key growing information

Pelleted Carrot Growing Information: How to Sow, Care for & Harvest

How to grow carrots from pelleted seed: soil, watering pellets, sowing and spacing, weeding, blights, pests, harvest window, storage crops, carrot types and pellet rates.

By Hensley’s Seed Co. September 3, 2026

Pelleted Carrots - Key Growing Information

A selection of carrot varieties, available in pelleted seed for uniform plantings and efficient handling.

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Daucus carota var. sativus

CULTURE:

Carrots need well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–6.8. Deep, loose, fertile sandy loam or peat soil that holds moisture well gives the straightest, smoothest roots. Pelleted seed needs a bit more care with watering: it does best when the soil stays evenly, moderately moist right through germination. The first watering splits or dissolves the coating, and if the soil then dries out before germination is complete, the seed may not get enough moisture to sprout well.

PLANTING:

Sow from early spring to midsummer, ¼–½" deep and ¾" apart, in a 2" band (about 16 pellets per foot) or in single rows 16–24" apart. To keep soil compaction down, grow on raised beds with 2–3 rows 16–24" apart and beds 5–6' on center. Sprinkle the surface to keep it moist and don't let a crust form before seedlings emerge, which takes 1–3 weeks depending on warmth and moisture. Thin to ¾–2" if needed, depending on the type and root size you want. Control weeds with tine weeding and shallow hoeing, and cover any exposed shoulders to prevent greening.

DISEASES:

Leaf blights can cut yield and quality. Alternaria blight shows as brown-black spots with yellow edges along the leaf margins, starting on the oldest leaves, and leaflets may wither and die. Cercospora blight starts as small dark spots with yellow edges on younger leaves and stems. A 3-year rotation helps prevent both, and copper fungicides can be used to prevent or control them.

INSECT PESTS:

Carrot rust fly and wireworms. Keep growing conditions fertile, avoid ground that was recently in sod where you can, and keep adult insects off with fabric row cover.

HARVEST:

Dig carrots any time once they reach the size you want. The best harvest window usually lasts about 3 weeks, longer in cool fall weather, after which roots may split or lose flavor and looks. For a steady supply of carrots at their best, sow a few times, 3 weeks apart.

STORAGE:

For winter storage, sow about 100 days before your expected fall frost. Store at 32°F (0°C) and 95% relative humidity.

CARROT TYPE:

Each variety's type is listed in its description. Nantes types are cylindrical and medium length. Shipping/Imperator types have the extra length and toughness that packaged-carrot markets need, and do best in deeply worked soil. Chantenay types are top-shaped and suit shallow or heavy soil. Kuroda types have thick, tapering roots that can be darker than usual, and suit winter growing in warm regions (CA, TX, FL) or summer growing in temperate areas where winters drop below 45–50°F (7–13°C).

PELLET STORAGE:

Pelleting has many benefits, but it does shorten the seed's shelf life, so we suggest using pelleted seed within a year of purchase. Until planting, keep it somewhere cool, dark and dry, away from heat and humidity. If you'd rather keep it in the refrigerator, seal it in an airtight container to protect it from swings in humidity.

AVG. SEEDING RATE:

At 16 pellets per foot (¾" spacing) in 24" rows, about 348,480 pellets per acre, or 16,000 per 1,000' of row.

PELLET SIZE:

11.5 or 13.0.

SEED SPECS:

PELLETS/LB.: from 16,700 to 29,200, averaging 22,600.

PACKET:

250 pellets sow about 15' at 16 per foot.