Carrots

Carrots are healthy, root vegetables that are easy to grow and a great source of vitamin A. The edible part of a carrot is the root, typically orange in color. Carrots are biennial and will produce white lacy flowers in the second growing season if the roots are not harvested.

Carrots thrive during the cool season here in Florida and will do best when grown in deep, well-drained, and fertile soil. They need a good bit of moisture especially as the roots rapidly expand, which is something to keep in mind particularly since Florida gardeners are growing carrots during the drier part of the year. Carrots can be planted August to March in North and Central Florida and from September to March in South Florida.

Carrots should be planted in rows that are 10 inches apart with plants spaced one to three inches apart in the rows. Seeds should be planted shallowly, about quarter-inch deep in the soil. Don’t worry if you don’t see any above-soil action right away; carrots are slow to germinate. The soil should be kept consistently moist throughout the germination and growing period. Once seedlings are about an inch tall, be sure to thin them to the recommended spacing. Thinning is important; with such tiny seeds it’s very easy to overplant your carrot rows.

For more information please visit: http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/carrots.html

For carrot themed lessons please visit: https://www.agclassroom.org/teacher/matrix/ and search carrots