How to Plant Carrots for Kids

Preparing the Garden

• 1

  Determine the amount of garden space needed for the number of carrots you plan to grow. Carrot seeds are spaced 2 inches apart and rows are placed 12 inches apart, so a carrot garden of two rows of 10 seeds each would be approximately 3-by-2 feet.

• 2

  Rake the area, breaking up lumps of soil. Ensure the area is free of weeds and large rocks.

• 3

  Rake a thin layer no more than one-half inch thick of slow-acting, granular fertilizer into the dirt.

• 4

  Dig a line approximately one-half inch deep across the length where the carrots will be planted.

Planting the Carrot Seeds

• 5

  Place two or three carrot seeds every 2 inches across the line that you dug.

• 6

  Cover the carrot seeds with a thin layer of soil approximately one-quarter inch deep.

• 7

  Water the carrot seeds generously after first planting. Continue watering the carrots every other day until the seedlings appear.

Caring for the Carrots

• 8

  Weeding the soil around the carrots regularly removes any competition for nutrients and growth.

• 9

  Raking the soil around the carrot seeds once a week keeps the soil loose. Do not rake directly over the seeds.

• 10

  Thin the carrot seeds when seedlings appear so the garden contains one seedling for every two inches in the row.

• 11

  Water the seedlings three or four times a week, being careful to avoid overwatering, which rots the roots.

• 12

  Harvest the carrots by pulling them out of the ground when the root heads are one-half inch in diameter, which happens between two and three months after planting.

• 13

  Cut the leaves off the carrots after harvest.