The Stages of Carrot Growth | From Seed to Harvest

Planting those colorful carrots is every gardener’s dream, but before starting, you should know the full stages of carrot growth.

The carrot goes through a couple of different stages, which include germination, seedling development, root development, foliage development, root development, and finally, flowering and then collecting seeds. However, those stages need proper care and monitoring to get a sweet and strong carrot harvest.

Below in the blog, I explore the full stages of growing carrots, along with my expert tips and advice. So, without wasting any time, let’s get to it.

The Carrots Growing Stages:

Understanding the carrot growth stages is very important for yielding healthy and sweet carrots. Each of these stages requires proper care, and you need to be very careful with each step because if you miss any tips or don’t care properly, then you might not get healthy and sweet carrots.

Selection of a Variety:

The first step of carrots growth stages is choosing a carrot variety. To choose a variety, you need a type suited for your region and your area soil type. Other than that, people usually choose red carrots which is not the only one variety, there are different colors of carrots, like red, yellow, white and purple, which is my favorite, you should choose those colors. If you area suited and good for more then one variety, than instead of one variety try try different varieties with different colors.

There are also different types of carrots by size, and you should consider that before selecting your carrot.

• One is stump-rooted carrots, good for growing in containers or shallow soils.
• You also have chantenay carrots, which can grow in clay or rocky soils.
• The imperator carrots, the biggest carrots, can reach ten or more.
• And you have standard carrots that can be grown in almost every soil type.

According to All America Selection, Carrot Purple Haze F1, Carrot Thumbelina, and Carrot Imperator are the winners, and you can choose from them.

Seed Germination:

The next stage of carrot growth is seed germination; it is the first stage of almost every plant, whether it is fruit or vegetable. According to Wikipedia, germination is a process in which an organism grow form a seed or spore. Just like plant of carrot is grow from its seeds. The carrots can take up to 3 weeks to germinate, so you need to be patient with it. Before germination, you need to moisten your garden beds (where you plant your carrots) by regularly watering them. I didn’t say you need to water them daily, but when you feel its getting dry, just water them.

To be 100% successful in the seed germination process, you must give full attention to these three things.

• One is temperature; proper temperature is very important for seed germination. And for carrots, you will need a temperature of 55 to 70 F (13 to 21 C).
• Having properly prepared soil is also considered one of the main factors in becoming successful. So, you need light sandy loam soil, which is recommended for carrot growth. You can also use heavier clay when properly well-drained, mixed, and free of gravel and stones. Also, avoid using too manured or rich soil, which can cause root forks or make it multiple legs.
• After preparing the soil, you need to make sure its pH value is according to the carrots needed pH value. The pH of the soil of carrots should be between 6.0 to 7.0.
• Another thing I do is cover the row where I plant my carrot seeds with a plank or a sheet to keep it cool and moist. You have to check the seedling daily; if you see one, remove the cover immediately.
• Last but not least, get your carrot seeds from verified sources. This happened to me too many times in the past. I prepared soil, planted beds, and planted the seeds, but they didn’t sprout. So I’m telling you from my personal experience, Get it from a proper place.

(Source)

Seedling Development:

After germination, a seedling will grow with tiny leaves that will grow into a beautiful plant. In terms of care, the carrot seedling doesn’t need a lot of care; just protect it from extreme sunlight. There are a couple of different things that you should know at this stage.

Suppose you plant your carrots in a small pot and then want to transfer them into the proper garden, which I do not recommend because they are unlikely to thrive. But anyway You can take them out when they are about 3 to 4 inches and plant them their.

But if you want to grow them in their big pots or you directly planted seeds in the garden, you need to thinning those seedlings by removing those that grow closer to one another. You should leave about 2 to 4 inches so they get proper space to grow.

You also need to thinning these plants after couple of weeks when they are about 5 to 9 inches tall; you can remove any plant in between and leave space or a gap of about 5 to 7. This way, each carrot will swell and reach its full potential. And don’t try to drop those little seedlings because you can use them in a salad, just like I do.

Root Formation:

The next stage of seedling is root formation and development. In this stage, you need to protect the carrot plant from any sort of stress because it won’t be able to develop roots. Some of the stress includes inconsistent watering, fluctuation in temperature, drought and pathogens . The roots of carrots start to form a small line; then, with time and care, they get thickening and mature.

Leaves Development:

After the roots get start to form, the carrot plant starts growing its leaves. Leaves are important for every plant because they prepare food (energy) for the plant during photosynthesis. So you make sure to give them water accordingly: once a week if the soil is heavy, and twice a week if the soil is more sandy. Also, make sure they receive daily sunlight to help grow leaves.

Like other plants, carrots are also suspected of pest attacks, which carrot flies, aphids, click beetles, and carrot weevils include. So look for any sign on its leaves or stem for pest attack and use any pesticide if you find any signs. You can also arrange insect mesh or garden fleece so that pests and flies can’t get to those carrots. You also grow companion plants along with your carrots that will prevent flies and pests. Some of the most effective carrots companion plants include onion and garlic.

It is also attacked by different diseases like leaf blight, cavity Spot, Black Root Rot, and Aster Yellows include. You also need to prevent your carrots from these diseases.

Related: Onion Growing Stages

Root Maturation:

After the leaves start growing at full speed now its start carrots formation, The carrot growth time is about 70 to 90 days, depending upon your variety, the roots(carrots) get mature and ready to harvest. They are ready to harvest by seeing the top of the carrots getting big, reddish, and have lush foliage. To check they are ready, just remove one carrot, wash it, and taste it; if it’s flavourful, then it means they are ready, but if not, then they need a couple more days.

Harvesting:

To harvest, you just need to loosen the soil surrounding the carrots with the help of a spade or garden fork and twist it, making it easy to put, but try not to damage the roots(carrots). If the roots are snapping, you can also use a shovel, but be careful with it. After harvesting, remove the foliage, which means the leaves from the carrots, because they will draw moisture from the roots. And don’t drop those leaves. You can also use them in salad.

Flowering:

We explain the carrots’ flowering stages after harvesting because carrots are biennials, which means that they have a two-year life cycle. If it’s your second year, then you might get carrots bolting. If you want to prevent your carrots from flowering, then use fresh seeds every time, or cut the flowering from the carrot plants. But if you want to get seeds, then keep the flower in a few of your carrot plants and let them pollinate and produce seeds.

After some time, it will produce seeds, then start to cut those flowers and collect the seeds from them, and you can use them next season to preserve genetic diversity.

Here is a video demonstration of how to collect seeds form carrots.

Conclusion:

Every gardener should know the life cycle of a carrot plant because they tell you the coming phases and how to prepare for them. The process of carrot stages of growth is simple: follow the instructions in each phase, and you will do fine.

I hope you understand, but if you have any questions, ask them in the comment section.