SKU

AVCATSED1

How to plant carrot

We recommend sowing seeds directly in the garden (or wherever you plan to grow them) rather than transplanting. Carrots do not like to have their roots disturbed. Sow ¼ inch deep, 2 to 3 inches apart in rows 1 foot apart. <i>Tip: Try to distribute seed in an even fashion so that seeds don’t grow together. Use a seed-sower or thin vigorously to the right spacing.</i> Keep the soil moist with frequent shallow waterings. For small carrot seeds to germinate, the soil mustn’t form a hard crust on top; cover with a layer of vermiculite or fine compost to prevent a crust from forming. (If you put your finger in the ground, it should be moist, but not wet, to the middle knuckle.) Carrots are sometimes slow to germinate. They may take 2 to 3 weeks to show any sign of life, so don’t panic if your carrots don’t appear right away! <i>Tip: To help keep track of where they were planted, mix carrot seeds with quick-germinating radish seeds or sow radish seeds in rows between carrot rows. The radishes will grow quickly and by the time the carrots really start to grow, the radishes can be harvested.</i>

Care

Gently mulch carrots to retain moisture, speed germination, and block the sun from hitting the roots directly. When seedlings are an inch tall, thin so that they stand 3 to 4 inches apart. Snip tops with scissors instead of pulling them out to prevent damage to the fragile roots of the remaining plants. Water at least one inch (about ½ gallon per square foot) per week to start, then two inches as roots mature. Weed diligently, but be careful not to disturb the young carrots’ roots while doing so. Fertilize with a low-nitogen but high-potassium and -phosphate fertilizer 5 to 6 weeks after sowing

Pests/Diseases

Black (Itersonilia) canker Carrot rust flies Flea Beetles Root-knot nematodes Wireworms