Homeschool Garden Club - Carrots

Carrots are crunchy, tasty and nutritious. They are easy to grow and you don’t need much space to have a crop all through the summer! This is one crop I like to grow in containers. If you grow your own, you don’t have to stick to the orange ones you get from the supermarket. Carrots also come in yellow, red, white - even purple! We really like the rainbow heritage seed packets because you don’t know what colour you will harvest next and they look really pretty mixed up on the plate.

Once again, this year we were given in carrots in our Seed Swoop. Check back with us later as we find out just how good they are and if we can recommend them.

One of our comprehensions is all about carrots and eyesight. I won't spoil it for you - meaning you will have to read it- but carrots don’t actually make you see in the dark - but they do contain vitamin A, which is good for vision.

They’re also packed with lots of other vitamins and nutrients, which make them a great health food:

• Vitamin A: Good for your vision, bones, teeth and skin - and important for your growth and immune system.

• Potassium: Keeps your heart healthy and helps plenty of blood to get to your brain.

• Vitamin B6: Converts food into energy, and helps to reduce stress.

What you’ll need:

Carrot seeds

A patch of ground

If you’re using containers

Deep containers - containers that are at least 45cm deep

Multipurpose compost

Method:

1. Prepare the Ground

Carrots grow best outdoors in soft ground - but you can also grow them in containers.

If you grow them in the ground, dig over the soil first, so there are no lumps or stones. Stones make the carrots grow in all sorts of funny and sometimes rude looking ways. Make rows in the soil - about 1cm deep and 15-30cm apart.

If growing in a container make sure it is a deep one and that you use new multipurpose compost and not spent compost. It won’t have any stones in so you shouldn’t get too many funny looking ones.

2. Sow Your Seeds

• Most carrots can be sown from late March to early July.

• Sow your seeds thinly in your soil rows, 5-7cm apart.

• Cover the seeds with 1cm of soil, and gently water them.

• When the seeds start to grow, thin them out if they’re too close together.

• You should be able to harvest them 12-16 weeks after sowing!

Look After Your Crop

• Carrots don’t need a lot of watering - but don’t let them dry out.

• Weeds can crowd them out, so weed between the rows.

• Be careful not to crush the green carrot tops - the smell attracts carrot flies!

• If the ‘shoulders’ of your carrots start to show above the ground, cover them with soil.