key growing information

Carrot Growing Information: How to Plant, Grow & Harvest

How to grow carrots from seed for the garden or market: soil, sowing depth and spacing, keeping the surface moist, thinning, pests, blights, harvest window, storage and carrot types.

By Hensley’s Seed Co. September 3, 2026

Carrots - Key Growing Information

Handful of freshly harvested and washed, early-season carrots of the wedge-shaped, Chantenay type.

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Daucus carota var. sativus

CULTURE:

Carrots need well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–6.8. The straightest, smoothest roots come from deep, loose, fertile sandy loams or muck soils that still hold moisture well.DAYS TO MATURITY: Counted from the direct-sowing date.DIRECT SEEDING: Sow anytime from early spring through midsummer, 1/4–1/2" deep and 3/4–1" apart, either in a 2"-wide band (about 30 seeds per foot) or in single rows 16–24" apart. Raised beds 5–6' on center with 2–3 rows spaced 16–24" apart keep soil compaction to a minimum. Sprinkle the bed as needed so the surface stays moist, and don't let a crust form before seedlings break through, which can take 1–3 weeks depending on temperature and moisture. Thin to 3/4–2" apart if needed, depending on the root size you want. Control weeds with a tine weeder and shallow hoeing, and cover any exposed shoulders with soil to prevent green tops.

AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE:

At 30 seeds per foot in rows 24" apart: 1,000 seeds sow about 33', 5,000 about 166', 25,000 about 830'; plan on roughly 720,000 seeds per acre.

INSECT PESTS:

Carrot rust fly and wireworm: keep plants growing vigorously in fertile soil, and avoid fields that were recently in sod when you can. Fabric row coverskeep the adult flies off.DISEASE: Leaf blights can cut both yield and quality. Alternaria blight starts on the oldest leaves as brownish-black spots with yellow edges along the leaf margins, and affected leaflets can wither and die. Cercospora blight shows up first on younger leaves and stems as small dark spots ringed in yellow. A 3-year rotation is the main defense. Copper fungicides can be used to prevent or manage blights.

HARVEST:

Dig carrots whenever they reach the size you want. The prime harvest window usually lasts about 3 weeks, longer in cool fall weather; after that, roots may split or lose flavor and looks. Sowing a few times, 3 weeks apart, keeps tender carrots coming at their best.

STORAGE:

For winter storage, sow about 100 days before your expected fall frost. Store roots at 32°F (0°C) and 98% relative humidity.

CARROT TYPES:

Each product description names its type. Amsterdam: small to medium, cylindrical and quick to mature. Nantes: medium-length and cylindrical. Imperator (shipping) types: extra long and sturdy, the standard for bagged grocery carrots, and best in deeply worked soil. Chantenay: broad-shouldered and tapered, good for shallow or heavy ground. Kuroda: thick, tapered roots, often deeper in color, suited to subtropical winter growing (CA, TX, FL) or to summer crops in temperate regions where winters drop below 45–50°F (7–13°C).

SIZED SEEDS:

Sized seed has been graded to a uniform size, which gives more precise spacing in mechanical seeders and a more even stand. Our carrot seed is sized unless the product description says otherwise.

SEEDS/LB.:

204,000–436,100 (average 294,900).

PACKET:

750 seeds per packet, enough for about 25'.