Planting Carrots From Seed

Planting carrots from seed is easy but takes patience. Carrots are a great beginner gardener crop because once the seeds get started, it doesn’t take a lot of work to have a great harvest.

Carrots are my favorite vegetable to grow.  Nothing store bought can beat the taste of a homegrown carrot and they are good for you!  Carrots are full of vitamin A in the form of beta carotene, which is great for vision and cholesterol.  They are also packed with vitamin K, potassium and B vitamins.

Planting Location and Type of Seed

When planning your garden it is important to consider location.  Carrots like full sun, so make sure to find a place where the garden is not shaded much during the day.  The depth of garden you have available will also determine what type of carrots you plant.  I have planted in many different garden situations. 

I currently have 2 foot high raised beds, specifically because I like long carrots. My favorites are Nantes and Danvers. Sometimes my kids plant Rainbow Carrots for fun. 

Long varieties: 1+ foot of growing depth

Long carrot varieties need to be planted in a deep garden such as tall raised beds or in the ground with the soil tilled to at least 1 foot deep.

• Nantes
• Danvers
• Imperator

Short varieties: 1 to 6 inches

Short carrot varieties can be planted in almost any garden situation! These are especially good for planting in pots or containers and shorter raised beds.

• Chantenay
• Parisian (tiny)- great for container gardening
• Little Finger
• Nantes Half Long
• Danvers Half Long

How to Prepare Soil for Planting Carrots From Seed

Soil is key to planting and growing carrots.  You will see on the carrot seed packets instructions directing you to grow carrot seeds in enriched well drained soil.  What does that mean though and how do you do it? 

Creating great soil takes time, it is something that gardeners work at every year.  I do three things to enrich my soil every year. 

1. Remove Rocks
2. Add Peat Moss
3. Add Compost or Manure

*Note I am not an organic gardener (maybe some day!). If you use organic soil, compost and fertilizer, the same planting methods can be used. 

• Start with your base soil, it may be from your yard or you may have brought in top soil but chances are it isn’t ideal.  
• Remove debris and rocks. Here is a great article on removing rocks from Do Not Disturb Gardening. 
• Add peat moss or sand to desired consistency. Peat moss holds moisture which is necessary for soil but only in small amounts.  Sand is the opposite. It is very dry.  The soil should be between 50% and 90% sand.
• Add compost, following the instructions on the product you use. This is natures fertilizer. I use manure and buy it at Lowe’s. Here is Lowe’s manure selection.
• After adding amendments the soil should be fluffy, loose and should not clump when squeezed.  It should not be packed down or holding a lot of water.
• Remove and break up lumps so that the soil is smooth. This is the most important part for growing straight carrots.

To help with draining I fill the bottom of my raised beds with gravel.  Sand is also effective for draining.    

When to Start Planting Carrots From Seed

Check the seed packet for specific grow lengths.  Most carrots need around 2 1/2 to 3 months to mature. It is important to start them as soon as the ground has thawed, especially if you have a short growing season like I do in Anchorage, Alaska (zone 4b).  A little frost is ok, as carrots are cold hardy.  I usually plant around Mothers Day. 

When planting carrots from seed the seed size needs to be considered and another weather situation to plan around is rain.  The seeds are very small and will be washed away in a hard rain.  Pick a dry day to plant!   

Transplanting Carrots From Indoor Starts

Many new gardeners with short growing seasons will try starting seeds indoors and transplanting carrots.  You can do this but it is not the most effective way to grow carrots.  They usually become what my children call “alien carrots”.  The other downside to growing them this way is that you don’t get as good of yield.   

Fertilizer for Carrots

Carrots need a low nitrogen fertilizer as high nitrogen can lead to “Alien Carrots”. Nitrogen can also cause the tops to grow better than the root.  Low nitrogen will help grow straight carrots.  Also, look for a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphate.  5-10-10 (5% nitrogen, 10% phosphate, 10% potassium) fertilizer is a good choice.

I have never really focussed much on specialty fertilizers.  My carrots grow well with Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed all purpose plant food.  I fertilize at planting and once month, thereafter.

Once the soil has been prepared add fertilizer per the specifications of the product and mix into the top 3-4 inches of soil.  

Final Preparation to Plant Carrot Seeds

Before planting commences, take a rake and smooth out the soil.  DO NOT PACK the soil.  It should be turned and fluffy with no lumps, then leveled out.    

Methods For Planting Carrots From Seeds

1. Transplanting

I do not recommended this method for planting carrots. As mentioned above the carrots usually do not grow straight, leading to what my family call, “Alien Carrots.”

2. Planting Carrots Using Sand

Mix Carrot Seeds With Sand

Using sand is a great way to plant little seeds, and carrot seeds are tiny.  Use around a 1/2 cup of clean sand and mix in the seeds.  

Here is a video example of the mixing sand and carrot seeds from EhowGarden, Teca Thompson.  

I do not plant the same way as she does in the video.  I use the sand method to cover the entire area that I want to grow carrots, rather than a single row.  

Planting with sand is a great way to maximize the usage of garden space, especially when planting carrots in raised gardens or pots.

Spread Carrot Seeds Over Planting Area

Once the seed are mixed in the sand they are ready to plant.  

Secure a sufficient amount of soil to cover the seeds lightly (1/8”) 

Make sure the soil is damp but not soaking then sprinkle the container of sand and seeds carefully over the entire area you want planted with carrots.  The soil should be damp to help the seeds stick. 

Cover Carrots Seeds With Soil

Lastly, carefully cover the seeds with the soil you set aside earlier.

Depending on the seeds, I usually use one packet for a 3 foot x 2 foot area.   

3. Planting Carrot Seeds in Rows (My Favorite)

To decrease the amount of thinning, I have started to plant in rows instead of using the sand method.  Because I plant in small raised beds, I want to maximize the usage of my growing space.  To do this I plant each row two inches apart.  There is no need to plant carrot seeds in rows 1 foot apart unless you need the space to get in there and weed.

Once soil is ready, draw shallow rows (1/8 inch – 1/4 inch deep) with your finger two inches apart.

Deposit seeds into row.  Plant approximately one inch apart but don’t worry about planting too close together because they will be thinned after they come up.  

Cover the rows with a thin layer of soil and pat down gently.

Interplanting Vegetable Seeds

Interplanting carrots with other vegetables is a third option.  This is done for many reasons, such as utilizing gardening space with both early season and late season crops. Most often carrot and radish seeds are planted together. The radishes will be ready for harvesting first just as the carrots are starting to get growing.

The Spruce has a nice article on explaining everything about interplanting.

Watering Freshly Planted Carrot Seeds

Once the carrot seeds are planted they need to be watered and they need to stay wet until they germinate (about two weeks).  As mentioned above, carrot seeds are very small, therefore they need to be watered gently.  Use the fine mist setting on your garden sprayer and water until saturated but not pooling. Once the seeds have established themselves and have germinated, then they can be watered more vigorously.  

Carrots Germination Time

Carrot seeds take a long time to come up!  Every year I start panicking, thinking that the carrots are not going to germinate but they always do.  It takes at least two weeks but depending on the conditions they may take longer to come up.  Be patient and keep them damp.  When they start to come up it looks like a fuzzy green carpet.

Thinning and Weeding Carrot Seedlings

After the carrot seedlings have come up, are around 1-2 inches tall and are starting to produce their first leaves, it is time to thin.  Thinning and weeding are very important steps to growing carrots. 

I used to have a hard time with thinning because I didn’t want to kill perfectly good baby carrots. I have learned over the years that thinning leads to more large quality carrots and overall a better harvest. Be strong and remove the unnecessary carrot seedlings!   

To thin carrots seedlings, either pinch or cut them off at the base of the stem using scissors, every 2 inches.

Every couple weeks or more often, weed any mystery plants out of the carrots. These weeds will use up valuable nutrients your carrot seedlings need. It should be easy to see the seedlings that don’t belong because they will look different. If you decided to interplant it will be more difficult to weed but planting in rows and marking them can help.  

Quick Overview of Planting Carrots From Seed

1. Smooth and level enriched, damp soil
2. Draw rows 2 inches apart and no more than 1/4 inch deep
3. Sow seeds in rows
4. Cover seeds in thin layer of soil
5. Water using a fine mist
6. Keep wet and wait for 2 weeks for carrot seedlings to emerge
7. Thin to 2 inches apart

Carrots are a very rewarding crop to grow and carrots store well over winter.  Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about planting and growing carrots from seeds!  Check back in the fall for more great carrot tips for harvesting and storing. 

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