RHS Growing Guides

How to grow carrots

Our detailed growing guide will help you with each step in successfully growing Carrots.

  1. Getting Started
  2. Choosing
  3. Sowing
  4. Plant Care
  5. Harvesting
  6. Storing
  7. Problems
1

Getting Started

Getting Started
Choosing
Section 1 of 7

Sweet, tasty and packed with vitamins, carrots are a traditional grow-your-own favourite. As well as the classic long orange roots, you can also grow small round carrots and even red, yellow or purple varieties. Carrots are straightforward to grow from seed, taking up little space, and can also be grown in containers. Sow small batches regularly from early spring onwards, for harvests almost all year round.

Carrots are ready to harvest in about 90 days, bursting with flavour and sweetness
Home-grown carrots may not always be as straight and uniform as those sold in supermarkets, but they taste so much better and sweeter when freshly harvested. Carrots (Daucus carota) like sun and light well-drained soil, and are drought resistant, so rarely need watering unless grown in containers. Baby carrots can be harvested in only four to six weeks, while larger carrots usually take three months or more, but can be harvested earlier at any size.

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2

Choosing

Getting Started
Sowing
Guide Start
Section 2 of 7

While most carrot varieties are orange, other colours are becoming increasingly available
There are numerous varieties to choose from, for roots of various sizes and shapes. There are even different colours, including purple, white and yellow. Choose early varieties for sowing from early spring, then main-season varieties for sowing from late spring through to mid-summer. Short- or round-rooted varieties are best for growing in stony or heavy soil, to avoid forking, and are also ideal for containers. Long-rooted varieties are suitable for deep, sandy soil. A few varieties offer some resistance to carrot fly. 

For overall reliability, look for varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed well in trials – see our list of AGM fruit and veg and our Recommended Varieties below. You’ll also find carrots and other root crops growing in the veg areas of the RHS gardens, so do visit to compare varieties and pick up growing tips.

What and where to buy

Carrot seeds are widely available from garden centres and other seed stockists. They are usually reasonably cheap, with plenty of seeds in a packet.

Recommended Varieties

3

Sowing

Choosing
Plant Care
Guide Start
Section 3 of 7

Carrots grow best in full sun and light well-drained soil. They should be sown directly outdoors, as transplanting can disturb the roots and lead to forked or distorted carrots. The main sowing season is from April to early July. The seed packet will state whether it’s an early or main-season variety. Early varieties can be sown in February or March if protected with cloches or biodegradable fleece. Stony, shallow or heavy clay soil can cause long-rooted carrots to become misshapen – short-rooted types should fare better in these conditions, or grow your carrots in large containers. Although just as delicious, wonky or forked carrots can be harder to clean or slice evenly. Avoid sowing in ground that has recently been used for carrots, as it may harbour carrot fly eggs. 

Before sowing, fork through the soil to break up any hard lumps, and remove any stones and weeds, then rake to a fine texture. Make a shallow drill, about 1cm (½in) deep, water along the base, then sow the carrot seeds as thinly as possible along its length. Space any additional rows 15–30cm (6–12in) apart. Carrot seeds can be slow to germinate, so be patient. Sowing small batches every three to four weeks will give you continuous harvests. Protect carrot

seedlings from slugs and snails if possible, and cover the crop with insect-proof mesh to keep carrot fly away. Thin out the seedlings if necessary, aiming for plants 5–7.5cm (2–3in) apart. For more sowing tips, see our guides below.

Related RHS Guides
Sowing veg outdoorsSow outdoors – step by step
Thin out seedlings to at least 5cm (2in) apart, as overcrowding can cause distorted roots

Sowing in a container

Carrots grow well in deep containers of peat-free multi-purpose compost, so are a great crop if you have limited space. Sow thinly and cover the seeds with about 1cm (½in) of compost, then water well. Choose small, round-rooted varieties for containers, or sow long carrots but harvest when young, as baby veg. For a successful crop, give them full sun and regular watering. 

Related RHS Guides
Growing veg in containers

4

Plant Care

Sowing
Harvesting
Guide Start
Section 4 of 7

Watering

Carrots are drought resistant, so seldom need watering. However, in long dry spells they will benefit from a good soaking every fortnight to keep them growing consistently. The roots can split if moisture levels vary a lot. When growing in containers, which dry out more quickly, they should be watered regularly.

Weeding

Fast-growing weeds can crowd out carrots, so remove them regularly – hoe between rows, but hand weed close to the plants to avoid damaging the top of the root. Try to avoid touching the foliage when weeding, as the smell attracts carrot fly, and replace the insect-proof mesh as soon as you finish weeding (see below).

Protecting your crop

Carrot fly can potentially ruin your crop, as the larvae tunnel into the roots, leaving holes that are susceptible to rotting. Late-sown carrots (after mid-May) avoid the first generation of the fly, while carrots harvested before late August avoid the second generation. Putting a 60cm (2ft) high barrier around the crop is often recommend, to keep these low-flying insects away, but RHS research found that the most effective method is to entirely cover the crop with insect-proof mesh. Crop rotation is also important – avoid sowing in ground that has recently been used for carrots. 

5

Harvesting

Plant Care
Storing
Guide Start
Section 5 of 7

Lift a few carrots at a time, whenever needed, taking care not to damage them
Carrots are ready to harvest about 12–16 weeks after sowing, and if you make repeated sowings you can enjoy fresh carrots almost all year round. Harvest as soon as they’re large enough to use – don’t aim for the biggest roots as flavour tends to decline. Spring sowings in particular are best when young, sweet and crunchy, ideal for eating raw. Baby carrots, just a month or two old, are also full of flavour. Main-season carrots, grown to full size, can be harvested through summer and into early autumn. They can also be left in the ground into winter, for harvesting whenever needed. Lift long carrots carefully using a fork to avoid snapping them, especially if your soil is heavy.

6

Storing

Harvesting
Problems
Guide Start
Section 6 of 7

At the end of the season, in late autumn, you can leave carrots in the ground and lift them as and when required through winter. Just remove the leaves and cover the crop with straw or cardboard to protect the roots from frost. But if your soil gets

waterlogged over winter, it’s better to lift and store any remaining carrots in late autumn – see our guides below. 

Related RHS Guides
Video: how to store carrotsStoring winter veg

7

Problems

Storing
Guide Start
Section 7 of 7
Carrots are generally easy and trouble free, especially when harvested young or as baby carrots. However, seedlings are vulnerable to slugs and snails, and carrot fly larvae can tunnel into the roots. Stony ground can cause the roots to fork or become misshapen, so try to remove any stones before sowing, or grow round-rooted types. For the best flavour, harvest carrots when young – if left to become over-mature, the core can turn woody. For more on spotting and tackling these issues, see Common problems, below.

Related RHS Guides
Controlling problems without chemicalsPreventing problems

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