How To Grow Long And Straight Perfect Carrots!

How to grow carrots — Variety Early Nantes

How to grow the perfect Carrot

After lots of trials, I think I’ve cracked it! At the very beginning of my veggie growing journey, I grew lots of what I call ‘Cha Cha Carrots’ named affectionately after their dancing legs!

Exhibit A

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Cha Cha Carrots

Absolutely nothing wrong with Cha Cha Carrots, they are completely edible and just as delicious as there more aesthetically pleasing, more carrotty looking sisters… but we all want to grow that long , beautiful, one legged Carrot don’t we! So I’m sharing with you my Carrot growing recipe.

The Perfect Environment

Its all about the mix and environment. Firstly, I grow my Carrots in sacks, I do this because this way I can control the environment & texture of the growing medium. I know that there are no stones or clumps of soil that could disturb the root. I can also raise the sacks off the ground to deter Carrot fly.

How to deter Carrot Fly

Fun fact, did you know that Carrot fly are weak flyers and typically cannot fly higher than 60cm. So, if you raise your crops up, it prevents carrot fly from burrowing and destroying your carrots.

The Special Carrot Mix

My special mix is in 3 parts. 1 Part Coir peat, 1 Part sand, 1 part compost. Mix it all together with your hands, make sure it is clump free. Put into Sacks and sow Carrot seeds direct.

Thinning out Carrots

Once seedlings appear, thin out to prevent overcrowding 1 1/2 inches apart should do it. Give them a good watering and then leave it to nature. At this point, I let the English weather take over. Unless there is a long heatwave, I don’t interfere.