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Carrot

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

A cool-season root crop that rewards loose, stone-free soil with sweet, crunchy roots. Short, stubby types handle heavy or shallow soil; long types need deep, sandy ground. Fresh-dug carrots taste far sweeter than store-bought.

Growing facts

Scientific name
Daucus carota subsp. sativus
Origin
Central Asia (Afghanistan region)
Plant size
12–18 in ferny tops over roots 3–10 in long
Growth rate
Slow to medium
Sun
Full sun; tolerates light shade
Soil
Loose, deep, stone-free soil; rocks and fresh manure cause forked roots
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
Pollination
Not needed for roots
Cold hardiness
Takes frost; roots get sweeter in cold weather
USDA zones
Cool-season annual in all zones
Harvest
60–80 days from seed; baby carrots sooner
When to plant (zones 9–11)
Sep–Feb
When to plant (zones 5–8)
Mar, Apr, May, Jul, Aug
Water
About every 3 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 30 days
Taste
Sweet, crisp and earthy
Nutrition
Very rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), with fiber

Is carrot safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Roots, raw or cooked
  • Leafy tops, in pesto, salsa verde and soups

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Toxic: Never forage wild plants that look like this one. Poison hemlock and water hemlock are close relatives with similar lacy leaves and white flower umbrellas, and both can kill. Eat only what you planted yourself.
  • Good to know: Eating lots of carrots can tint skin orange (carotenemia). It's harmless and fades.
  • Good to know: Home-prepared carrots can be high in nitrates. Pediatric guidance is to avoid them for babies under about 3 months.

Pets: Raw or cooked carrots are a good, low-calorie treat for dogs; cut them into pieces small enough not to choke on.

How to eat and enjoy carrot

  • Raw sticks and slaws
  • Roasted or glazed
  • Carrot cake
  • Soups and stews
  • Pickled with daikon (Vietnam)

When it's ripe

Pull when the shoulders at the soil line reach the variety's size, usually 3/4–1 in across. Water the day before to make digging easier.

Storing it

Twist off the tops, then refrigerate roots in a bag for weeks. In cold climates, they can stay in the ground under mulch into winter.

Carrot varieties (7)

  • Bolero

    A hybrid Nantes carrot with strong tops and good disease resistance.

    Stores especially well.

  • Danvers 126 · also Danvers

    A tapered, dark-orange carrot that does well in heavier soil.

    6–7 in roots; stores well.

  • Imperator 58 · also Imperator

    A long, slender carrot like those in supermarkets.

    Needs deep, loose soil.

  • Little Finger

    A small Nantes-type carrot picked at 3–4 in.

    Good for pots.

  • Paris Market · also Atlas, Parisian

    A round, golf-ball-sized carrot.

    Ideal for heavy, shallow or rocky soil and containers.

  • Red Cored Chantenay · also Chantenay

    A short, broad-shouldered carrot for heavy or shallow soil.

    5–6 in roots.

  • Scarlet Nantes · also Nantes

    A cylindrical, blunt-tipped carrot with sweet, crisp flesh.

    Taste: Very sweet

    6–7 in roots; a top choice for home gardens.

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

  • Aphids

    Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

    What to do: Spray off with water.

  • Sooty mold

    Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

    What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

  • Spider mites

    Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.

    What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.

Growing carrots? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your carrot needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.