Growing Attractive and Healthy Carrots Naturally
Whether for shredding over fresh salads, using in vegetable medleys or casseroles, or simply for healthy anytime of day snacking, carrots are one of the most popular root crops enjoyed and consumed worldwide. A hardy growing vegetable, carrots are excellent growers in nearly all regions of the world, and their fresh taste and snap are so pleasing. Carrots are excellent additions to backyard gardens and container gardens alike, so read on, to find the basics of growing delicious tasting organic carrots year after year.
Carrots, especially being that they are a root crop, enjoy and need soil that drains well and has a nice, consistent texture. Rocky or clay-like soil can be problematic, as deformations can occur as the carrot grows due to restraints caused by less than hospitable and inflexible soil. Before planting seeds, it is necessary and quite helpful to loosen your soil by working in organic compost either produced by you or purchased at your local garden store. Fully decomposed compost can add much needed nutrients as well as making the soil less static, allowing for quicker and more stereotypical root development, growing carrots long and ideally shaped. Rocks and chunky soil are enemies of typically developing root crops, so it is necessary to be diligent in keeping your soil loose and easily draining so that it never becomes an impediment to healthy growth. For some gardeners with unruly soil, it might do best to grow carrots in above ground, container gardens instead. Container gardens are especially useful as the gardener can more easily control soil quality, thereby ensuring a more successful crop. A deeper container is better, of course, for carrots to reach the desired length, and if many carrots are to be planted, many containers will be necessary; carrots require adequate room to grow.
Carrots should be planted in early spring, just after the threat of frost has passed. Seeds should be planted about 3/8 of an inch below the soil’s surface, in rows about a foot apart in order to leave you adequate room to tend to them and maintain adequate room for their growth. Add an ample amount of water from your garden hose reel to moisten the soil, but not drench it. Cover the planted seeds with straw and wait for the first growths to emerge. Straw or shredded bark will do its part to keep the soil moist. Make sure to thin your carrots as they grow, allowing for ample growing room for each plant.
By following these steps, a backyard gardener should be able to harvest three to four carrot crops a season, if a new crop is started once a month. Carrots usually require three months to mature, so space out your plantings, keep track of your harvest times, and grow, grow, grow!
About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garden hose reel and landscaping.
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