Back to growing guides 
VegetablesHardyBiennial
Carrot
Carrot is a classic direct-sown root crop grown for sweet crisp roots that can be eaten young, stored for winter or lifted as needed from the bed. It suits open ground and deep containers, and rewards regular sowings with a long harvest season.
Basic information
Category
Vegetables
Lifecycle
Biennial
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
10 companions · 2 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
90 days
Germination window
10–21 days
Germination temperature
7–24 °C
Plant spacing
5 cm
Row spacing
25 cm
Sowing depth
1 cm
Height
50 cm
Spread
20 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Sow carrots into stone-free soil that has not been freshly manured, because rich lumpy ground encourages forking. Thin carefully if needed, water to maintain steady growth, and use insect mesh in areas where carrot root fly is a known problem.
Common pests
Carrot root fly, slugs, wireworm, cavity spot.
