Carrots are an excellent choice for a cool-season garden. Gardeners can choose from a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. From long, tapering shoots to short, blunt, stubby variety, there’s something for everyone. All carrot types can be grown throughout the state of Georgia.This cool-season vegetable can be planted in the fall or early in the spring. Carrots grow best in loamy soil and thrive on raised beds. To promote excellent seed germination, the soil temperature should be between 55- and 75-degrees F while planting carrots. The University of Georgia Weather Network is a great place to monitor soil temperatures. The UGA Weather Network is available at www.georgiaweather.net .Carrot seeds are very small so please do not plant them too deep.
Gardeners should plant carrot seeds only a ¼ inch deep. Soil pH for carrots can range from 5.8 to 6.7. Consider a soil sample before planting, but if a soil sample was not completed, apply 30 pounds of 5-10-10 per 1,000 square feet. Thin your carrots to 2 inches between plants when they reach around 1 inch in height. When your carrots reach 4 inches tall, then apply 1 lb of 34-0-0 per 100 feet of row. Gardeners must keep an eye on their moisture levels in the soil. A uniform supply of moisture is key to avoiding issues such as growth cracks and strong flavor in your carrots. When gardeners irrigate their carrots, please apply enough water to penetrate the soil 4 to 6 inches deep. To conserve moisture and provide weed control, consider straw or organic mulch in the row middles.
Weed control is achieved by hand weeding or a hoe.Carrots are usually ready for harvest between 60 and 75 days, depending on the variety. Gardeners will know if their carrots are ready for harvest when they start to protrude out of the ground and develop a rich color. Carrots will become extremely tough and bitter tasting when they are overripe.Carrots are relatively disease and insect-free. Occasionally, caterpillars can be an issue, but they can be controlled with over-the-counter insecticides. Ask your local county Extension agent for insecticide recommendations. Root knot nematodes can be an issue for carrots but can be managed with crop rotation. Information about disease and nematode management is available here.
What about varieties? According to the publication, Homegrown Carrots, several varieties are available for home gardening. Royal Chantenay (70 day maturity) has a stubby shape and does well in heavy soils. Goldfinger (69 day maturity) is a short carrot and does well in both heavy and sandy soils. Atlas and Thumbelina (70 day maturity) are both short and round carrots. Scarlet Nantes (68 day maturity) is a long and narrow carrot that does well in sandy soils or raised beds. If you would like a carrot that stores well, then Bolero (75 day maturity) would be a variety to consider.
If you would like more information or have questions about home garden carrots go to the link below. https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html…
Your local county Extension agent can help with other garden questions that may come up.
