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
  • Carrot harvest (commons.wikimedia.org - woodleywonderworks - CC BY 2.0)
  • A few seedlings
  • Very young carrot seedlings
  • Young carrot plants

A hardy root vegetable which grows well in deep cool soil.

Carrots take about 3 weeks to show themselves and the first leaves look like grass.

If broadcast sowing, mix with radish seeds which will germinate quickly and indicate the sown area. In hotter or dry areas, water well before seeding then cover with boards to maintain the moisture and cool soil for more successful germination. Check every week or so.

Over fertilised ground will produce split roots. Protect against carrot fly. It is best to put carrots in a different area of the garden each year for four or five years.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Carrot

Steamed or raw carrots are tasty. Cook them in a small amount of water until nearly dry then add a pat of butter and teaspoon of brown sugar to glaze.
They can be added to most casserole-type dishes.
Grate raw carrots and add to salads

Your comments and tips

24 Mar 24, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
I have been planting Carrots, Beetroot and Parsley. When the small shoots appear, I suspect they are being eaten by Blue Tongue Lizards. Does anyone know a humane way to deter the lizards. I love them dearly but they are driving me crazy. Cheers Pete.
25 Mar 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You need some kind of protective barrier. A frame work with some insect netting maybe.
08 Feb 23, (Australia - temperate climate)
I've grown carrots and parsnips next to each other for years, and have never had any real issues. [Temperate - Geelong, Victoria.]
15 Jan 23, christina (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i have tried to grow carrots and beets unsuccessfully over the last year... i have built up soil in beds with bunnings veg mix, mushroom compost , manure bags and dynamic lifter... i also use worm castings and tea... from my worms.. i mulch with sugarcane .. and its so frustrating they wont grow... what am i doing wrong please....
23 Jan 23, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
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.
08 Feb 23, gregj (Australia - temperate climate)
I agree. He/she is trying to grow them with far too much fertiliser. I have grown carrots in the same raised bed for years, and have barely added anything to the soil in all that time. They grow fine. When I try to grow them in the garden beds, which have all been well fertilised with animal manure etc they don't grow well at all.
24 Oct 22, Ralph (Australia - temperate climate)
can I grow carrots next to Potatoes and sunflowers ? ps lov eyour website :-)
25 Oct 22, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Sun flowers will shade them if planted on the east or west side.
23 Aug 22, Ally Millington (Australia - temperate climate)
What happens if you grow Carrots next to Cauliflower or Broccoli?
08 May 22, Pete (Australia - temperate climate)
My carrots are at about the half way mark. The colour of the carrots is light orange, What can I do to give them a deeper redish colour, or will it come naturally? Cheers Pete
Showing 1 - 10 of 273 comments

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