Growing Carrot

Daucus carota : Apiaceae / the umbelliferae family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
P P             P P P P

(Best months for growing Carrot in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Sow seed

January: water well

September: broadcast sow

  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 46°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 2 - 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 12-18 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Onions, Leeks, Lettuce, Sage, Peas, Radishes, Tomatoes, Beans, Celery, Rosemary
  • Avoid growing close to: Parsnips, Beetroot, Dill, Brassicas, Fennel

Your comments and tips

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03 Jun 20, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A fertiliser low in N, too much N and you end up growing a lot of leaf. A good idea is to put your fertiliser in the soil a week or so before planting and mix it in/over a few times and watering it each time, this allows the micro- organisms in the soil to convert it into usable nutrient. Check the N P K of the fert. Some organics are real low say 1.8%N, rooster booster is about 4%N. A handful or two of that spread over a square metre. All depends what the soil was like before you started.
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24 Mar 20, Sally (Australia - temperate climate)
Can I plant carrots at this time of year I just put some cauliflowers in what’s the best way to protect from pests Thankyou
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24 Mar 20, Another gardener (Australia - temperate climate)
Carrots, learn how to use this website please, the info is there. Best protection is to cover them with a fine netting. Check for grubs every day. Read about organic sprays or go and buy chemical sprays.
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17 Nov 19, Jenny (Australia - temperate climate)
I often plant carrot seeds in Adelaide and they are always successful. I need to plant more but wondered if it was advisable to plant just before a heatwave? Tomorrow is forecast 31, tuesday 34 and wed is 40. Thanks jenny
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18 Nov 19, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Anything planted in hot to extremely hot needs protection from the sun/heat. Very small seeds are planted very shallow. With hot temps the top few mm of soil dries out very quickly. Very hard to germinate when the soil is very hot/dry some of the day then wet from watering. Try to keep the soil temp as constant as possible and moist. I use a 1.8mx1.8mx.5m high wood frame with shade cloth on it. I have 30%, 70% and 90% shade cloth.
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04 Sep 19, Steve (Australia - temperate climate)
How long should you leave the board on? Most of my seeds have germinated but are becoming leggy to search for light. Thanks.
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07 Sep 19, Kelly (Australia - temperate climate)
If they have germinated then they will be ready for the board to come off. The board is used simply to keep the heat and moisture in the ground to help them germinate.
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05 Sep 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Germinating carrots - don't have too rich a soil - have a nice crumbly fine soil - even sandy loan. Rake it real flat. Dig a little furrow about 5-8 mm deep. Put some carrot seeds in your left hand and pick up a few with your right hand and spread them along the furrow thinly. Gently cover the seeds with some light soil or very fine seed raising mixture and then give a light patting down on the soil. Give the seeds a gentle watering. Build a little frame over them with things like tomato stakes on bricks etc.Then place some 30-50-70% shade cloth on the frame. Give the seeds a light watering morning and afternoon. A few days after germination take the shade cloth off. You can apply the shade cloth idea to germinating a lot of different seeds if the weather is warm to hot. If planting big seeds like corn beans peas - plant the seeds then give a good watering and then don't water for 3-4 days - then a light watering each second day. Too much water they will go rotten..
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05 Sep 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Take the board (????) off a few days after germination. A good way to protect further is to use a shade cloth device - about 30-50% shade cloth.
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20 Jul 19, (Australia - temperate climate)
What’s the best way to store carrots.
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Showing 71 - 80 of 364 comments
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I thought I might mention: after you harvest your first crop of carrots you probably have enough time to grow a crop of the smaller varieties of radish. Radishes: ******** Germination temperatures: ideal 15c - 25c acceptable 10c - 30c ************ Germination time: 5 -10 days *************** Growing temperatures: ideal 10c -18c intermediate to short day lengths -Growth must be continuous and rapid for good quality. Acceptable grow temps 4c – 24c. Roots of globe varieties tend to elongate and develop poor shape in hot weather when the tops also grow taller and larger than in cool weather. Long days induce flowering or seed stalks (bolting) and with warm weather the seed stalk may develop so rapidly that no edible root is formed *************** Days to harvest: Regular radish reach market size in 21 to 28 days. Chinese radish take 50 to 90 days (or more) to mature. ** A regular radish seed can produce a radish from planting to harvest in about 33 days. This crop also likes short day lengths and cooler temps making it an ideal crop to “squeeze” in late in the season, before the first frost. With a first potential frost date of October 15 – you could direct sow radish seeds like Cherry Belle, or French Breakfast (both with about 21 days to harvest from seedlings) on September 7th and reasonably expect to harvest your radishes before the first frost. You could also sow in trays and then plant them out… if real-estate is an issue, or if you need to get the radishes started before your harvest your carrots (timing) ************* Storage and Conditioning the recommended storage temperature is 0 C with a relative humidity of 95% to 100%. Topped radishes packaged in perforated plastic bags will keep for 3 to 4 weeks. Bunched radishes will keep 1 to 2 weeks. ********** Temperature information was gleaned from: ATLANTIC PROVINCES AGRICULTURE SERVICES and amalgamated with information from individual radish varieties such as Cherry Belle. ****** if you don't harvest your radishes on time they will be pithy/mealy

- Celeste Archer

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