How to Grow Carrots in a Bed

Take a soil test to check the pH level of the soil. Carrots require a level of 6.0 to 6.8. Add lime if the soil is too acidic and sulfur if it is too alkaline, per package instructions.

Spread 2 to 4 inches of compost over a garden bed that is situated in a sunny, well-drained area. Till or spade soil 8 to 12 inches deep, digging the compost in. Because the edible part of the carrot grows under ground, the soil must be as loose as possible. Remove clods of dirt or stones so the carrots will grow straight. They will try to grow around hard objects and become crooked.

Smooth the soil in the bed flat. Make ridges with a mound 12 to 24 inches high all the way down the row. Cut out the ridge, using a garden spade. Space rows 1 to 2 feet apart. Plant one 5- to 10-foot row per family member to ensure plenty of carrots during the growing season.

Plant seed when soil temperature reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Make a 1/2-inch trough down the center of the mounded rows, using a sturdy stick. Scatter about 20 seeds per foot in the trough and cover lightly with soil.

Keep the soil moist after planting the seed. Once carrots sprout, in 14 to 21 days, supplement water when less than 1 inch of rain falls per week. Soak the soil root level.

Thin the plants to 2 to 3 inches between plants once they have about three true leaves. Mulch to keep the soil moist and keep weeds out of the bed.

Fertilize with 10-10-10 fertilizer once the tops are 4 to 6 inches tall. Scatter fertilizer at the side of the plants at 2 tbsp. per 10 feet of row. Water it into the soil well and again when tops of the carrots reach 8 inches high.

Harvest 70 to 100 days after planting by using a pitch fork to loosen soil outside of the mounded bed and pulling up the carrots by their tops.