A guide on how to plant carrots

According to history carrot originated from Europe, Asia. The botanical name for carrot is called Daucus carota while the common name is called Carrot. Carrot comes in different shape depending on the variety, some carrots can be tapered and cylindrical, short and fat, round, or finger sized. There are some carrots that can grow to about 10 inches long, there are some that are shorter. There color are usually orange, although there colors can still vary from red to yellow to purple. For heavy soil shorter varieties are a good choice. While the longer types actually require loose, loamy soil.
Make sure the carrots are sow in the garden two to three weeks before the last average frost date in spring. Although succession crops can be planted every two to three weeks until about twelve weeks before the date of the average first frost in autumn.
One thing about carrots is that they require from 50 to 80 days to reach maturity. In the area of baby carrots they can be harvested in 30 days.

The site preparation for Carrots

Make sure you grow the carrots in full sun. This plant will grow more slowly in partial shade. Make sure the you plant the carrots in a loose, well-worked soil. Make sure you turn the soil to 12 inches before planting and also add aged compost to the planting beds. Make sure you remove clods, rocks, and roots from planting beds. Don’t forget that the carrots can split, fork, and become malformed if they are grow into obstructions. Also don’t forget that carrots requires a soil pH of about 5.5 to 6.8.

The planting time of the carrot

This particular plant is a cool-weather crop that is best grown in spring, early summer, and autumn. Make sure the carrot is sow in the garden two to three weeks before the last average frost date in spring. Also succession crops can be planted every two to three weeks until about twelve weeks before the date of the average first frost in autumn. One thing about carrots is that they require a soil temperature of about 40°F to germinate. Carrot germination is slow in cold soil.

The planting and spacing in Carrot

Make sure the carrot seed is ¼ to ½ inch deep and about 1 inch apart, make sure the carrot is thin to about four inches apart in wide beds and about two inches apart in rows. Make sure you space rows 12 to 24 inches apart. Don’t forget that in warm, dry weather, the carrot seed should be sow deeper than ½ inch.

The watering and feeding of the Carrots

Make sure you keep the carrots evenly moist in other to ensure quick growth. Make sure you don’t allow the soil to dry out. You can reduce watering as the roots approach maturity. Don’t forget that too much moisture at the end of the growing time will cause roots to crack. Make sure you add aged compost to planting bed before sowing. You can also spread wood ash over planting beds to provide extra potassium for root growth.
Some of the Companion plants of carrot: The following are some of the companion plants of carrot; leeks,  peas, Chives, onions, tomatoes and rosemary.

How to care for carrots

 Make sure you keep the planting beds well weeded. Don’t forget that shallow cultivation is very necessary to avoid damaging the roots. Make sure you mulch the carrot beds to keep the soil temperatures even.
The Pests and disease in Carrots: Actually carrots does not have serious pest and disease problems.

The harvesting of carrots

This particular plant will be ready for harvest 50 to 80 days after sowing although depending on the variety. In the area of the baby carrots they can be harvested in 30 to 40 days. Make sure you lift 1 or 2 carrots to check the size when you are ready to harvest. Under normal condition regular main crop carrots are usually ready for lifting when they are about ¾ to 1 inch thick three quarter inch thick. Make sure you lift the carrots gently by hand or with a spading fork so that they don’t break. Also make sure you pull the carrots when the soil is moist.