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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24 Oct 22, Ralph (Australia - temperate climate)
can I grow carrots next to Potatoes and sunflowers ? ps lov eyour website :-)
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25 Oct 22, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Sun flowers will shade them if planted on the east or west side.
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22 Oct 22, Mar (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Can I sow carrot seeds in mid October zone 8a. The fall heat hasn't helped my failed attempts.
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18 Nov 22, Ruth A Hersh (USA - Zone 9a climate)
Absolutely, you can! The weather is not the same every year.
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25 Oct 22, Anonymous (USA - Zone 8a climate)
It suggests up to Sept. Carrots need to be cover with some hessian or shade cloth/??? and watered a couple of times a day. Prepare your soil well and have it in a fine crumbly level soil,
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23 Aug 22, Ally Millington (Australia - temperate climate)
What happens if you grow Carrots next to Cauliflower or Broccoli?
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07 Jul 22, CJ (Canada - Zone 5b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
HELLO CAN I GROW CARROTS NOW IN JULY FROM SEEDS AND CAN I ALSO GROW CHILLIES IN JULY THANKYOU
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12 Jul 22, Anonymous (Canada - Zone 5b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Is your climate 5b? You can work it out in the BLUE tab at the top of page. Then go to the vegetable you want to grow. The info is there at the top of the page.
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08 May 22, Pete (Australia - temperate climate)
My carrots are at about the half way mark. The colour of the carrots is light orange, What can I do to give them a deeper redish colour, or will it come naturally? Cheers Pete
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09 May 22, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Q. What causes my carrots to be pale yellow instead of the typical orange color? A. Although there are varietal differences in root color, this problem could be caused by environmental conditions. Carrots maturing under warm temperatures or high moisture conditions lack good root color. These carrots also have poor flavor and texture. Plant carrots so they mature under relatively cool temperatures that average less than 80 degrees F. Avoid excessive soil moisture. From https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/carrot.html - 6th question down.
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Showing 31 - 40 of 371 comments
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Hi Brenda, without checking with mixture it’s very hard to diagnose the problem. However I can offer a few maybe’s in the absence of physically looking at everything. Firstly the problem definitely appears to be with the mixture or something you are doing rather than the plants themselves. They are all cool weather crops so temperature is not an issue. If the mixture was “young”, i.e. not fully composted then it could be a simple nutrient “tie up” of the 5 in 1 (presume that’s a fertiliser in this case) by the mixture which means that if you let it be for a while and turn it over a few times it will come good and be suitable for later use. Secondly if the mixture is not inherently well drained you could well be over watering (you said daily). Take a handful of the mixture an hour after watering and give it a good squeeze. If water drips out easily then you are over watering. However, if the mixture handful just falls apart easily when you open your hand then maybe you are not watering enough as you only say watering and not “good watering”. I hope this helps… John Bee, Master Gardener.

- John Bee

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