water again sparingly.
4. If you are growing Chantenay carrots, seedlings should appear after fourteen to twenty-one days. Otherwise, check the sprouting time for the carrot variety you are growing.
5. As the seedlings develop and the plant grows, keep the soil well – watered and moist to prevent the roots from splitting and to maximise growth but don’t over-water either.

Conclusion

Growing your own carrots is easy enough for anyone to do at their home. To see the biggest benefits in your plants, have a look at our range of 100% organic seaweed fertilisers here.