Vegetable

Growing carrots

Daucus carota subsp. sativus · Apiaceae
By Hannah Price · Updated 12 November 2026

Carrots calendar

Carrots sowing, planting and harvest calendar (UK)
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sow outside			Sow outside in March	Sow outside in April	Sow outside in May	Sow outside in June	Sow outside in July
Harvest						Harvest in June	Harvest in July	Harvest in August	Harvest in September	Harvest in October	Harvest in November

Timings suit lowland southern and central Britain and most of Ireland. In northern England and Scotland, or in a cold spot, start two to three weeks later in spring and finish earlier in autumn.

Overview

A freshly pulled carrot is sweeter and more aromatic than anything bought, and a few short rows sown in succession will keep you supplied from early summer into winter. Carrots are not hard to grow, but they are fussy about soil and they have one notorious pest, so a little planning makes the difference between straight roots and forked, tunnelled ones.

Varieties to try

For the first sowings, 'Early Nantes 2' and 'Amsterdam Forcing' are quick, slender and sweet. 'Autumn King 2' is a sturdy maincrop that stands well in the ground. 'Flyaway' and 'Resistafly' have been bred to be less attractive to carrot fly. On heavy or shallow soil, or in pots, try round 'Paris Market' or the short, stumpy 'Chantenay Red Cored'.

Soil and site

Best soil: Light, deep, stone-free soil that was manured for a previous crop rather than this one.

Carrots want an open, sunny site and loose, fine soil. Stones, clods and fresh manure all cause roots to fork or split, so grow them on ground that was enriched for the previous crop. If your soil is clay or stony, use a raised bed, a deep container filled with peat-free compost mixed with sand, or stick to short-rooted varieties.

Sowing and planting

Carrots do not transplant well, so sow them direct. Wait until the soil has warmed in March or April, or warm it with a cloche for a week first. Draw a shallow drill 1 cm deep, water the base, then sow as thinly as you can and cover lightly. Repeat every three weeks until July for a steady supply. Germination is slow, often two to three weeks, so mark the rows.

Spacing: Thin early so roots have room; stumpy types can sit closer together.

Care

Thin seedlings to about 5 cm apart in the evening on a still day, and firm and water the soil afterwards, because the scent of bruised leaves draws carrot fly in. Keep the soil evenly moist; a heavy soaking after a dry spell makes roots split. Hand-weed carefully while plants are small, as feathery carrot tops are easily smothered. No extra feeding is needed on decent soil.

Harvesting and storing

Pull early varieties as soon as they are finger-sized, usually from June. Maincrops are ready from late summer and can be left in the ground until the first hard frosts, or longer under a thick layer of straw. For storage, lift them on a dry day, twist off the tops, and pack undamaged roots in boxes of damp sand in a cool shed.

Common problems

Carrot fly larvae tunnel through roots, leaving rusty brown scars. Fine insect mesh over the crop from sowing is the most effective control, and because the flies stay low, a barrier 60 cm high round the bed also helps. Sowing after early June misses the first generation. Split roots are a sign of uneven watering, while slugs can graze emerging seedlings in damp springs.

Read more on the problems that most often hit carrots:

Not sure what you're looking at? Try diagnosing it by symptom.

Month-by-month reminders

Jobs for carrots come round in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. Each month page lists the rest of the garden's jobs for the same weeks.

Grow alongside

Sources

Names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; timings and spacings reflect UK growing practice and were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.