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

(Best months for growing Carrot in USA - Zone 10b regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • 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 8°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 5 - 30 cm 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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21 Oct 21, John (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Do you have a recipe for use of kerosene on carrots? Thank you
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10 Nov 21, Tony Baker (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
diesel or kerosene in a spray bottle will kill any broadleaf weeds and deter carrot fly. Don't go crazy with it though!
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17 Nov 21, Graham (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Years ago (it seems forever) living/working on the hydro dams along the Waitaki River in the South Is. we grew carrots... hoed between the rows to control weeds, and after the carrots had produced their first 2 feathery leaves it was just a light spray with kerosene... That did the job!
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05 Sep 21, max guthrie (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Hi I have had lots of trouble growing Carrots here near Arrowtown ( so do all our neighbours ) with Black Rot or Carrot fly I have tried Neim Prills and white sugar but we still get it quite badly do you have any tips. Cheers Max.
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22 Sep 21, Tony (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Carrot fly seems to be getting rampant, you can buy resistant seed. One way to prevent them is to spray with diesel/kerosene which not only deters flies but kills weeds! The only sure way is to buy some biomesh insect screen and put it over the carrots as soon as you sow them. Make sure there are no gaps at the bottom though as the fly operate at about ground level.
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11 Sep 21, Joss (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi Max, I have been growing carrots in large black plastic pots and have had no trouble with any bugs or nasty things. I sow the seed one by one in separate holes and in a circle around the pot, cover with some sacking and then lay a couple of largish stones to hold the sacking down till they sprout and then uncover them. I hope this helps. Joss Roberts
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27 Aug 21, Pete (Australia - temperate climate)
I have planted a row of carrots and they are too close togther. . Is it feasible to transplant the thinnings. Cheers Pete
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01 Sep 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If you transplant them - cover them with shade cloth or something similar for the first week.
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20 Aug 21, Eden (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Great tips. This is really a piece of helpful information.
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19 Dec 20, Bill Howe (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, Advice please for the best carrot varieties to sow in Bendigo over summer?
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Showing 51 - 60 of 364 comments
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Cover with a board means: place a board on the ground flat over the seeds. Carrot seeds do not need light to germinate. Look under board a couple times a day if possible, until you see first leaves of carrots. When more than 10 % or so appear, remove the board so they can grow normally. PS it works well to plant not a single ROW of carrots, but a band of carrots, maybe 6 to 10 inches wide. Whatever width you can manage to work. To thin. If sown thicket enough, you can pull the little babies to thin and use them in salads.when you have carrots left about 2” apart, leave them to grow to size. As you need carrots, thin further. By the time they mature you should have enough room for them to grow full since. You might leave 2 or 3 in a back corner to continue on to next year, when they should eventually go to seed for you. To save seed, allow them to die and brown, save the tops and further dry seed indoors on an herb rack of mesh that should prevent seeds from coming through. When dry, collect on a piece of paper and allow to dry further. When dry, store in a paper envelope or seed pack.

- Pat

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