Carrot Seeds

Plant Name: Carrot

Sowing Season: In India, carrots are best grown in the winter season, and seeds should be sown from October-November; they can also be grown during the monsoon.

How to Sow: 

• Sow carrot seeds in a seedling tray first, can also be sown directly into the soil.
• Fertilize the soil using 100% organic potting soil or manure and cocopeat/ Fill a seedling tray with potting mix. Do not use garden or landscape soil to grow carrots in containers.
• Soak seeds in 3% Panchagavya solution overnight for best results.
• Sow seeds about 0.5 cm deep, and plant 2-3 seeds in each planting hole. Firm the soil gently after covering the seeds and water them immediately.
• Carrot plants should be spaced 3 inches apart in a container for proper root development.
• Carrots can be grown in round pots(big) as well as in rectangular containers. A round pot with 18-inch width can be used, or a rectangular container with a minimum depth of 1 foot should be used. They can also be planted in grow bags.
• Once the seedlings are 2 inches tall, thin the group to leave only one seedling per spot. The strongest and tallest seedling in each spot is selected, and rests are snipped off.
  

Germination time (average): Carrot seeds should germinate within 8-10 days.

Water & Sunlight needs: During germination, watering is extremely necessary – if seeds dry out they'll not grow. Watering every one to three days will result in the best germination. Make sure to keep the soil moist, but not saturated and soggy.

Carrot plants need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day to form proper carrot roots.

Harvesting: In the winter season, with ideal growing conditions as mentioned above, carrots can be harvested within 60 days of seed sowing.

Fertilizers to use: Carrots require all-purpose, mild fertilizers like seaweed along with compost. What you want to avoid is high nitrogen fertilizers as these encourage more leafy growth rather than root development.

Common problems/diseases: Carrot Rust Fly- if you see brown lesions on your carrot’s roots

Benefits of this:

• Highly nutritious.
• May improve eye health.
• Improves immunity.
• Anticancer effect
• Improves blood sugar control.
• Improves skin health.