The carrots (daucus carota L) can be grown throughout the year. The only precautions we have to take are in winter, December and January. During these months, we must protect the seeds from the cold. The carrot harvest is completed after 3-4 months. Many people do not know well when to plant carrots.
Therefore, in this article we are going to tell you when to plant carrots and how you should do it.
Importance of growing carrots
It is a crop, yes or, you have to grow it in the garden. Growing carrots is not just a common practice for various reasons. On the one hand, because it is a year-round crop. On the other hand, because its need for maintenance and requirements is actually minimal. As simple as it may seem, the truth is that there are many gardeners who feel frustrated with the cultivation of this vegetable. Many times we remove this vegetable from the crops, either because the seeds do not germinate or because the size of the fruit is not as expected. For this reason, and to avoid this abandonment, we want to spend some time on when to grow carrots.
By knowing how to grow carrots, you will inevitably avoid the sense of failure we just discussed. A task that does not require too much difficulty or too much time, but that does require knowing certain guidelines. A few guidelines make the difference between delivering the carrots we expect and being disappointed when we pull them out of the field. Let's be frank: there is no garden without carrots. It is not a question of obstinacy, but fundamentally, this crop is incredibly rich in nutrients and its versatility in the kitchen.
Considerations for Planting Carrots
At first glance, this may seem as simple as digging a small hole in the ground and inserting a seed. And, really, this task is that simple, but it has many "buts" that must be considered in order to be successful. We cannot ignore that the sowing it is the most delicate moment for any plant. Getting this right and meeting your needs relies on plants, be they garden plants or otherwise, flourishing.
When it comes to growing carrots, this moment is even more important. A compelling reason to discover what we had to prepare and control during the first weeks in the factory. As we said, growing carrots itself is not complicated. However, it does require decisive preliminary work. Carrots are a vegetable that requires moderately acidic soil with a pH around 6. But it is not the only requirement when it comes to substrates. We are talking about a vegetable that has high nutrient requirements for the growing soil. As a root crop, it requires high levels of phosphate and potassium in the soil in which it grows. For this reason, the ideal is to give it a substrate rich in organic matter or earthworm humus and give it everything it needs to grow.
This high nutrient requirement makes it imperative that our carrot seeds be grown in spaces where there is no competition. In addition to referring to other crops, we refer to adventitious plants. Eradicating weeds is an essential job that we must do before growing carrots and as they grow.
If we are going to plant directly in the ground, carrots should be planted deep because they need to grow very deep. This forces us to conveniently review the plantation area in search of stones that prevent its development. But not only that. Besides, we must provide a light substrate on which to grow. Carrots are a vegetable that is not recommended for clay. Due to his increased weight, he is unable to achieve the desired growth in size or shape. Therefore, it is convenient to work in the planting space before planting carrots. Help us with a hoe, ideally we break up any hard ground. Precautions necessary, especially after winter, since this season tends to weigh down the substrate.
If the destination of our vegetables is to grow in pots or urban gardens, the ideal is to create the necessary land to grow carrots. Its structure is simple. First we will put four centimeters of gravel in the bottom to facilitate drainage. The next layer will be used for the planting substrate. The ideal is to mix it with the lowest percentage of sand and the same percentage of clay. The ideal mix to stay hydrated but avoid stagnant water. Finally, we allocate the last four centimeters of the container to the seedbed substrate. This soil is rich in peat and will help us retain the necessary moisture for carrot seeds to germinate.
When to plant carrots
Just as important as preparing the soil. Knowing when is the best time to grow carrots will also save us a lot of trouble. In fact, doing this when you're not playing is one of the main reasons they don't happen correctly. Indeed, thanks to its rustic character, we are talking about a crop that can be grown throughout the year. But that does not mean that they have a more recommendable and favorable time to develop correctly, the ideal time to grow carrots is between April and July.
We can also start planting in late summer if we live in a temperate climate. We should never ignore the fact that carrot seeds need at least five degrees to germinate properly. Therefore, it should not be done in the fall, nor in early spring. Night frosts can interrupt germination.
Carrot seeds are very small. There are advantages and disadvantages in themselves. On the one hand, they easily penetrate the soil, which facilitates their germination. On the other hand, they are also at risk of being blown off their driving range by the slightest wind that may occur.
To take advantage of growing carrots, you have to outweigh the disadvantages. How to do it? Soak the seeds before sowing. Ideally, keep them in the water for at least two hours. If we live in a dry climate, we can extend this task up to 24 hours before planting. It also does not hurt that we mix them with sand when wetting them. In this way, when planting them, they will be heavier and will have more possibilities to germinate.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about when to plant carrots.