We’ve seen so many people take up new hobbies over the last few months. One popular hobby was gardening because the weather was perfect for gorgeous flowers. Well, we are here to tell you that you can continue that hobby into fall! If it is your first time gardening in autumn weather, carrots are a pretty easy place to start considering there are different varieties that you can try out. These tips from Good Housekeeping will help you grow delicious carrots.
Get Planting
Carrots work well in raised beds, but if you don’t have a raised bed you will need to double-dig your garden area before planting. You want loose soil with no rocks. It may be a good idea to add some compost, too. Carrots are a cool-weather crop so you can start planting mid-fall and even into winter in some areas. This crop takes about 70 to 80 days to grow and mature before they can be harvested. Add six seeds to a 1-inch deep hole. You can make a row of holes using your finger or a stick. Cover seeds with 1/4 to 1/2 an inch of compost or potting soil and gently water the row.
Get Growing
Carrots are slow to germinate if the soil is colder so it can take one to three weeks before they start sprouting. For the best germination, keep the row moist. Don’t forget to add a garden stake to mark where your row of carrots is. As your carrots grow and mature, the crowns may pop up above the soil. Be sure to cover these up and keep the carrots moist. An exposed crown will make the carrots turn green and bitter. Carrots are pretty easy to grow but the biggest problem will be animals wanting to eat them, so be sure to keep your garden protected if you want the chance to harvest your carrots.
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Get Harvesting
Once your carrots have grown, you can start harvesting. You also want to do this before the first frost. Hand-pull your carrots by loosening the soil around the root. Watering the soil a little bit will also make this easier. To store your home-grown carrots simply twist off the top and brush off any excess soil, but do not wash them.
There are so many ways to enjoy carrots, and they are the perfect side dish for the holidays. You will take pride in knowing that you grew them yourself!
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