If you want to grow carrots in your own garden, you should ideally plan this in the previous autumn. In this way you can apply optimal fertilization, which then allows the carrots to grow strongly in spring and summer.

Autumn fertilization in the previous year

Carrots belong to the medium-feeder category, which means they need constant nutrients for their growth. At the same time, too intensive fertilization would lead to strong leaf growth, which in turn would result in a weak development of the roots.

Provide biological energy with green manure

Carrots can be fertilized very gently if green manure is worked into the soil before winter, which then provides nitrogen and many nutrients for the following year and the following plants. To do this, sow appropriate plants such as lupins or clover in late summer and work them into the soil with a hoe in autumn.

Barn manure with carrots only in the previous year

Fresh manure should never be used if carrots are to be sown directly on it. If, on the other hand, the manure is already applied to the raised bed or vegetable patch in autumn, it will have decomposed sufficiently by spring.

Beware of pests

There is another reason why fresh manure should not be worked into a bed with carrots: it promotes the development of the notorious carrot fly. So if you fertilize your carrots with fresh manure, you increase the chance of the carrot roots being infested with carrot fly larvae.

Pay attention to the crop rotation

Carrots belong to the umbellifer family (along with dill, parsnips, celery) and should not be grown in the same bed every year. Alternate between different types of vegetables to avoid disadvantages in growth and also in pest infestation. If you don't have any alternative space for growing vegetables, you can at least keep the carrot fly at bay to some extent by sowing onions in between.

tips and tricks

Carrots usually do not need intermediate fertilization during their growth phase on humus-rich soil. However, make sure that there is an adequate water supply and pile up some soil if the heads of the carrot roots should stick out of the soil during strong growth. In this way you avoid unwanted discolouration at the top end of the carrots.

Category:

Vegetable garden