Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) are root vegetables in the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family. They are closely related to other umbellifers such as parsley, celery, celeriac, angelica, fennel, caraway, parsnips, lovage, and dill. Modern commercially produced carrots are orange in color; this wasn’t always the case and various heirloom and hybrid varieties are found in yellow, white, black, purple, and red colored cultivars.
The modern vegetable form was domesticated from the wild carrot (Daucus carota) which is native to Europe and Eurasia. Carrots today have much larger and less woody taproots than their wild predecessors.
Carrots can be a bit tricky to grow with good results. They need the right soil conditions for maximum yield. Raised beds can help or they can be grown in containers to avoid reformulating large masses of soil to get the right conditions.
They also can suffer from some serious diseases such as Alternaria leaf blight, cavity spot, and bacterial leaf blight. Pests are also a problem and can include root knot nematodes, swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, along with a host of other creepy crawlies that attack most umbellifers.
But growing your own carrots at home is not insurmountable. Use our growing, care, and harvesting guides below to get you started in growing a bumper crop of these tasty vegetables in your plot today. Happy gardening!
Red to the core and just right for raised beds, ‘Chantenay’ carrots grow about five to six inches long. Their compact, tapered shape performs especially well in heavier or shallow soils where long-rooted varieties can be challenging. Learn how to plant and grow your own ‘Chantenay’ carrots in this guide. Read more now.
A bright orange heirloom, the ‘Danvers’ carrot is great for gardeners with heavy soil. Plant it in the spring and again in fall for an easy-pull storage crop. You can’t beat that homegrown carrot taste, and ‘Danvers’ produces high yields – even in areas with clay soil and shorter growing seasons. Read more now.
Saving seeds from your homegrown carrots now can ensure a bounty of garden vegetables in future seasons. If left to flower, each plant produces over a thousand seeds, so saving them is a no-brainer in terms of cheap food production. Learn how to harvest and store your own carrot seeds with this guide. Read more now.
Whether you’re a home gardener or you hope to sell your harvest, growing “pretty produce” is hard. Many root vegetables may crack. But split carrots, while edible and usually delicious, are some of the worst offenders. Thankfully, this is easy to prevent through better moisture management and by making other changes.
‘Nantes’ could become your new favorite carrot to grow in the garden. It’s tender and sweet, bright orange, and virtually coreless. And you can eat this variety without peeling it first. This guide covers how to sow and care for this crop, and enjoy the haul. Zoodles, carrot cake, and roasted roots are all on the menu.
Interested in growing garden plants to attract black swallowtail butterflies? Members of the carrot family are a favorite of these pollinators, which can make their homes in our gardens at many different stages. Learn more about growing plants in the carrot family for black swallowtail butterflies in this guide. Read more.
Carrots are a staple in the vegetable garden but they can fall prey to a number of diseases, from mild, mostly inconsequential problems like powdery mildew to the harvest-destroying white rot. Learn about 11 common carrot diseases and how to identify, prevent, and treat them in this guide. Read more now.
If you love the taste of homegrown carrots but haven’t had much success with them in your garden, why not try growing them indoors? An indoor garden can provide you with a year-round harvest of fresh, sweet, and tasty roots – and it’s easy when you know how to grow them successfully. Read more now to get our tips.
When it’s time to harvest your crops, have you ever wondered what to do with an overabundance of root vegetables? What if your homegrown carrots could be left in the soil for the winter? Leaving carrots in the ground is a great way to keep them fresh during the winter months – given the right conditions. Read more now.
When’s the best time to harvest homegrown carrots, and what’s the best way to do it? Harvesting carrots involves following several important steps – and making sure to pick these vegetables at just the right moment, for the sweetest crop. To learn everything you need to know about harvesting carrots, read more now.
Short on garden space but still want to enjoy the taste of sweet, crunchy homegrown carrots? With a container, some soil, and a packet of seeds, you can grow these flavorful root vegetables on a sunny balcony, patio, or even a front step. Learn how to plant and grow carrots in containers. Get the growing guide now.
Are your carrots forked, branching, twisted, or knobby? These garden oddities are amusing, but can make food prep more challenging. The reasons for carrot deformities can range from soil quality to pests, and can be prevented. To learn several methods to prevent deformed carrots and grow straight ones, read more now.
Carrots may be the ultimate health food. The only way to make them healthier and more delicious is to grow them yourself! Add these beauties to the vegetable patch, and you can enjoy them in all the shades of the rainbow. And you’ll get the freshest root vegetables you’ve ever tasted. Keep reading to learn more.
Carrots are popular in the vegetable garden, but these root crops are quite particular about their growing conditions. Development problems can occur due to a variety of factors, from moisture management to temperature troubles. Learn how to troubleshoot and prevent carrot growing problems in this guide. Read more.
Carrot weevils are small snout-nosed beetles that lay eggs in the plant, and the larvae chew down into the root. The result: young plants may wilt and die, and any roots you do harvest may be cracked and full of black tunnels. This guide has everything you need to know about these pests, including control options.
Carrot rust flies are sneaky pests that dig into a crop undetected underground until the plants wilt, or worse – you pull the roots, hoping to have a bountiful harvest, and discover the damage. Learn everything you need to know about these tiny flies and munching maggots, including methods for prevention and control.
There is nothing more disappointing than finding your long-awaited, carefully cultivated carrot roots chewed, distorted, or stunted thanks to a variety of pest insects and other creepy crawlies. Check out this guide to read up on everything you need to know about the most common carrot pests and how to deal with them.
Carrots – whether roasted, raw, tossed up in a stir fry, cooked in a cake, or used to create a snowman’s nose, everyone loves this popular and versatile veggie. From your standard orange variety, to purple and even rainbow carrots, read on to find out about the best varieties to grow at home now!