Grow Your Own
Grow Your Own Carrots
The Dutch introduced carrots to Britain during the reign of Elizabeth I. They've since become a cornerstone of our diet. We Brits are now among Europe's top carrot-crunchers, although most of us seem content to consume bland supermarket varieties. But you don't have to! Like all root crops, the flavour of carrots really improves when they're grown at home, so why not have a go?
Why not give our other veg growing guides a try?
Grow Your Own Radishes
Grow Your Own Beet Spinach
Grow Your Own French Beans
Grow Your Own Lettuce
Grow Your Own Tomatoes
The secret to successful home-grown carrots starts with good soil preparation. Think about it. If you were a carrot, would you want to force your way down through tightly packed earth in a doomed effort to grow big and strong? No you wouldn't. So, pick a sunny spot, grab a spade and get digging. Break up clods and aerate the soil, removing any stones. What you're aiming for is light, crumbly soil that will allow the carrot roots to flourish. If you have very heavy or stony soil, a short-rooted variety might be a better bet. Or you can try growing short-rooted carrots in containers.
More Preparation
Don't be tempted to add manure. This will make the soil too rich for carrots. Rake in a light dressing of general fertiliser around a week before you intend to plant your carrots. If you prepare your soil early enough, you can plant carrots in April. But, because it's important to prepare the soil properly, I suggest that you dig your carrot patch in April and plant in May.
Try These
"Autumn King 2" is a reliable, heavy cropping variety. "Mignon" is a short-rooted carrot that's great for growing in pots. "Flyaway" is a popular, flavoursome variety that many gardeners choose because of its resistance to carrot fly. There'll be more on fighting this pesky pest in later modules…
Pic: GAP Photos/Rice/Buckland
Grow Your Own Radishes
Grow Your Own Beet Spinach
Grow Your Own French Beans
Grow Your Own Lettuce
Grow Your Own Tomatoes
Lesson 1: Preparing the Soil
Get DiggingThe secret to successful home-grown carrots starts with good soil preparation. Think about it. If you were a carrot, would you want to force your way down through tightly packed earth in a doomed effort to grow big and strong? No you wouldn't. So, pick a sunny spot, grab a spade and get digging. Break up clods and aerate the soil, removing any stones. What you're aiming for is light, crumbly soil that will allow the carrot roots to flourish. If you have very heavy or stony soil, a short-rooted variety might be a better bet. Or you can try growing short-rooted carrots in containers.
More Preparation
Don't be tempted to add manure. This will make the soil too rich for carrots. Rake in a light dressing of general fertiliser around a week before you intend to plant your carrots. If you prepare your soil early enough, you can plant carrots in April. But, because it's important to prepare the soil properly, I suggest that you dig your carrot patch in April and plant in May.
Try These
"Autumn King 2" is a reliable, heavy cropping variety. "Mignon" is a short-rooted carrot that's great for growing in pots. "Flyaway" is a popular, flavoursome variety that many gardeners choose because of its resistance to carrot fly. There'll be more on fighting this pesky pest in later modules…
Pic: GAP Photos/Rice/Buckland
Our Programmes
In UKTV Gardens
Ask The Expert
| Celebrities
| Competitions
| Design Inspiration
| Design Your Garden
| Gardening Guides
| Grow Your Own
| Design Your Own
| Gardens News
| Lawns
| Message Boards
| Organic and Wildlife
| Paving and Decking
| Planting Up
| Plant Finder
| Plant of the Month
| Programmes
| Stockist Directory
| Sven’s Diary
| Water Features
