Innocently pulling a weed might have unintended effects upon the little growing carrot (the forking risk again), so snipping is safer than pulling when you're thinning and weeding close to your little carrots. ![]() Once seedlings have germinated, there can be no disturbance to the soil within a thumbnail's distance from the base of the plant. For either operation I highly recommend a small pair of scissors, which is the least traumatic way to remove unwanted competitors. One to two weeks later, they must be thinned, weeded, or both. Seeds germinate in one to two weeks, depending on the weather. Once my carrot planting is done, I cover the seeded bed with an old cotton blanket to prevent washouts and keep the soil moist. I find that it is seldom necessary to prime seeds sown in spring, my rainiest season, but priming carrot seeds is tremendously helpful in summer, when I'm planting carrots for fall. Fold to enclose the seeds, then put inside an airtight container. Starting three to four days before you plan to sow them, soak carrot seeds in water for an hour, and then transfer them to a damp paper towel. I also mix in a very light application of organic fertilizer when preparing to plant carrots, and then water the bed thoroughly.Ĭarrot seeds are naturally slow germinators, but you can speed things up a bit by priming the seeds indoors. Garden carrots also need soil that is well endowed with potassium, which is naturally abundant in homemade compost. Compost helps defend carrots from diseases that might injure the growing tip, another cause of forked roots. The use of compost in growing carrots is important for two reasons. As you dig, work in a knuckle-deep blanket of screened compost (homemade is great), picking out any small sticks or unrotted pieces of organic matter. Carrot roots must encounter no obstructions, a major cause of forking, which means removing rocks and breaking up clods until the bed is finely crumbled at least 12 inches ( 30 cm) deep. Unless you happen to have wonderfully fertile garden loam, plan to spend a ridiculous amount of time preparing your carrot bed. Properly prepared, they are addictively good. Yellow carrots compare nicely with orange carrots for eating raw, but varieties that are red or purple to the core taste far better roasted or grilled. Don't be afraid to try yellow, red, or purple carrots, too. The Carrot Museum lists a solid roster of excellent varieties for the UK in the US, 'Bolero' and other improved 'Nantes' varieties are excellent choices for a fine orange carrot. ![]() The other half is how it's grown and harvested. Growing carrots that look and taste great requires attention to a few important details, but beautiful, full-flavored garden carrots are worth a bit of extra trouble.įirst you must choose a variety, or perhaps two or three. Carrots newly pulled from moist soil are as crisp as apples. Truly fresh carrots have round, earthy flavor notes that come alive with the first bite. I can buy good organic carrots any time, but none of them taste like carrots freshly pulled from the garden.
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