Tips on Growing Carrots in Raised Beds

To grow carrots successfully in a raised bed there are some important guidelines to follow. Apart from the usual planting and weeding you need to make sure the bed is kept moist and before planting have the bed well prepared.

• Carrots like full sun so make sure your raised bed is well positioned to catch as much sun as possible during the day.

• When building and preparing your bed make sure that there is at least 12 inches or 30cm of loose soil or growing medium. Break up any lumps and remove any stones, as these will hinder the growth of the carrot.

• When filling your raised bed put plenty of organic matter like compost, rotted straw, well rotted animal manure or any other organic material. As a raised bed has very good drainage the more humus you have in the bed the more moisture it will retain. You will find the carrots are sweeter and less fibrous if grown in moist soil.

• Carrots don’t like much nitrogen so put your fresh manures somewhere else away from the carrots. If the soil is too rich they tend to be misshapen or fork.

• Sow the seeds in early spring and cover with a thin layer of compost. To have a continuous supply, sow more every 2 – 3 weeks.

• To thin, do it when the seedlings are small so as not to disturb the remaining plants. Thin to about 2 – 3 inches apart. Later you can thin again, and use the baby carrots to eat raw or cook and serve whole.

• Regular foliar feeding is very beneficial for the young plants. These can be commercially produced or you can make your own eg compost tea, the liquid produced by worm farms, or even made by soaking animal manure or seaweed in a container and using the liquid diluted to spray on the plants.

• Watering your carrots is very important. To make it easier install a watering system so that all you have to do is turn on the tap. Remember they are sweeter and less fibrous when grown in moist soil.

• Harvest time will be approximately 10 weeks after planting. Carrots can be stored in cold storage for about 2 months.

By following these guidelines for growing carrots in a raised bed, you should have a bumper crop of delicious vegetables.

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