Garden Care Guide

Carrot Care

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

A root vegetable that needs deep, stone-free, loose soil. Fresh manure or stony soil causes the roots to fork.

Hardy · -8 °C / 18 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

March
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • Fertilizing: Do not put fresh manure in the sowing site; soil that was manured the previous year is best.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 1 cm deep, 25-30 cm between rows; germination takes 2-3 weeks, during which the soil surface must not dry out.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 1 cm deep, 25-30 cm between rows; germination takes 2-3 weeks, during which the soil surface must not dry out.
  • General care: When the seedlings are 5 cm tall, thin them to 4-5 cm apart; the smell of thinning attracts carrot fly, so remove the thinnings.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: When the seedlings are 5 cm tall, thin them to 4-5 cm apart; the smell of thinning attracts carrot fly, so remove the thinnings.
  • Pests & diseases: Check for brown tunnels in the roots and reddening of the leaves (carrot fly); a fine fleece cover prevents the fly from laying eggs.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base 2-3 times a week, in the early morning; do not water again until the soil surface has dried 2-3 cm down.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Loosen the soil and pull the roots when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter, depending on the variety. Autumn carrots can be left in the ground over winter and pulled as needed.
  • Pests & diseases: Check for brown tunnels in the roots and reddening of the leaves (carrot fly); a fine fleece cover prevents the fly from laying eggs.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
July
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base 2-3 times a week, in the early morning; do not water again until the soil surface has dried 2-3 cm down.
  • General care: Harvest: Loosen the soil and pull the roots when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter, depending on the variety. Autumn carrots can be left in the ground over winter and pulled as needed.
August
  • Watering: Water deeply at the base 2-3 times a week, in the early morning; do not water again until the soil surface has dried 2-3 cm down.
  • Fertilizing: Do not put fresh manure in the sowing site; soil that was manured the previous year is best.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 1 cm deep, 25-30 cm between rows; germination takes 2-3 weeks, during which the soil surface must not dry out.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: When the seedlings are 5 cm tall, thin them to 4-5 cm apart; the smell of thinning attracts carrot fly, so remove the thinnings.
  • Pests & diseases: Check for brown tunnels in the roots and reddening of the leaves (carrot fly); a fine fleece cover prevents the fly from laying eggs.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • General care: Harvest: Loosen the soil and pull the roots when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter, depending on the variety. Autumn carrots can be left in the ground over winter and pulled as needed.
November
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Harvest: Loosen the soil and pull the roots when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter, depending on the variety. Autumn carrots can be left in the ground over winter and pulled as needed.
December
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Harvest: Loosen the soil and pull the roots when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter, depending on the variety. Autumn carrots can be left in the ground over winter and pulled as needed.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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