Carrots are a relatively easy option when it comes to choices for your vegetable gardening plans, but it's not always easy to determine exactly when these veggies are ready to harvest. They grow underground, after all, unlike some plants that grow along a vine or that otherwise allow you to watch the growing process.
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So, how can you be sure it's the right time to harvest carrots? We can help you determine how to pick your fresh carrots at just the right time, whether you're growing them in raised beds in your garden or a container on your porch.
What's the Best Time for Harvesting Carrots?
First of all, to be successful when you've decided it's time to grow carrots, it's a good idea to make sure to use loose garden soil and to thin when they're little seedlings after you've sown your carrot seeds from a seed packet or other source. They grow best in cool weather, so you should plan to plant them in early spring and be ready to harvest carrots during early summer. Alternatively, you can plant carrot seeds in late summer for a fall or early winter harvest.
Another way to determine the best growing season and the best time to harvest carrots is to pay attention to your carrot variety. Baby carrots are often ready to harvest 50 to 60 days after their planting date, but mature carrots often take a little longer. Germination of these root vegetables also takes a little while, but it's all worth it once you see those green tops pop up and the carrot roots take hold.
To avoid discoloration, it's a good idea to cover up carrot roots with mulch when you see them peek out from the soil. Once the roots — or top of the carrot — are about 1/2 inch in diameter or more, they're probably ready, but be sure to consult your seed packet and any guides to your carrot variety to be sure.
When it's time to pull up your carrots, make sure there isn't dry or super heavy soil surrounding the plants. Moist soil is best for harvesting, and will better allow you to loosen the soil around carrots with a garden fork or your hands before freeing them from your garden.
And there you have it! As long as you know what you're doing when it comes to harvesting these plants, you should end up with your very own fresh carrots when the time is right.
