I have been growing my own carrots at Fairview for a while now and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the bright orange top of a juicy carrot sticking out of the soil, indicating it’s ready to be harvested. Mostly, the carrots that come out are an odd shape and don’t have the nice long length of store-bought carrots. I have recently discovered it’s because of the soil being too hard and this prevents the carrots from rooting – or growing down.
To prevent this, the soil should be loose and well drained down to 20-23cm deep. Turn the soil over and mix in some compost (preferably Living Earth’s weed-free compost 😉) and avoid heavy or clay soil areas for planting your carrots.
Here are a few other tips that will make your carrot growing more successful:
- They are a cool season crop and particularly like to grow in Spring
- They also do best in a sunny location
- Cover the seeds with fine compost rather than soil if the soil in your garden tends to be quite heavy or forms a hard crust, so they can break through the surface more readily, Living Earth organic, weed-free compost would be a great one to try.
- Plant them in a bed about 1.2m wide so that you can reach them in a harvest without standing on the surrounding soil and compacting it.
- They are ready for harvesting between 10 and 12 weeks. It is important not to delay harvesting as the carrots could rot in the ground.
Growing your own carrots organically is undoubtedly a great option. With all the benefits that carrots provide, it’s a no brainer to include this wonderful vegetable in your diet.
Carrots are low in calories and are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, particularly the following:
- Vitamin K which is essential for bone health and blood clotting.
- Vitamin C which is a potent antioxidant which supports the immune system.
- Vitamin A which is important for vision. Skin health and your immune system.
- Potassium helps maintain fluid balance and helps regulate blood pressure.
A few other benefits of carrots are as follows:
- They contain dietary fiber, which aids in digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness.
- They improve vision, due to theirhigh beta-carotene (which your body converts into vitamin A) content.
- They help your heart and boost brain health as well as help with weight management.
Here are some of the carrots I grew before learning about loosening the soil. Watch this space for my carrots after taking some of the above advice….
