Yes, You Can Grow Carrots Around Here

Some folks around here complain to me that they can’t grow carrots. That’s usually because they plant them at the wrong time of the year.

If you try to plant carrots the same time you plant squash, tomatoes and other vegetables in the spring, it’ll probably get too hot for them to reach their full potential. Instead, fall or winter plantings usually result in a much better crop.

Carrots don’t require much care. The soil needs to stay moist but not waterlogged. And they don’t like much competition from weeds. Otherwise, they don’t really require any special fertilization.

Carrots need deep, loose, well-drained soil to grow the best roots. Try to remove any rocks in the top 12 inches of soil. As a carrot grows, if it hits a rock, the root tends to split or get misshapen as it pushes around the obstruction. Sandy soil amended with compost grows the best carrots, in my experience. They also grow well in raised beds with loose potting soil. However, raised beds require close attention to soil moisture as they can dry out quickly.

Don’t fertilize carrots. An annual application of compost will provide all the nutrients they need. If you apply fertilizer, especially fertilizers high in nitrogen, the carrots will produce lots of foliage with small roots. They’re a slowgrowing crop. Just give them some time.

In my experience, the bestproducing varieties are Nantes or Danver-types. I have also had great success with the St. Valery variety. For black land or other heavy clay soils, try the Oxheart or Parisian Market varieties. These short, stubby carrots don’t require the deep, loose soil that longer-rooted varieties need.

For the past several years I have grown a variety called “Kyoto Red.” As the name implies, this variety comes from the famous gardens of Japan’s ancient imperial capital, Kyoto. As far as I know, this is the only carrot variety with red flesh. Most other red carrots are orange on the inside with red skin. Kyoto Red takes 100 days or more to reach maturity, and they absolutely hate hot weather. So don’t bother planting them in this part of Texas anytime of the year except the fall.

To plant carrots, first prepare a bed. Use a spading fork to deeply loosen the soil. Clear it of all weeds. Sprinkle seeds on top of the soil and lightly water them in. Do not cover the seeds with soil. Water using a watering can or a fine mister for the first few weeks while they germinate. A high pressure water hose may wash away the seeds.

Once they germinate, meticulously pick out any weeds that appear. After the carrots get a few inches tall, start thinning them. Try to give each carrot an inch or two of space on all sides. Once they grow a few more inches, the green canopy should shade out any other weeds that appear.