Roots of orange
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas|Issue #18.2
One of the most popular and health-giving of veggies, carrots are a must for the garden and the plate
Jennifer Stackhouse
Roots of orange

CARROT

Common name: Carrot

Botanical name: Daucus carota

Family: Apiaceae (carrot family)

Aspect and soil: Sun; deep, well-drained soil

Best climate: All

Habit: Biennial, grown as an annual root vegetable

Propagation: Seed

Difficulty: Easy

Carrot growing has had a real shot in the arm in recent years, with the availability of carrots in many colours. While there’s nothing wrong with traditional orange carrots — indeed, there’s lots of good in a carrot — adding yellow, white and tones of red and purple to the carrot colour palette has turned them from ho-hum to very exciting and fashionable.

SOIL PREPARATION, CLIMATE

The best-shaped and most flavoursome carrots are harvested from deep friable soil that’s free of stones, clods and added organic matter. A deep, sandy loam produces long, straight carrots, whatever colour you plant. When preparing soil, dig it over to at least a spade’s depth as that’s the depth the roots penetrate. In very acid soils (below 5.5), dig in a little lime.

Take care, however, not to incorporate lots of organic matter such as compost or fresh manure where carrots are to grow. There is a link between excess organic matter and forking of carrots. A good option is to sow seeds in soil that was fertilised for a previous crop, such as a leafy vegetable. Alternatively, dig in an organic fertiliser other than manure several weeks before sowing seed.

Carrots can be grown in all climates, but for success it’s important to get timing right. In the tropics and subtropics, sow carrots in late summer or autumn to grow through the dry season. In cooler zones, carrot seed is sown from late winter to summer for an autumn to winter harvest.

This story is from the Issue #18.2 edition of Backyard & Garden Design Ideas.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue #18.2 edition of Backyard & Garden Design Ideas.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BACKYARD & GARDEN DESIGN IDEASView All
SEEING GREEN
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

SEEING GREEN

This garden design took the challenge of a sloping site and transformed it into a tropical, green oasis

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue #18.2
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Edible plants tend to be thirsty, but it is possible to grow healthy, flavoursome veggies without over-taxing your water supply

time-read
9 mins  |
Issue #18.2
Roots of orange
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Roots of orange

One of the most popular and health-giving of veggies, carrots are a must for the garden and the plate

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue #18.2
Heart of stone
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Heart of stone

What’s more beautiful than a material formed over thousands of years by nature?

time-read
1 min  |
Issue #18.2
BLOOMING FABULOUS
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

BLOOMING FABULOUS

A combination of formal, fun, and cottage, this delightful garden in Brisbane mixes it up with magnificent results

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue #18.2
GET A ROOM!
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

GET A ROOM!

Since living, working and entertaining at home is becoming the norm, exploring the creation of outdoor “rooms” in our backyards provides plenty of scope for imagination

time-read
10+ mins  |
Issue #18.2
Alligator pear
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Alligator pear

That’s just one of the many names for the large, luxurious berry we know and love as avocado

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue #18.2
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Eat, Play, Love

This urban oasis is filled with a diverse blend of productive plants and natives, a unique haven that continues to evolve

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue #18.1
The Plant Sage Behind - The Plant Society
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

The Plant Sage Behind - The Plant Society

Jason Chongue is a veritable celebrity in the plant world — and taking a walk through his foliage-filled home, you can see why!

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue #18.1
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas

Funky Wooden Features Bring This Space To Life

This Coogee property was given a new life with creative wooden solutions and an injection of tropical-inspired greenery, creating that holiday experience right in the backyard

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue #18.1