According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the first frost in our region usually comes in late October — roughly October 20. That still gives us plenty of time to enjoy a crop that many backyard gardeners tend to overlook in autumn — carrots. Depending on the variety, carrots can take anywhere from 45-70 days to grow, so it’s important to watch your timing when selecting a seed stock. Some of the more colorful varieties, like High Mowing’s Cosmic Purple or Starburst Blend need the full 70 days. That means your seeds will have to go in the ground within the next week to get your harvest in before the first frost. The Napoli variety, which our customers will remember from spring shares, takes less time to mature (45-55 days), meaning that you could even get more than one harvest in before the season is over.

Once you’ve chosen a variety, you’ll need to prepare your soil. Carrots do best in loose, sandy where their roots can easily push down into the Earth. You should also select an area in your garden that gets full sun.

When you sow carrot seeds, you’ll want them just below the surface (only about 1/4 inch). Try to sow the seeds evenly so you don’t have to thin them out as much when they grow. While your carrots are germinating, you’ll need to keep the soil moist with gentle watering. The Farmer’s Almanac recommends putting a fine layer of vermiculite or compost over the seeds so that the soil does not get a crust — if that happens, the delicate seedlings will struggle to break the surface and may fail to take off.

If the area where you plant your carrots is too sunny to retain the right amount of moisture, you can shade your carrots with a bit of shade cloth. If you don’t have shade cloth, you can use old window screens, burlap, or fine netting. This article, from I Dig Organics, has some great tips on alternative shade cloth options for the home gardener.

Once the seeds germinate (it can take 2-3 weeks, so be patient), you’ll want to gradually increase watering. As the roots take hold, you’ll want to work your way up to watering with about 1 gallon of water per square foot until the plants mature. Our how-to article from last month, “Water Like a Pro,” has some great tips to help make the most of your watering.

Finally, you’ll be ready to harvest when your carrots are about 1/2 inch in diameter. Remember that smaller carrots have better flavor and try to avoid leaving them so long that they become woody and tasteless. If you do get a frost once the plants are established, this can even help the flavor. In advance of a hard frost, simply cover the carrot tops with a thick layer of shredded leaves and you should be able to keep your harvest going until you’ve gotten them all.

The Coleman Family