How to grow carrot

Daucus carota subsp. sativus · Apiaceae · Vegetable

Carrot is a cool-season vegetable in the Apiaceae family, almost always sown straight into the ground where it will grow. It wants full sun, though it tolerates a little afternoon shade in hot regions and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 60–80 days. It handles frost well and a light freeze often improves the flavour.

Grower’s note: Never transplant. Keep the surface constantly moist for the slow 2-3 week germination - a board or burlap over the row helps. Needs loose, stone-free soil or roots fork.

Sowing

Sow about 0.25″ deep, into soil between 40–85°F — germination is quickest near 75°F. It is slow and often erratic to germinate (10–21 days). It does not transplant well, so sow it in its final position rather than starting it in pots.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 3″ along the row with roughly 12″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 16 per square foot. Allow at least 12″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 12″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

As a cool-season crop, carrot does its best growing in the mild weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. A second sowing in late summer, timed to mature as the weather cools, is usually the better crop of the year — and light frost only sweetens it.

Quick facts

When to plant carrot

Companions

Common problems

Pests: carrot rust fly, wireworm, root-knot nematode, aphids.

Diseases & disorders: alternaria leaf blight, cavity spot, aster yellows.

Same family (Apiaceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.