Post date: Oct 24, 2019 6:01:14 PM
Uma Shashikanth
Carrot is easily the number one winter crop.
Carrots taste best in the winter as they become sweeter when temperature falls. Sowing them in the Fall is ideal.
Remember, the growth of the plant will stall when frost hits or when Persephone begins, which ever is earlier.
Therefore to get a successful crop you want to ensure that it is fully grown by Nov 15 or at the most Dec 10.
Carrot is a 70-90 day crop depending on variety. And it takes a long time to germinate.
Do the math. Sow now, to get a good harvest. You can harvest them all through winter and into spring. They stay fine embedded in the cold soil.
There are three things to manage while sowing carrots.
1. Moisture. The seeds has to remain moist until it germinates. Else it will fail. And it needs light to germinate and therefore cannot be covered with too much soil. That is why germination rates for carrot is low. Keep spraying water on the patch and keep it cool.
2. Transplanting vs direct sow. The roots will make up their mind about growing in about 3 weeks. If they meet hinderance, rocks, or if they are disturbed, they will be stunted. My transplants do quite fine, but it is a delicate effort. This year I have sown in compostable seed trays. Direct sow is always better. Suit yourself.
3. Thinning. You will get only lush leaves and no carrot if many plants crowd one another. Each plant needs about an inch of space. Once they are about three inches high, use sharp scissors to snip off the extras and keep one plant per inch approximately.
Given all this fuss, sow a lot of seeds, and keep sowing for the next fortnight.
Once they are up and about, it is a no fuss plant. Just needs moisture. If you mulch, the winter dew will take care of it.
Home grown carrots taste awesome. Research has established that the nutritive value of carrots harvested and eaten immediately is much higher than carrots harvested, transported, stored and sold at stores. Your kids will love it.
And there is no other way to grow them than sow the seeds. No stores sell any carrot plants. Go for it!