It’s time to plant: Carrots

Get Your Carrots in the bed this Weekend!

Why not get out in the veggie patch this weekend and plant some carrots? We recommend the heirloom varieties for their exotic colours! Check out our “Baby Amsterdam” or the “Cosmic Purple” heirloom seeds from The Little Veggie Patch Co. of Melbourne available in-store!

Carrot Growing Tips

• Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 8°C and 30°C.
• Space plants: 25 – 30 cm apart.
• Harvest in 12-18 weeks.
• Carrots can grow in all but the hottest and coldest climates and they grow year round in subtropical climates like Brisbane.
• They prefer full sun but can grow in partial shade.
• Carrots must be directly sown into your garden beds. You shouldn’t try growing them from seedlings.
• Avoid adding manure to the soil, otherwise your carrots may fork. Carrots tend like beds manured in the previous season.
• In a 4 bed rotation system carrots are grown with onions, garlic, parsnips, leeks and other root crops.
• Avoid growing in same bed: Parsnips, Beetroot, Dill, Brassicas, Fennel.
• Intersperse carrot rows with onions. The onions’ smell confuse pests, keeping them away from the carrots. You can also achieve similar results using garlic and to a lesser extent shallots and spring onions.
• Avoid excessive watering as roots may crack.
• If you encounter problems harvesting deeply rooted carrots try watering them. Then slowly rotate them around to loosen the carrot from the soil. Don’t forget to twist off the leaves. If you don’t the leaves will draw water out of the root which will dry it out.