The three mistakes people make when growing carrots - and how to avoid them

The humble carrot is something we all like to have on hand, as they are very versatile in the kitchen and used in so many recipes. But the heavily sprayed sickly-sweet carrots found in supermarkets bare no resemblance to their earthy and complexly flavoured homegrown counterparts, and given that carrots are one of our nations most eaten foods - and they are often heavily sprayed with pesticides - we really should be trying to grow as many as possible to at least ease the burden of toxins on our bodies.

Unfortunately, carrots are the one vegetable that home gardeners really struggle to grow, and time and time again I see people making the same mistakes with these picky crops. Even if they are able to grow them past the tricky germination stage, the carrots themselves usually grow on to become short, stunted and misshapen.

Now I’ll admit, carrots do have a few special requirements - but once you understand what they like (and more importantly what they don’t like), and begin to shape your garden and sowing times to their needs, you will know how to grow them and avoid the common mistakes most people make.

So if you have already tried to grow carrots a few times without success, I encourage you to give yourself another chance and read on. Once you are familiar with the three mistakes most people when growing carrots, you will know what to do to avoid making them yourself.

Mistake # 1 The Wrong Season

Every year, around late autumn, I see gardeners proudly sprinkling carrot seeds into chilly, soggy soil, then wondering a few weeks later why nothing came up. It’s such a common trap because carrots seem like they should be a winter crop, after all they feature in every hearty winter stew, and many gardening books and seed packets will tell you to sow in autumn. But I’m calling it today - this is inaccurate.

Although it is possible to over-winter carrots in the garden so you can enjoy them during the cooler months, the seeds like to germinate when temperatures are between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius, making them a late spring / early summer sown crop in New Zealand. Planting them at the wrong time of year is one of the biggest reasons they fail.

Carrots don’t like extremes – not scorching heat, not soaking wet, and definitely not freezing cold. Their sweet spot is that early-summer window when the soil has warmed up but before the height of the dry season. For me that’s usually December, once the spring rains have passed and the soil’s had a chance to dry out. You can continue sowings through January and February for a continuous supply of carrots right through winter, although keep in mind if temps are too extreme they may have trouble germinating.

In some cases autumn sowings are also possible, but in my experience if the ground is too cold and wet, the tiny seeds just won't germinate properly, and if they do sprout, the shortening days of autumn often mean they rarely do as well as they would if grown during the warmer months.

Cold soggy weather is the opposite to what carrots want.

Mistake # 2 Not Enough Soil Prep

Carrots are divas when it comes to soil texture. They need loose, fine soil that lets them grow straight and deep. If the soil’s full of lumps, clay, or half-rotted compost, they’ll twist and fork into all sorts shapes. Although the soil should be nutritious from previous feeding, you don’t want to add compost, manure or anything at all like this at planting time, and you also shouldn't add blood and bone, as too much nitrogen can cause forked carrots.

However the one thing that I always like to add is some ash from the fire place - potash like this helps with their flavour and sweetness, and it will help to give them good colour too (which means more nutrients for those who eat them). Before sowing, take a moment to prepare the bed properly - think soft, crumbly, and free-draining; a silty or sandy soil is perfect. I actually get right in there and work my hands into the ground to a depth of around 30cm, breaking up any clods of dirt and removing stones as I go. This is deeply satisfying and makes all the difference later on.

Top tip - If your soil still feels sticky or soggy when you try to do this, that’s your sign to wait a bit longer before sowing. Carrots hate being planted into mud.

Mistake # 3 The Wrong Amount Of Watering During Germination

Carrots have tiny seeds and don’t like being transplanted, so they always need to be sown directly where they’ll grow. I make shallow grooves with my fingers, sprinkle the seeds in lightly (less is more here), and sprinkle just a touch of seed raising mix over the top before gently patting them down - here's a reel I made awhile back showing exactly how I do this

The key is to keep that top layer of soil consistently moist while they germinate - which can take up to two weeks. Let the surface dry out even once and you might lose them. Something that can help with keeping the moisture in is to lay a plank of wood or some sacks over the rows to keep the sun off, but if you do this, check them every day for signs of germination, and remove the board or sack as soon as you notice they have sprouted. Keep the moisture levels up as they grow on, then later as the tops get larger you can water less often but more deeply to encourage those beautiful long roots.

Although we don’t want the soil to dry out, we definitely don’t want too much heavy rain falling on the fragile seeds – if they don’t wash away first, they will most likely rot. To avoid this happening, try to wait until the weather is settled and summery, and be prepared for a potential downfall. Planks of wood and sacks will help, but you can also make a cloche over the whole thing using garden hoops and plastic – just pop the plastic over if heavy rain is forecast. Once the seeds have germinated and the seedlings are a decent height they will be handle the summer rain, but until then, its better to be safe than sorry.

Why summer is the secret to success

Planting carrots in early summer gives them a head start in warm, stable soil and lets you control watering more easily. The plants will establish quickly, and by late summer you’ll have rows of feathery green tops with bright, crisp carrots underneath. Here is a summer recipe you might like to try that uses both the roots and the tops.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about pulling up your own carrots for dinner, and kids love them too so harvesting them with the children is a great way to involve them in the garden.

If you’ve struggled to grow carrots before, I’m hoping I've given you a bit of hope. Sometimes all it takes is shifting your planting time by a few weeks to transform your results, or putting in that extra effort into the soil and conditions. I would love to hear how you get on, so feel free to leave a comment :)