Carrots

Select Your Climate

Learn more about climate zones

Carrots need an open free-draining soil for their taproots to penetrate deep and straight. Break up dirt clods and improve the natural soil structure by regularly feeding with compost.

Likes: Deep, friable soil with good drainage; sunshine.

Dislikes: Being transplanted.

When to plant/sow in a warm temperate zone: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr

How to start: Sow seeds directly into moist soil. Thin seedlings so plants about 5cm apart.

How to grow: Keep moist to ensure sweet, succulent roots.

When to harvest: Pull up carrots from 1cm wide (baby) to 2.5cm wide (fully mature). Use a garden fork to loosen surrounding soil if necessary.

Pests and diseases: Carrot fly

Suppliers: The Diggers Club, Garden Express

Freshly picked carrots of a variety of colours.

Vegetables

Grow your own root vegies for winter

Karen Sutherland suggests some super-nourishing root vegies for you to plant during this winter from carrots to sugar beets

Bottles tomatoes all ready to be put aside for winter.

Preserving & fermented

Storing harvests for winter

Linda Cockburn writes about different ways to preserve your summer harvests, such as tomatoes, so you can keep on enjoying the results of all your hard work in winter.