6 Secrets For Growing PERFECT Carrots!

Carrot farms will hate me for sharing the secret to perfect carrots, but in today's episode, we will teach you the best technique to growing big, straight carrots!
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[@HGrimes]

Carrots are one of those fussy crops that have no business being on “Easy Crops for Beginner Gardeners!” lists, and yet seem to always end up on them. These tips are super helpful!

[@purplehatfarm5338]

Yup, was soooo disappointed the first few times I did carrots then I realized actually how hard they. So here’s for the fourth try!

[@rad7142]

@@purplehatfarm5338 Arrgghh carrots my nemisis, that family member we don't talk abouti.e when walking through your beautiful garden and you see that spot. Well I can grow it ish purely for my wife but every time it comes to tasting, she says no. sweet and tender are the bench marks, mine I freeze and put in stocks

[@KatilinMR]

I told a client only 4 of my carrots survived; he sympathetically looked at me and sighed "carrots are hard". I gave up this year, but there is always next season

[@JimiSparx-yw3gb]

Carrot seedlings are the ultimate "hot house orchids" - let them dry out one single day and your whole crop is DONE!

[@cynthiamartinez5884]

In a FB gardening group I'm in, I recently seen a lot of people say they just plant and water and they grow without doing much else. I've always struggled with them, and I attribute it to my climate. I'm guessing these people are in mild climates with regular rain. I'm starting mine now and we've been in the 100+F with no rain.

[@denisebayer8748]

I love your excitement pulling carrots.... Just like me.... Surprise and so fun!!!!

[@bingster-223]

Carrots are the crop I have the most failures with. Last year was my most successful year ever. This year most of mine have been small. I planted them every couple of weeks so I still have chances for some good ones. I've had the most success with Long Imperators and color mix.🥕🥕🥕 no worries though I can get gigantic carrots at our local Amish markets for $0.59 to $0.79 a pound lol.

[@Rooted_Traditions]

Man I gotta say . I appreciate you so much . This year was my biggest garden yet . And I can thank it mostly to you and all your educational videos . And your seeds are top quality and did amazing . Thanks Luke !

[@MIgardener]

Thank you! That means the world

[@dustyflats3832]

I use to have difficulty with radishes, beets and carrots. This year I used shade fabric and had the best radishes ever. The beets are better, but need to thin. I changed variety of carrots to imperators and Nantes and are much better. Used burlap to germinate. Need to keep seeds and fabrics moist and remove once sprouted to prevent them growing through. We’ve had extreme drought and mid July I installed irrigation and couldn’t be happier. The deeper watering that drip irrigation supplies is very helpful with many vegetables. I also loosened the soil and added bonemeal and Espoma. Carrots are a nice deep orange with very little deformed. The crooked ones are due to stones, ect and I need to thin more. Don’t add too much nitrogen or you spare the root. Plants can’t take up nutrients without good water practice. Root crops need phosphorus and potash. I’ve read boron deficiency can prevent root crops from developing.

[@AnenLaylle7023]

Very good advice. Carrots are a money maker for me, because no one else grows them in my area, due to the difficulty. I use Agribon to cover the rows, but burlap is a good substitute for small plots. I generally use an organic 4-4-4 mix and till in about 2 inches of compost.

[@paulwetzel3.14]

@11:40 the neighbor came out, looked over and said to herself, "Well, the neighbor guy is making another carrot video. Time to go back inside."

[@joyta1896]

😂😂

[@cathrinrobitaille7719]

I woodchipped my sandy soil 4 years in a row. 4 to 6 inches deep. I sprinkled some carrot seeds on the first year. They seeded themselves every year and took over that corner of the garden. Since I placed garlic and chives amongst them they thrived together on that corner. My carrots were massive in the spring time... south western ontario. Woodchip! Loads of it... and let some of them go to seed. Nothing happened to them during winter. Woodchip!

[@ashleys7631]

I’ll give that a try thanks!!

[@robertwhite254]

Lots of variation in SIZE and AGE of wood chips…be good to let medium or small size mix with coffee grounds a year or two

[@jenwray7543]

I am yet to get a harvest of carrots that I am proud of. Hopefully, soon!

[@craighalle7892]

I grew carrots in one of my 11.5 gallon containers. In the past when I sowed them in the ground something chewed the tops off. I actually thinned the carrots and replanted them with a pencil hole and most grew. They were the largest and best tasting ever. One was about 1.5 inches in diameter and more than a foot long in my compost based large container. I also learned they get sweeter and tastier if harvested from frozen soil. Thanks Luke! May the Lord bless you and yours.

[@patricwagner7147]

We had a nuisance silver maple, dangerous and close to house, taken down, after the stump was ground, we took all the wood chips and dirt into our small but humble garden. Also 20 yrs of composting leaves, adding sand, dirt, peat, etc. We are getting the beat results. Especially with Mi seeds. I also planted carrots in past, had some good luck. I put compost and garbage cans over them and kept them alive over winter. It was amazing!!

[@laurielyman9185]

For carrots, rutabaga, beets, etc, check into the cornstarch seeding method. It works great.

[@sheliaheverin8822]

I sow my carrots very dense because momma swallowtail likes to lay her eggs on them. I raise them up for her to become beautiful butterflies. I just harvested them Sunday and had to check every top to make sure there were no eggs or caterpillars.

[@lorisaunders176]

I used pelleted seed and germination rate is nearly 100%. Thanks for the tips! 🇨🇦

[@AnenLaylle7023]

Pelleted seeds are hit or miss. I'm done with them. I farm, so I need it to hit more than miss.

[@chernagast6754]

Original carrots have purple roots with lots of forks. The Dutch bred the orange variety in the 1800's.

[@obrown2450]

I love how excited you get about your carrots, even after all these years of gardening! Thanks for another great video ❤

[@caroldurusau2866]

I live in the south. We plant them a little earlier in the spring and can plant them again in September for the fall. They will grow all through the winter here.

[@jimdurkin8344]

Which state? I’m in 7b

[@melindaroth5796]

THAT'S FUNNY RIGHT THERE LUKE 🤣 😄 CARROT ALL. GOOD ONE 👍

[@Chief_Reux]

I decided to condense all my comments to one, promise I'm not trying to spam you! Thanks for all your work Luke, we salute you! 1:59 you can tell a true gardener by the love in their voice when they talk about dirt! 4:45 I love your point about planting in darkness, I started using 2 x 2 boards (usually about 4' long) to cover my seeds a long time ago (might have learned it from your channel, can't remember). Something else I learned (can't remember if it was an "original idea" or if I picked it up somewhere) is watering the soil before planting instead of after, helps avoid washing all the tiny seeds into a few concentrated locations (water seeking the lowest point). 4:47 your reaction is not unfamiliar to me! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ6rnnhmmLZ2iZosi=BxMPs2mifydXYbSl&t=388 The complete derailing of the current train-of-thought, the shocked expression, the instant desire to share the marvel with others. Gardening is the best! 6:11 really good stuff about deep-watering, very useful info, thanks! Wow, thinning is my next level I think...I thought they would be like beets but thank you again!

[@timclark7507]

My best tip is to plant in a container to avoid carrot fly. I used a few oversized plastic totes to get some of the best carrots ever.

[@massriver]

Most important tip is the chicken wire fence around bed

[@traciesites428]

Why?

[@hollihall683]

​@@traciesites428 If I had to guess from my lack of any type of fence, for me to keep out bunnies...

[@vward4871]

Yep, you can do everything right and the rabbits will decimate everything, lol.

[@SashasGarden38]

My Danvers are doing really well. I can't wait to harvest mine 😊🥕

[@samanthahoos9827]

I pulled all my carrots that were started in March and replanted 1 day later after amending raised beds for autumn harvest. I just can’t get enough carrots! I don’t thin, but wet the soil before seeding and mist dampen every day for a week to start germination. I tried growing in in ground beds, but carrot flies were horrible. For some reason they do’t bother raised beds.

[@dustyflats3832]

GrowVeg said the carrot fly is not very bright and won’t fly up only to a certain level. He said raised beds help. He also said to thin in the rain as it holds the carrot scent down so it won’t attract the fly or bug netting.

[@tiffanyhaberacker]

I just pulled my carrots today. I love their colors(I had a variety pack), but they are oh so small! I'm going to chance a late summer garden with carrots, beets, & pickling cucumbers. I think this fall may be a bit warmer, so I'm hoping I can use these tips to get some before winter hits.

[@MIgardener]

Something is better than nothing!

[@froginprogress8510]

I started a BUNCH in a big pot in my greenhouse last Fall. And promptly forgot about them. Pulled a solid plug of carrots out here a couple weeks ago and stuck the whole thing into the ground with some other plants. I'll go through and pull out the biggest ones to make space for the teeny ones, and all seems to be going great. I am appallingly bad at thinning things...

[@jessidutton3441]

I've never been able to grow nice carrots. AR Ozarks are not a good carrot environment. Too many rocks. BUT, I'm challenging myself this year! Your tips will help, wish me luck!

[@shanividal8885]

Glad to know I planted the seeds at the right time! But I think it has a lot to do with the kind of climate you live at. Thank you for a great tutorial!

[@adventuresinlifemka1762]

I'm planting my Carrot containers today inside. I just watched again as a refresher.

[@cbak1819]

I planted same carrot seeds in July under burlap, watered twice a day 85% germination and there growing great! I shade them with floating row cover after... I have success harvesting the large first then let the small ones grow on..

[@HomeGardening212]

Best video for carrot growth 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻i had zero carrots this season and i guess i did everything opposite to what Luke said 😀😀😀But now i m sure next season would be awesome ..thanks Luke

[@Nikki-mx5my]

I must have had beginners luck the first time I grew carrots. I had great germination and considering they were not grown in the best soil, I got great rainbow carrots. I still remember the meal I made with them-a perfect roasted chicken and carrots with some fresh bread to soak up the juices. Although carrot seeds lose viability faster than other seeds, I would encourage you to not throw out older seeds-just sow them thicker. I planted 3 year old seeds a few weeks ago with zero expectations and actually had a pretty high germination. I think it’s too late in the season for even the hope of baby carrots but worse case I will just make a carrot top pesto.

[@Khushboo-e-Hassan12]

Your videos are not only beautiful in terms of content but also in how you edit them ! keep sharing the awesome videos."🌹🌹🌹

[@idahogardengirl942]

Congratulations on the great carrots!!!

[@SonniesGardenPA]

Nice carrot harvest. Thank for all the good tips.

[@michelemenard8364]

Thanks Luke. Another helpful video!

[@joesqudy]

Thank you for the detailed information. That’s my favorite carrot to grow, they do very well. After watching an old video of yours, I learned how to grow them better. Thanks for the updated video. Your carrots looked amazing. ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@carmenzamastil1545]

Thankyou. Your carrots are great!!

[@bobbidudley2362]

I appreciate your advice. One of these days I will get it down like you, I hope. All my crops are like a third of what they should be. Had to restart twice by seed this year.

[@Bigfoottehchipmunk]

Thank you for this! I have grown some good carrots in the past, but I'm struggling with it this year. If nothing else, I will try again next year.

[@crazyclown2650]

Beautiful carrots!!🥕🥕🥕🥕

[@lynnson7440]

This is such great carrot info! It is like going to school for carrots! Thank you!

[@MIgardener]

Welcome to carrot growing 101. :)

[@judyellen4412]

Great video. Learned a lot, Luke! Thanks.

[@MrJKD360]

Thank you!

[@hawkrose8403]

Wonderful information. I need to restart my seeds!! I didnt do anything right when I planted mine! First time trying to grow carrots this year

[@janiceschriber4762]

Thank you 😊

[@tamararoberts9307]

Great tips, thank you 😊

[@camicri4263]

Beautiful carrots Luke!

[@norat6126]

Thank you.

[@VickiTarsagian]

Great video! Geeking out on harvesting carrots! Love it 😊

[@PorchGardeningWithPassion]

Great video Luke 👊🏻💥👊🏻

[@tinabloomfield7228]

I love growing carrots 🥕😋

[@albertnett7864]

Great video.

[@heidigilman1941]

Great video! Looking for better carrot growth this year!

[@tammy707]

Ty I’m growing carrots for the first time. Can’t wait

[@SaltareSayRelax]

Oh the pun. Love it.

[@johnvalentine9684]

Excellent content

[@user-su5kr8ts8e]

You are the best!

[@iquommaatolani1781]

Nice tips.

[@KellieDTravis]

Thanks for the tips! I planted seeds this year just to see if I could grow them but I know I didn't space them enough lol these are great tips for next year!

[@KellieDTravis]

I went out and pulled up one of my carrots just to see if they have actually done anything and I had a nice baby carrot! I'm so excited and will definitely plant more next year. I'm in Northwest Louisiana

[@lovecara1]

I am still a newby so have an excuse for Ppoor carrots. Thats why your here for people like me, so glad I found your channel

[@IAMGiftbearer]

I planted my carrot seeds in a styrofoam container with holes drilled in the bottom and then put straw on top. This seems to have blocked out enough light and I got almost 100% germination rate. I had a few left over from some I started indoors in peat pellets earlier and lost most of those before I was able to plant them, as I was waiting for some soil amendments to be delivered. The ones I saved I put in that outdoor container with the younger ones and they have foliage that looks like yours. The ones I started later in the outdoor container have foliage that is growing but hasn't caught up to the first batch yet. It's been raining alot the past few days so haven't had to water them for about 4 days but on dry days deeply water, so I'm crossing my fingers that there are good tap roots underneath.

[@barbaracarbone4658]

Oh boy..beautiful carrot haul! Mine was awful. Guess my soil just wasn't loose enough. I'll keep trying. Thanks much. 😊

[@fancythat5136]

Just lighten your soil by adding Perlite in a good potting soil.

[@johnzink3309]

Thx

[@SPshaun]

Bought the tendersweets from you this year. I just pulled them up. Hard to pull but best I’ve ever grown. Much longer than ever.

[@tonileigh8660]

I just harvested a basket full of Danvers carrots this morning. Not quite as big as some of yours, but bigger than usual.

[@nellsgirl]

Ohhh, ok now I know why my attempts to grow carrots have all failed! 😂 Thank you for showing me the light!! I’ll do better next year! 😊

[@MIgardener]

Good luck!

[@kafinn5302]

Thank you….I messed up a little…but next year I’ll do better, thanks to your tips. 🧑🏻‍🌾👍🥕

[@cindys.w.8566]

I harvested my carrots last week and dehydrated the tops. They are so good on potato dishes, salads or a garnish. Sprinkle on top of a bowl of chicken soup and so on.

[@joesqudy]

Nice idea. 💡 Thanks 😊 ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@JM.TheComposer]

I love the thumbnail on this video...

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

I can't direct sow carrots, or much of anything, because of all the pests around here. I have found that carrots can be transplanted if you start them in biodegradable containers. Cardboard egg cartons, toilet paper tubes, small paper cups, or makeshift newspaper cups all work, and let you plant them out without disturbing the roots.

[@joesqudy]

I like that idea 💡 Thanks 😊 ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@NWHomesteader]

Great tips thank you! Loved your neighbor at 11:43 😂

[@ozenmacher]

Neighbor noped out the second she saw him recording, lol.

[@sowertosow]

Make sure y'all eat your thinned plants as microgreens! THEY ARE DELICIOUS!

[@shelliecummins5972]

I put my carrots in raised beds this yr. I learned a lesson last yr.. clay soil doesnt work, plus the voles loved my carrots😢 i am getting ready to pull them in a few days

[@jarredkushnerd13]

All the vids and I'm just waiting for seeds I ordered a month ago. JC

[@5points7019]

im gonna try again with the carrots... they mock me at every opportunity.. and if you havent wandered up to the Snover area (west of sandusky) there is a great mennonite grocery store just north of M46 on Germania Rd, about 4 miles east of M53. i LOVE that store... and they make THE BEST homemade donuts fresh every morning!!! anytime i make it back to the thumb area i make sure to stop in. its called countryview bulk food store

[@TorahFirma]

For crop rotation purposes, if a home gardener is rotating yearly, but also planting for fall, do you do your rotation for next year based off the main crop you grew in the spot or off the short term crop you grew for fall? For example, if I had an early crop of carrots in a spot, then had time to plant a small crop of peas for fall/early winter, next season, is it best to rotate that spot for the next crop based off the early crop of carrots or the peas- meaning I would want to grow a leafy crop in that spot next season? Thank you!

[@AnenLaylle7023]

Rotate my brother. Rotate.

[@NorthernMike]

1st time I'm trying carrots. Question - when thinning the carrots after 3-4 weeks, do you transplant the ones you pull or are you discarding them? Very informative video!

[@Chief_Reux]

He who would pun would pick a pocket. ~ Master & Commander Well done sir!

[@DebRoo11]

Pre-sprout your carrots. Saves a lot of time and seed and risk of failure. Less thinnimg as well

[@karrenbecker1059]

How is it different growing spring carrots bs fall carrots? Can you grow a second batch in same location? How do you amend the soil?

[@karaleeann1211]

Bibi is growing, another week or 2 and he will outgrow todays tshirt. He is ready for tshirts and shorts! 👍❤️🐵❤️

[@obilawnkenobi7230]

what are your soil temps around sowing time? Trying to convert to 10b climate

[@gardeningrelaxation]

so much technical explanations. I have luck with carrots. lots of carrots from seeds bought in home depot and lowes.

[@user-el7sw7bg8l]

No matter how many seeds i plant only few will germinate.. can never thin my carrot seedlings, never did never will i do so.. love all your videos.. we don't get that fertilizer here in Kenya.. may be you can specify which manure cow or chicken or sheep?

[@DebRoo11]

Maneuvers are very high in nitrogen and will likely cause "hairy" and stubby roots. If you can find a good compost mix you'll be much better off for root crops.

[@robyn8842]

I live in Zone 8a, where we have equally warm Spring and Autumn seasons. Is late summer a good time to sow carrot seed?

[@hdcoletti]

Yes. They are cool weather so get them started mid August and you should be good

[@shaydbrayd]

8:35 describing overfertilization while holding a real life example...he's literally describing what's in his hand.

[@shadyman6346]

Germination aside, carrots are easy to grow. Something ate the tops off mine...40 sq. ft. of them. Still don’t know the culprit...

[@mneraasen224]

Last year I grew the tiny carrots just so I could say I did it😂 Well sort of. This year I think I dropped the ball , I should have deep watered🤦‍♀️ They are still sitting there not growing much. I will try again 😂

[@catherineprice3830]

I have two swallowtail caterpillars that are happily munching away at my carrot tops. I don’t have the heart to remove them Hope they leave a few for us though. 😊

[@MIgardener]

Swallowtails are so pretty! They landed on our dill.

[@joesqudy]

I was just visiting Cali and for 5 days and there was a swallowtail coming and going into my aunts property all day. It appeared to be the same one. It was so beautiful. I don’t know what it was doing because she had a lot of property, but unfortunately, no gardens. I tried to convince her to grow a small garden or rent her property for a community garden and she said she didn’t want to. She’s 80 and didn’t want extra responsibility. Oh well I tried.🤷🏼‍♀️ ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@mysparky2011]

Last year I covered the row of seeds with a board. Worked well. This year I am going to be more brutal with the thinning. Would it not be less disturbing if you snipped in between carrots instead of pulling out the unwanted?

[@bipbip6626]

My carrots? -i sow [some] one at a time, i have pots , they do grow well! No need to thin. Also: I ve been using old seeds[ out by 2 years]: no probs! - i also throw more , in a pot, random: they do grow well too! [ uk][ wales]

[@debbiethompson9853]

@Migardener WHATS THE SMALLEST DISTANCE FOR BETWEEN ROWS?

[@TheDurnans]

I freeze my seeds in a freezer set at 0 degrees F. Do carrot seeds stay good longer if frozen. I've never had great luck with carrots because I have heavy soil. I have had much better luck growing them in large tubs.

[@gus8142]

Hi, can you tell me what zone your in? Thanks for all the information for our gardens 😀

[@jeankappelmann350]

Last year was the first time I tried carrots. I grew them in a 10 gal. grow bag and planted them in the late summer. A whole lot sprouted but then died off (south Texas and still too hot.). However, I had sowed a lot of seeds and a second bunch germinated. I left them out all winter (did bring them inside for the few freezes we had last winter) and ended up with some of the best carrots I’ve ever had in March. This year, I plan to do it again, but more than one grow bag and I’m waiting for the heat to lesson!🥵

[@joesqudy]

I love it!! I’m in Houston and told someone they could do this and someone else commented that they would go to seed leaving them over the winter. But I had a great harvest like you thanks 😊 ❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️

[@clghidra]

Amazing carrots. Rabbits are popping off in our area - even eating zucchini leaves. Do you have them and do you just exclude in some beds, or other?

[@philomenabrabazonobroin5236]

What do you mean by modified root crops???

[@madammazon2942]

5 seconds in and you got a cackle out of me at that carrot pun! Never change!🤣

[@averagesavage8367]

when mentioning fertilizing, could you recommend the values of the NPK? example: 10-10-10

[@AnenLaylle7023]

I've been farming for many years and the hardest crop for me to grow here in South Carolina for profit is carrots. The germination is just random. I tried seeding some pelleted seed about 15 days ago and got 30% germination. Plowed the entire 100 foot row under and I am waiting till the weather cools off and using normal carrot seed and over seeding as I usually do. Another trick for carrot germination in rows is to backfill the furrows with potting mix, not your native soil, which will probably want to crust over by the time the carrots come up. Also, plant them in bands, not straight lines. I do not recommend the pelleted seed. They either work perfectly or they don't work at all.

[@heidieverett8394]

If we waited to plant till may we would never have a carrot we plant in febuary march in oklahoma and again in early september