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# Carrots

# Dr. Leigh Whittinghill, Assistant Professor of Urban Agriculture

## Planting

- Carrots should be planted between Mar 10 and Aug 1, March 20 and July 15, and April 1 to July 1, in Western, Central and Eastern Kentucky.

- Plant at 3 week intervals to have carrots throughout the growing season.

- Plant seeds at a depth of 1/4 inch

- Final plant spacing should be 2 to 3 inches apart.

- If planting in a container, it should be 10 inches deep.

## Care and Harvest

- Carrots can take a long time to germinate, so pulling weeds too early, may damage seedlings. The long period of germination can also mean that weeds become a problem, so ensure that the bed is free of weeds and weed seeds before planting.

Water about 1 inch per week (including rain), taking care during establishment and root enlargement.

- Excess nitrogen may reduce yield or the quality of fruit, so use less than with other plants. If using compost as a nutrient source, be sure it is fully matured, or it may inhibit germination.

- As they grow, some carrots may poke up out of the ground. These should be covered with soil to prevent them from turning green, which makes them bitter.

- Carrots are ready to harvest 60-80 days after planting in the spring or summer and 80-90 days after planting in the fall, or as soon as they reach the desired size. Leaving them in the ground longer can make them fibrous.

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## Storage and Use

- After harvesting, wash the roots and dry them thoroughly.

- Trim tops to 1/2 before storing the carrots to maintain root quality during storage.

- Carrots will keep for 2 to 4 weeks and can be stored in the refrigerator or a cold, moist cellar.

- Do not store carrots with apples. The ethylene produced by ripe apples can cause carrots to taste bitter.

- Carrots should be water blanched for 3 minutes or steam blanched for 5 minutes before freezing.

- Slice carrots and use a hot pack methods and leave 1 inch of head space if canning. Process in a pressure canner for 25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts.

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## References

- Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky. ID-128. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service

Markham, B.L. 2014. The MiniFarmingTM Bible: The Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre. SkyHorse Publishing. New York, New York.

• Rombauer, I.S. M.R. Becker, and E. Becker. 2006. "Roasted Carrots". Joy of Cooking. Scribner. New York, New York. Pg 267.

- Shulman, M.R. 2018. Roasted Carrots with Parsley and Thyme. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014219-roasted-carrots-with-parsley-and-thyme (accessed 15 June 2018)

- Swiader, J.M. and G.W. Ware. 2002. Producing Vegetable Crops, 5th Ed. Interstate Publishers, Inc. Danville, Illinois.

## RECIPE: ROASTED CARROTS

Preheat oven to 400circF. Toss together:

- 11/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

• Olive or vegetable oil to lightly coat

- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme or several sprigs fresh thyme

Oregano, parsley, and garlic are other herbs used in roasting carrots.

• Salt and black pepper to taste

Spread the carrots in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until golden and tender, about 1 hour.

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