Growing Carrots: From Seed to Table

Carrots (Daucus carota) belong to the Apiaceae family, which also includes parsley, celery, and fennel. You usually only see orange carrots in the grocery store, but if you grow your own, you can find many other colors, such as purple, red, yellow, and white.

This post will cover a range of topics including varieties, how to grow carrot, harvest, store, preserve and enjoy.

Jump to:

Carrot Overview
Culinary uses
Carrot Varieties
Suitability for Small Gardens and Containers
When to Plant
How to Plant
Spacing
How to Maintain
Common Pests and Diseases
When to Harvest
Best Way to Store
Carrot Recipes to Try

Carrot Overview

Carrots are thought to have originated in Central Asia and the Middle East. At that time, carrots were very different from what we would recognize today; they were likely purple or white with a thin, fibrous root, used mostly for their leaves rather than the root.

Carrots evolved over centuries of selective breeding into the sweet orange variety we recognize today, primarily through Dutch growers' selection for higher beta-carotene content in the 17th century.

Beta-carotene, is converted into vitamin A in the body, making them excellent for maintaining healthy vision and promoting good eye health. Carrots also contain other essential nutrients such as vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

Culinary uses

Carrots are versatile, nutritious, and delicious vegetables that people of all ages worldwide enjoy in a variety of ways:

Raw: Carrots are a great snack, either on their own or with dips like homemade hummus, mint yogurt sauce or ranch dressing.
Salads and sandwiches: Shredded or thinly sliced carrots add color, texture, and sweetness to salads and sandwich toppings.
Soups and stews: Carrots are a staple ingredient in soups and stews, adding sweetness and depth of flavor to the broth like in my Mercimek Corbasi (Turkish Red Lentil Soup Recipe) and Short Rib Ragu and Beer Braised Short Ribs.
Stir-fries and sauteés: Their natural sweetness complements the savory flavors of other ingredients like meat, poultry, tofu, or other vegetables.
Roasted: Roasting carrots may be the ideal way to enjoy them. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and caramelizes their sugars.
Baking: Carrots can even be used in baked goods, such as carrot cake, where they contribute moisture, sweetness, and a vibrant orange color.
Juices and smoothies: Carrots can also be juiced or blended into smoothies for their sweet flavor and nutritional benefits.
Pickled and Fermented: They can be pickled in vinegar like in my Escabeche (Mexican Pickled Vegetables) recipe or used to make Fermented Carrots. Check out my Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon.

Carrot Varieties

One of the fantastic things about growing carrots is the vast variety you can try, many of which are simply unavailable at the store.

Imperator carrots are the ones you will most commonly see at the grocery store. Their uniform size, shape, and appearance make them ideal for commercial production and packaging. They have a long, slender shape with a tapered end, and they are known for their vibrant orange color, sweet flavor, and crisp texture.
Danvers carrots are smaller than Imperator but have the same classic carrot shape, tapering to a point at the tip and broadening towards the crown. They are well-suited for growing in heavy or rocky soils and have excellent storage qualities.
Nantes carrots are shorter than Imperator but more cylindrical and have slightly rounded tips. They are known for their sweet flavor and tender texture, making them excellent for fresh eating and juicing.
Chantenay carrots are shorter than Imperator or Nantes but broader. They have a thick, stubby shape and blunt tips. Their sweet flavor and crisp texture make them ideal for roasting, grilling, and slicing into sticks for snacking.
Parisian carrots are known for their small, round shape. They are usually harvested while young with a petite, spherical appearance similar to small radishes or pearl onions.
Colored carrots are not a specific variety; they encompass a range of carrot cultivars that have been selectively bred to exhibit various colors beyond the traditional orange. You can find them in purple, red, yellow, and white. The colors contain different phytonutrients and antioxidants, adding visual interest and nutritional diversity to dishes.
Hybrid carrots have been bred through controlled crossbreeding for specific traits such as sweetness, color, or disease resistance. Some examples include Sweetness, Napoli, Sugarsnax, Mokum, and Bolero.

Suitability for Small Gardens and Containers

While carrots will grow better in a raised bed or in-ground garden, they can be grown in containers. If you are growing carrots in containers, choose one that is at least 12 inches deep (for shorter varieties) or 18 inches deep (for longer varieties). Fill with rich, loose, well-draining soil. Be careful not to sow them too densely, and thin them as needed so they have plenty of space.

Holding a freshly harvested bunch of carrots.

When to Plant

Carrots are a cool-season crop that can tolerate light frosts, so they are typically planted in the spring for a summer harvest or in late summer for a fall harvest.

If planting carrots in the spring, sow the seeds as soon as the soil can be worked, usually when the soil temperature reaches around 45-50°F (7-10°C) a few weeks before the last frost date. Carrots can get bitter with exposure to hot weather, so keep that in mind when choosing your planting date. Carrots take about 80-120 days to mature, so ensure enough time before the summer heat.

You can also plant carrots in late summer for a fall harvest if you live somewhere with mild winters. Aim to sow the seeds about 10-12 weeks before the first expected fall frost date. This allows the carrots to mature before temperatures drop too low.

Fall-planted carrots often benefit from cooler temperatures and can develop a sweeter flavor. If your ground doesn't freeze but you still have cooler temperatures, you can even leave your carrots in the ground, and harvest as needed rather than needing to harvest and store.

How to Plant

Despite their popularity, carrots can be a little finicky to grow. They do best when starting from seed since the taproot can be damaged if transplanted.

Choose a sunny spot for planting carrots, with at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. Avoid areas with heavy clay or compacted soil, which can lead to misshapen carrots. Prepare your soil by removing any rocks or larger pieces. If you are planting in a new area where the soil is a little compacted, use a garden fork or broadfork to aerate the soil then add 2-3 inches of compost.

Create shallow (about ¼ inch) furrows in the soil, sprinkle the seeds, and cover lightly with soil. Water well, and keep the soil moist while they germinate. Carrots require continuous moisture, which can be tricky to maintain as they can take up to three weeks to germinate.

You can often have more success if you cover the seeds with either burlap or a wooden board to retain the moisture. However, the carrots require light once sprouted, so after a week or so, check daily and remove your cover as soon as you see seedlings.

Spacing

Carrot seeds are incredibly tiny, so it can be hard to space them properly. Good spacing (about 1-2 inches for smaller varieties and 3-4 inches for larger ones) is essential for developing their roots.

This can be easier if you start with pelleted seed or seed tape. Pelleted seeds are coated, usually with clay, allowing easier handling, so you can space them however you want. Seed tape is a paper tape with seeds spaced at the appropriate intervals; you just lay the tape in your furrow and cover it with soil as you would the seeds. The clay and the paper tape dissolve in the moist soil and do not inhibit the growth of the seeds.

If you have sown your seeds by sprinkling them in the soil, they will inevitably be too close, and you will need to go back and thin them. Once the carrot seedlings emerge and develop their first true leaves, remove excess seedlings, leaving the strongest and healthiest plants spaced at the recommended distance for your variety.

Watering a garden bed with a watering can.

How to Maintain

Mulch the soil surface with straw, shredded leaves, or grass clippings to help retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds once the seedlings are 4-5 inches tall. Water the carrots regularly, especially during dry periods, and monitor for pests and diseases. You can also continue to thin as needed while the carrots grow.

If growing in containers, fertilize with an organic fertilizer with higher proportions of Potassium and Phosphorous. If your fertilizer has too much nitrogen, it will promote green growth rather than root formation.

Common Pests and Diseases

Carrots can be susceptible to a few common pests and diseases. The easiest way to prevent any damage from pests is by using floating row covers. Covering your carrots as soon as they emerge and keeping them well covered until harvest will protect them. The best method of preventing disease is proper spacing and crop rotation.

Carrot Rust Fly is a significant pest of carrots, particularly in temperate regions. The adult flies lay eggs near the base of carrot plants, and the larvae feed on the roots, causing damage and reducing yield. Symptoms include wilting, yellowing, and stunted growth of carrot foliage. Row covers are the best way to prevent this.
Aphids feed on the sap of carrot plants, causing distorted growth, yellowing, and wilting of foliage; they can also transmit viral diseases. Spray them off with a hose if you see them, although you could also try insecticidal soap or neem oil. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings can help keep aphid populations in check.
Carrot Weevil are small beetles that feed on the foliage and roots of carrot plants, causing wilting, stunted growth, and tunneling damage to the roots. You can mitigate this with crop rotation.
Carrot Root Fly is another common pest that attacks carrot roots, causing damage and reducing yield. The larvae feed on the outer layers of the roots, creating tunnels and rotting the inner tissue. Floating row covers are your best bet for prevention.
Leaf Blight is a fungal disease that affects the foliage of carrot plants, causing brown lesions, yellowing, and wilting of leaves. The disease thrives in warm, humid conditions and can spread rapidly in crowded plantings. Proper spacing and ventilation can reduce the risk of infection.
Powdery Mildew: Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that appears as a white, powdery coating on the leaves and stems of carrot plants. Proper spacing and ventilation will prevent this issue, but if you see it, removing any debris from the infected plant controls its spread.

An array of freshly harvested carrots on a marble slab.

When to Harvest

The best way to gauge if your carbs are ready is to refer to the days to maturity for the variety you are growing. When the appropriate time has elapsed, check your carrots by gently pulling one up by its leaves.

You can also check the texture and color. When your carrots are ready, their texture will be firm, and their color will be vibrant, but the best fail-safe way to test is by tasting one! When ready, your carrots will be crunchy and sweet. However, they will be bitter if harvested too early or too late, so it is good to check often when you are near your expected harvest date.

Finally, if you are growing fall carrots, you have a little more wiggle room when you harvest, especially if you are growing a storage variety. They keep well when left in cold but not frozen soil. They are also sweeter following a frost as it causes them to concentrate their sugars.

Best Way to Store

To prepare for storage, remove the carrot foliage and brush off any excess dirt. Spread the carrots out and allow them to sit briefly to dry any surface moisture.

Refrigerator: Put Carrots in a perforated plastic bag or a vegetable storage bag to maintain humidity while allowing for airflow. Store them in the crisper drawer, where temperatures are slightly cooler and more stable. They will last for several weeks.
Root Cellar: If you have access to a root cellar or a cool, dark, and humid storage area, you can keep them there for several months. Layer them in damp sand or peat moss to maintain humidity and prevent drying out. This works best if you have a storage variety such as Danvers.
Freezer: Blanch your carrots if you want to freeze them. Blanching will preserve the carrots' color, flavor, and nutritional value. Boil the carrots for one minute in salted water and immediately plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain them and spread them on a towel to dry thoroughly. Store them in airtight containers or freezer bags, which will stay good for several months. They are best used in cooked applications as they will not maintain their crunch.