Everyone knows this root vegetable. Although they are traditionally orange, they come in a whole array of colors and are full of flavor and texture. They also are great sources of fiber, vitamin K, and beta carotene. Come learn what you need to start growing your very own so you can harvest it for a meal
Carrots are typically grown in home gardens are an annual plant, but they are technically biennials, needing two years to complete their life cycle. The first year they produce green leafy tops and the brightly colored fleshy roots we harvest. If plants are left in the ground over the winter they produce seeds the second growing season, and then perish.
Carrots are a beloved garden plant because of their small footprint and easy growing nature. They tuck well in between other crops as long as they can get full sun, and have well-drained, loose soil. Avoid over-fertilizing them to encourage root growth over vegetative growth.
Identifying carrot sprouts, and telling them apart from weeds, is difficult. Carrot seeds take 14 to 21 days to germinate, with immature leaves pushing through the soil surface shortly thereafter. These baby plants look like fine, green blades of grass growing out of one spot in the soil.