How to Grow Carrots for Beginners

Pick a good planting site for your carrots. This root vegetable prefers loose, sandy soils in locations with good drainage. Heavy soils cause the carrots to mature slowly and produce rough roots. Carrots prefer fully sunny locations but will grow in partial shade.

Remove all large plant material, debris and rocks from your planting site. Spade the soil 8 to 12 inches deep so the carrots have plenty of room to grow. Utah State University suggests adding 2 to 4 inches of organic matter to the soil.

Plant your carrot seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Leave about 1 foot between rows. Water your newly planted carrot seeds.

Thin your carrot seedlings to 1 inch apart when the plants reach about 1 inch in height. Thin the plants again when the tops reach about 4 inches tall. Final spacing should be one seedling every 2 to 3 inches. Overcrowded carrots produce poor quality roots.

Water your carrots thoroughly at least once a week. Drought conditions cause carrots to have coarse roots and bad flavor. Use enough water to moisten the soil approximately 3 inches deep.

Harvest your carrots when they reach about 3/4 inch in diameter. Loosen the soil around your carrots with a small gardening fork. Pull the carrots up by their tops.