Carrots (daucus carota L) can be grown all year round. The only precautions we need to take are in winter, December and January. During these months, the seeds must be protected from the cold. The carrot harvest is over after 3-4 months. Many people do not know well when to plant carrots.
Therefore, in this article we will tell you when to plant carrots and how you should do it.
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Importance of growing carrots
It is a culture, yes or, it must be grown in the garden. Growing carrots is not just a common practice for various reasons. On the one hand, because it is a year-round crop. On the other hand, because its maintenance need and requirements are actually minimal. As simple as it sounds, the truth is that many gardeners get frustrated growing this vegetable. Often we remove this vegetable from crops, either because the seeds do not germinate or because the size of the fruit is not that expected. For this reason, and to avoid this abandonment, we want to spend some time knowing when to grow carrots.
Knowing how to grow carrots will inevitably avoid the feeling of failure we just talked about. A task that does not require too much difficulty or too much time, but which requires knowing certain instructions. A few guidelines mean the difference between delivering the carrots we expect and being disappointed when we pull them out of the field. Let’s be honest: there is no garden without carrots. It’s not a question of stubbornness, but basically, this crop is incredibly rich in nutrients and its versatility in the kitchen.
Considerations for planting carrots
At first glance, it may seem as simple as digging a small hole in the ground and inserting a seed into it. And, really, this task is that simple, but it has many “buts” that must be taken into account in order to be successful. We can only ignore the seeds this is the most delicate time for any plant. To do it right and meet your needs, plants, whether garden plants or not, need to thrive.
When it comes to growing carrots, this moment is even more important. A compelling reason to find out what we had to prepare and check during the first weeks in the factory. As we said, growing carrots in itself is not complicated. However, it requires decisive preliminary work. Carrots are a vegetable that requires moderately acidic soil with a pH around 6. But this is not the only requirement for substrates. We are talking about a vegetable that has high nutrient requirements for the growing soil. As a root crop, it requires high levels of phosphate and potassium in the soil in which it grows. For this reason, the ideal is to give it a substrate rich in organic matter or earthworm humus and give it everything it needs to grow.
This high nutrient requirement makes it imperative that our carrot seeds are grown in spaces where there is no competition. In addition to referring to other crops, we refer to weeds. Weed eradication is an essential job that we must do before growing carrots and during their growth.
If we are going to plant directly in the ground, the carrots must be planted deep because they must grow very deep. This forces us to conveniently review the planting area in search of stones that prevent its development. But not only. Besides, we must provide a light substrate on which to grow. The carrot is a vegetable not recommended for clay. Due to his increased weight, he is unable to achieve the desired growth in size or shape. Therefore, it is convenient to work in the planting space before planting carrots. Help us with a hoe, ideally we break up any hard ground. Necessary precautions, especially after winter, because this season tends to weigh down the substrate.
If the destination of our vegetables is to grow in pots or urban gardens, the ideal is to create the necessary land to grow carrots. Its structure is simple. First we will put four centimeters of gravel in the bottom to facilitate drainage. The next layer will be used for planting substrate. The ideal is to mix it with the lowest percentage of sand and the same percentage of clay. The ideal blend to stay hydrated but avoid stagnant water. Finally, we assign the last four centimeters of the container to the seedbed substrate. This soil is rich in peat and will help us retain the moisture necessary for the germination of carrot seeds.
When to Plant Carrots
Just as important as soil preparation. Knowing when is the best time to grow carrots will also save us a lot of trouble. In fact, doing this when you’re not playing is one of the main reasons they don’t perform properly. In fact, thanks to its rustic character, we are talking about a crop that can be grown throughout the year. But this does not mean that they have a more advisable and favorable time to develop properly, the ideal time to grow carrots is between April and July.
We can also start planting in late summer if we live in a temperate climate. We should never ignore the fact that carrot seeds need at least five degrees to germinate properly. Therefore, it should not be done in the fall, nor in the early spring. Night frosts can interrupt germination.
Carrot seeds are very small. There are advantages and disadvantages in itself. On the one hand, they easily penetrate the soil, which facilitates their germination. On another side, they also risk being swept away from their driving range by the slightest wind that may arise.
To benefit from growing carrots, you have to compensate for the disadvantages. How to do it? Soak seeds before sowing. Ideally, keep them in water for at least two hours. If we live in a dry climate, we can extend this task up to 24 hours before planting. It also does not hurt to mix them with sand by wetting them. In this way, when they are planted, they will be heavier and will have more opportunities to germinate.
Hopefully with this information you can learn more about when to plant carrots.