How to Grow Imperator Carrots

Till the ground 8 to 10 inches deep, loosening it to accommodate the long roots. Remove rocks and break up clumps of soil. Deep sand is ideal for Imperator carrots. Build a raised bed with the ideal soil and depth to get around a less-than-ideal planting site.

Grow carrots in soil enriched with a 5-10-10 fertilizer. Select a brand and apply the product at the rates indicated on the manufacturer's label. Avoid incorporating chunky organic matter, such as compost and leaves, into the soil just before planting carrots. The material may block root development.

Sow carrot seeds as soon as the soil temperature reaches 45 degrees F. Aim at harvesting the crop before the temperature rises to 70 to 75 degrees F. The heat makes the root stop growing. In autumn, plant the seeds 10 to 12 weeks before frost. Sow 2 to 3 seeds per inch, ¼ inch deep. Thin 1-inch-tall seedlings to 1 per inch.

Keep the soil consistently moist. Apply water to the depth the Imperator carrot variety you have reaches. Gold Pak stretches 8 inches deep, and Legend expands 11 inches into the ground, for example. Start letting the soil surface dry between waterings about 2 weeks before harvest. Too much moisture close to maturity may split the roots.

Hoe around the seedlings to remove weeds as they sprout. Young carrot plants do not compete well with other vegetation for water and nutrients. Build a 2-inch-deep mulch ring around each plant to suppress weeds and slow evaporation. Use wood chips or shredded bark, for example.

Track how many days the seedlings have been growing. Dig around the Imperator carrots carefully around the date you expect the plants to be ripe. Look for roots with a ¾-inch diameter as the sign they are ready for harvest. Grab the plants' tops and pull to get the plants out of the ground. If they do not budge, move the soil from around them with a trowel. Take care not to injure the roots with the tool.