The Best Soil for Carrots
Carrots grow well in most home gardens and require only minimal care once planted. It`s best to sow carrots directly in the garden bed since the seeds sprout quickly and don`t handle transplanting well. Planting in a bed with the best soil quality for carrot growth helps ensure a large, healthy crop come harvest time. Good soil may also minimize maintenance as the plants grow, since healthy plants are usually less prone to pest or disease problems.
Contenido
- Soil quality
- Video: how to grow carrots from seed
- Drainage and moisture
- Video: growing carrots from sowing to harvest
- Soil ph
- Nutrients
- Video: allotment diary : planting the giant carrots in the polytunnel
Soil Quality
Video: How to grow Carrots from seed
Carrots send out long taproots that make up the edible portion of the plant. The best conditions for growing carrots is in well worked soil that contains no large rocks, roots or clods of dirt. Rocky soil stunts taproots or causes them to grow misshapen. Till the top 6 inches of soil at a minimum, breaking up any clods. Remove old roots and rocks that may inhibit root growth. If you`re growing a longer-rooted carrot variety, till 8 inches or more so the carrots aren`t stunted. Growing in a raised bed filled with fine-textured soil is an option if your garden soil is otherwise too rocky for carrots.
Drainage and Moisture
Video: Growing Carrots from Sowing to Harvest
Too much moisture in the soil causes carrots to rot, but too little moisture leads to drought stress and poor plant growth. The best soil is well-drained but retains enough moisture so it doesn`t dry out completely. Choose garden beds rich in organic matter, as they stay moist but don`t become soggy after rain or heavy irrigation. Amend poorer soils with compost or peat moss before planting the carrots. These materials break up clay soils so they drain better, or allow sandy soils to remain moist longer.
Soil pH
The acidity of the soil is indicated by the pH measurement. A home pH testing kit, available from garden stores and county extension offices, will provide an accurate guide to your soil`s acidity. The best soil has a pH level between 6.0 and 6.5 for best growth. Beds that have grown vegetables successfully in the past likely fall within this range. A lower pH is too acidic to grow carrots well. Amend the site with agricultural lime at least one month before planting to raise the pH level. Apply the lime at the rate recommended by the soil test.
Nutrients
Video: Allotment Diary : Planting the Giant Carrots in the Polytunnel
A soil test can also indicate the fertility levels of your garden bed and give you some guidance on what fertilizers are necessary to grow carrots. If you don`t perform a soil test, use a general purpose fertilizer before sowing the carrots to ensure the soil has the necessary nutrients for the carrots to grow well. Use a 5-10-10 or similar blend fertilizer on the bed, applying it at the rate recommended by the test or on the fertilizer bag. Carrots also benefit from some fertilization throughout the growing season. An application when the plants are 3 inches high and again at 8 inches is usually sufficient.