Growing carrots in the heat of summer is a difficult endeavor. Carrots are a cool-season crop that typically needs between three and four months to reach maturity. They are slow to germinate in cool weather and sprout best when the ambient temperature is around 70 F. (21 C.).
When maturing in warm weather, carrots often have a bitter taste and lack the sweetness of those grown at cooler temperatures. The ideal temperature for the development of fat, sweet-tasting carrots is approximately 40 F. (4 C.). Ideally, carrots are sown when it's warm and mature when it's cool.
Growing Carrots in Hot Climates
Gardeners in states like Florida may be wondering if it's even possible to grow carrots in the South. The answer is yes, so let's take a look at the best methods for growing carrots in hot climates.
Whether you're growing carrots in the South or you're a northern gardener trying to produce carrots in the heat of the summer, the key to obtaining sweet-tasting roots is knowing when to plant them. Of course, this will vary depending upon where you live.
For the best-tasting carrots, sow when the soil is warm and time the planting so the carrots will mature at cooler temperatures. For northern gardeners, sowing in late summer and harvesting in the fall is the best approach. Southern farmers will have the most success by sowing in the fall for a winter harvest.
Tips for Warm Weather Carrots
Once the carrot seedlings are established, keeping the soil cool will promote faster growth and sweeter-tasting roots. Try these tips when growing warm-weather carrots:
- Planting depth: Sowing in warmer temperatures usually means planting seeds in dryer soil. Try sowing carrot seeds ½ to ¾ inches (1.5 to 2 cm.) deep when soil moisture levels are lower.
- Soil density: Root vegetables grow faster in loose, loamy, or sandy soils. To lighten heavy soil in carrot beds, incorporate sand, low-nitrogen compost, wood shavings, shredded leaf mulch, or chopped straw. Avoid adding animal manures as these are often nitrogen-rich.
- Shade: Carrots require six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day. Providing afternoon shade or planting in filtered light can give carrots the amount of light they need while keeping soil temperatures lower during the hottest part of the day. Shade netting is one method of providing filtered light.
- Water levels: Strive to maintain a consistently moist soil in the carrot bed. Watering reduces soil temperature through evaporative cooling.
- Avoid crusty soil: Intense heat and sunlight can quickly evaporate the moisture from the top layers of the ground causing it to form a hard crust. This makes it difficult for root vegetables to penetrate the soil and fully develop. Using a thin layer of sand or vermiculite can keep the top layer of soil from turning crusty.
- Mulch: This not only keeps weeds at bay, but also reduces soil temperatures and retains moisture. Nitrogen-rich mulches promote foliage growth and should be avoided when growing root crops. Instead, try mulching carrots with grass clippings, leaves, or shredded paper.
- Grow heat tolerant carrots: Romance is an orange variety of carrot which is well noted for its heat tolerance. Carrot plants can also be chosen for shorter maturity dates. Nantes are ready to harvest in about 62 days as are Little Finger, a baby carrot variety.
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FAQs
Tips for Warm Weather Carrots
How to grow carrots in hot weather? ›
15 Tips For Growing Carrots in Hot and Arid Desert Climates
- Assess Your Soil. ...
- Remove Rocks. ...
- Loosen Compacted Soil. ...
- Add Compost. ...
- Choose the Right Variety. ...
- Choose Hybrid or Open-Pollinated Seeds. ...
- Use a Precision Seeder or Sow Carefully by Hand. ...
- Set Up Drip Tape or a Soaker Hose at Planting.
Plant seed 1/4" deep, 3 seeds per inch, and thin to 1-2" apart in rows 12" apart. Cover seeds with a fine light soil, and keep soil moist. For planting in blocks, mix seed with dry sand or fine soil, and add some radish seeds to prevent soil crusting and broadcast seeds over a prepared bed.
Can you plant carrots in the summertime? ›
Temperatures above 80°F reduce seed germination. Carrots grow best when temperatures do not exceed 75°F. Temperatures down to 32°F do not seriously damage plants. High summer temperatures reduce growth, decrease quality, and cause bitter or off-flavors to develop.
What are the most heat tolerant carrots? ›
'Romance' is our best variety for the heat of summer. When it's hot and dry, you can also grow shorter, smaller carrot types that mature relatively quickly, such as the Parisian market variety 'Atlas'.
Can carrots grow in 80 degree weather? ›
Growing carrots in the heat of summer is a difficult endeavor. Carrots are a cool-season crop that typically needs between three and four months to reach maturity. They are slow to germinate in cool weather and sprout best when the ambient temperature is around 70 F.
What is the secret to growing good carrots? ›
All carrots need soil that is free of weeds, grass, rocks, sticks and other debris. Another tip for success: Grow your carrots in a raised bed instead of the ground. If you keep your bed about 4 feet wide, you'll be able to reach into it and avoid walking around your plants as they grow, which compacts the soil.
How often should I water carrots? ›
Carrots need about an inch of water per week when young, but as the roots mature, increase water to 2 inches per week. The best way to know if you need to water is to stick your finger in the soil about an inch deep near the plants (but don't disturb the developing roots). If it's moist, there's no need to water.
What kind of fertilizer for carrots? ›
During the growth stage, we advise you avoid nitrogen-based fertilizers because they promote the growth of foliage yet carrots are root vegetables. Instead, find a fertilizer that contains potassium and phosphate. These two nutrients boost root development which will thereby increase carrot yields.
What is the best companion plant for carrots? ›
I always recommend planting chives, garlic, onions, leeks, or shallots next to your carrots and leafy greens. The reason being, these members of the onion plant family have a strong scent that repels pests like aphids and carrot flies. Chives are also said to improve the flavor of carrots growing nearby.
You can actually plant carrots in your garden roughly every three weeks. The perfect time to start planting your carrots is late July to early August, which gives the seeds the best chance of producing carrots in the fall. Note, however, that if you leave them in the ground, their biennial nature will take over.
How long can carrots stay in the ground in summer? ›
Actually, it's a good idea to harvest only as many carrots as you can use and leave the rest in the soil a while longer. The garden is actually the best place to preserve them. Carrots can typically be left in the ground for about 4 weeks once they've matured.
How deep should the soil be for carrots? ›
Seed Depth and Spacing
As a general rule, carrot seeds should be planted about ¼” deep but if you've gently (really, truly be gentle) run your finger up to your nail lightly along the soil, that depth will suffice. Drop a couple of seeds every ½ inch or so.
Can carrots get too much sun? ›
Carrots prefer full sun and relatively cool soil. In a raised bed, neighboring plants will help shade the soil and keep it from getting too hot. Consistent moisture produces the tastiest carrots, so give them about 1" of water per week.
What vegetables do well in extreme heat? ›
If you are gardening in really, really hot climates like Southern Florida, Texas or Arizona, you might want to focus on vegetables that do well in extremely hot weather. Vegetables like corn, okra, eggplant, hot peppers, tomatillos, and even though they aren't vegetables, melons like watermelons and cantaloupes.
What carrot is best for summer? ›
The carrots that are perfect to grow in summer (simply because they grow so fast) are called early carrots. Two of my favorite varieties are Nantes 2 and Harlequin. So if you want to start growing carrots this time of year, then you should avoid any fall and winter varieties. These take a lot longer to grow.
What is the maximum temperature for carrots? ›
Carrots are grown in the tropics where high elevations give cool night temperatures and in temperate regions of the world. Optimum growing temperatures for these crops are 15 to 20 C with a minimum of 5 C and a maximum of 24 C.
Can carrots grow in direct sunlight? ›
Carrots need well-drained, well-cultivated soil. Add a couple inches of compost or well-rotted manure, and a light application of general-purpose fertilizer before planting. Work it into the top 8 to 10 inches of soil. Although carrots tolerate a little shade, they'll be at their sweet, crunchy best in full sunlight.
What temperature can carrots tolerate? ›
Semi-hardy vegetables that can withstand light frost of air temperatures in the range of 28 to 32 degrees include beets, carrots, parsnip, lettuce, chard, garden pea (before flowering), Chinese cabbage, endive, radicchio, cauliflower, parsley and celery.
How many carrots grow from one seed? ›
For every seed you plant, you get exactly one carrot. All right, so now that we've established that you're going to need to plant a lot of carrot seeds, let's look at spacing for your seeds.
