Carrots

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The humble carrot can be used so much in our kitchen. Carrots can be enjoyed both cooked & raw. They add sweetness and crunch to a salad,roast carrots with your Sunday dinner are heavenly & carrot cake is one of our favourites. 
So let get carrots in the garden.
Carrots are available in loads of shapes and colours other than the well known orange, long narrow one. Keep an eye out for round carrots, they also come in different colours. They can come in  yellow, purple and even red.
How to growing, they can be grown in containers if space is an issue. An extra bonus is they freeze and are easily stored.

Let Grow
So we're ready to grow and sow our carrots. Carrots grow best in open ground, with short-rooted types suitable for growing in containers or growing bags.

Drought resistant, carrots seldom need water, but in dry spells, they will benefit from a soaking.

Fast growing weeds can crowd out carrots, so hand weed between rows.

Be careful when weeding or thinning that you don’t crush the foliage, as the smell attracts carrot fly. Cover with fleece tunnels or erect barriers to prevent these pests flying in and laying eggs.

Sow
To Carrots require an open, sunny site and fertile well-drained soil. If your soil is stony, shallow or heavy clay, you may end up with stunted or forked carrots, so try short-rooted types. These also suit containers.

Early cultivars can be sown in February or March under cloches or with similar protection. The main outdoor sowing season is from April to early July.  Seed packets will state whether the cultivar is an early or maincrop type.

Sow 1cm (½in) deep in rows 15cm-30cm (6-12in) apart. By sowing thinly you can avoid thinning out. Aim for plants 5-7.5cm (2-3in) apart. Thin if needed at the seedling stage.

Carrot Varieties

• Carrot Starca F1 
• Carrot Early Nantes 
• Carrot Chantenay Red Cored
• Carrot Autumn King 
• Carrot Colour Mix
• Carrot Ya Ya F1
• Carrot Rochild

Mrs. Joly's Advice & Notes:
Carrots can go green on top if left exposed to the light. We recommend to cover over any exposed tops with extra soil.
If your soil isn't great, stony or shallow, try growing the short-rooted Chantenay. If your soil is really poor try growing in containers or an elevated bedding table.

Drop into our Garden Centre to get advice off our experts on how to grow your perfect    Salad and Garden,
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