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 P P P P  

(Best months for growing Carrot in Australia - sub-tropical 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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26 Oct 11, Vivienne (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi .... I've just started to pick some of my carrots to check how they are going ( first timer) and they are small and curly, great tops it makes you think they are ready. I have planted the in a veggie mix soil, they are in full sun and are watered every day. They still taste great.
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28 Oct 11, Bruce (Australia - temperate climate)
If the carrot tuber is mis-shapened, twisted, curley or forked the soil is too heavy or has too much humis or other vegitable matter. In WA they grow acres of beautiful straight carrots for the Asian market in almost pure sand. If the tops are huge and small tubers the nitrogen content in the soil is too high.
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25 Oct 11, matt (Australia - temperate climate)
how many seeds do you plant at each station and how much do you water them.....each day or less?
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01 Dec 11, BCW (Australia - temperate climate)
One way to plant carrots is to mix the seed with a cup of sand,make a small shallow groove in the soil with your finger in a line where you want to grow them and run the sand/seed mix into that groove,then water. The seeds are tiny and must not be planted too deep so need to be watered twice daily till they have all germinated otherwise they will dry out and die.
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23 Oct 11, zoe (Australia - temperate climate)
How do you know when carrots are ready to harvest?
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31 Oct 11, Digger Dave (Australia - temperate climate)
Expose the top of the carrot carefully through the soil, if the top of the carrot is the size of a ten cent piece or bigger pull it up, if not cover it back up and have another look an a weeks time, it works for me...
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21 Sep 11, (Australia - temperate climate)
I have lots of carrots growing but they are small when pulled I was wondering if anyone knows if I was cutting some of the greenery of the top would that make them grow better underground
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23 Sep 11, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I've been told not to feed carrots too much as the fertilizer produces a lot of leaf but not much carrot.
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24 Sep 11, Al (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Carrots are best grown in quite poor soil, If you fertilize they will grow beautiful foliage and disappointing carrots! I plant the seed mixed with radish seed and sand together as the sand helps disperse the seed and radish grows so quickly it acts to thin out the carrots. Plus baby radish u can eat the leaves too. I have a chef mate who rubs jis hands together when he knows I'm bringing in baby radish!
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27 Aug 11, Kate (Australia - temperate climate)
How deep to containers need to be to grow carrots?
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Showing 181 - 190 of 274 comments
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You are putting on too much nitrogen fertilise. This will produce a lot of leaf and no carrots. Carrots do not need a really rich soil. Put carrots and beetroot in after a leaf crop like lettuce. When the beetroot are about 200-250mm high you can give them some fertiliser - phosphate rich.

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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