Homegrown vegetables taste so much better. And most aren’t difficult to grow. In this article, we answer common questions about growing carrots in the UK.
Carrots are healthy and should be part of anyone’s diet. They contain many nutrients, including vitamins, carotenoids, and polyphenols.
They can help keep our skin healthy, boost our immune system, and even contain compounds that could prevent cancer. (Motegaonkar et al., 2024)
On top of that, they taste delicious and are very versatile. So if you don’t grow them yet, you should definitely give it a go.
And to help you along, we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers.
Is It Easy To Grow Carrots In The UK?
Yes, is the simple answer. Carrots are one of the easiest crops to grow. They don’t need much looking after and don’t take up much space.
So even if you only have a small garden, you can have the delicious taste of homegrown carrots. They also grow well in pots, as long as the container is high enough.
Because you sow carrot seeds directly into the bed, rather than starting them off indoors, they’re a great vegetable to grow for beginners.
All you have to do is water them sparingly, as overwatering will lead to small carrots. And that’s it. Very easy! Carrots also grow very fast: you can harvest them about 12 weeks after sowing.
When Is The Best Time To Sow Carrot Seeds In The UK?
This will depend on two things: the variety and the weather. Early varieties, such as Early Nantes 5, you can start sowing as soon as February. Although it would be advised to put cloches over the seeds to protect them from frost.
Most other varieties can be sown from March to July. However, if we get a cold snap in March, it might be best to defer sowing until it’s over.
There is also a difference depending on where in the UK you are. Further up north, where it stays cold for longer, you might have to wait until April.
While down south, the weather might be warm enough at the start of March.
Top Tip: Check the packet instructions and keep a close eye on the weather in your area.
You can start your carrots off in containers in a propagator in a greenhouse, under a cold frame, or even on a sunny windowsill.
Then you can start sowing a bit earlier. Just keep in mind that carrots grow their roots downwards, so make sure you pot them on into deeper pots if the weather doesn’t allow for planting out.
You can find details on growing instructions in our ultimate carrot growing guide.
When Can You Harvest Carrots In The UK?
Again, this will depend on the variety and when you have sown the seeds. Generally, it takes around 12 to 20 weeks from sowing to harvest.
Some varieties will be ready to harvest faster than others, so make sure to check the seed packet.
If you want to have a continuous supply of carrots, sow every few weeks between March and July, and you will have carrots throughout the growing season.
To know if your carrots are ready, check if the root that pokes out of the soil is orange, red, black, or yellow, depending on the variety.
Once the root is no longer green, it can be eaten.
Why Are My Carrots So Short?
This is a question I have asked myself a lot when I first started growing carrots. Of course, sometimes the reason is the variety. Smaller varieties, such as the Rondo, won’t grow big.
But if it has nothing to do with the variety, it’s probably a watering issue. While carrots need watering, if they get watered too much, they won’t grow big, long roots.
The way carrots work is that they store water in their roots to ensure the foliage has enough water to grow. If water is abundant, there is no need to grow big, long roots.
So if you find your carrots are small and short, try watering them less. Carrots don’t need watering every day, unless it’s really hot and sunny.
Since I have figured this out, my carrots are the perfect size.
Of course, growing carrots in the UK means that you might not have much choice of how much water they get. During a wet summer, you might have to accept that your carrots will be shorter.
Can you regrow carrots from carrot tops?
Yes, however, you can only regrow the carrot plant, as in the green part, not the actual carrot.
Did you know that you can eat the green leaves of the carrot plant? It’s not only delicious, but also full of vitamins and minerals. There is an urban myth going around that carrot greens are poisonous, but that is just not true.
There are a lot of things you can do with the greens:
- Sauté them in a pan with some oil with other greens
- Blanch them in water with other vegetables
- Add them to your soup or stock
- Make a carrot top pesto with them
So now that you know what to do with the greens, how do you regrow them from carrot tops? It’s simple, really. There are three methods, but by far the easiest is regrowing in water. So we have included it here in our carrot planting guide.
Just cut off the top of a supermarket-bought carrot, about 2.5cm (1 inch). Fill a small glass with water. Don’t use a glass you want to reuse later, as it might get mineral stains.
Then insert a wooden toothpick into each side of the carrot top and put it into the glass of water. The toothpicks will keep the top balanced on top of the glass, allowing the stump to slightly touch the water.
Place the glass in a light place, but out of direct sunlight and keep the water level the same. Soon roots will start to sprout from the bottom of the carrot top. At this point, you can transplant the stump into soil to grow a healthy plant.
Carrot plants will eventually produce lovely white flowers, so they are great as ornamental plants too.
Can I grow carrots in containers?
The short answer is yes, you can grow carrots in containers. But you have to use the right container, because carrots grow down, you need a good depth.
Before we moved to a house with a big garden, I used these carrot planter bags and they were great.
And once you have finished, you can just clean them and store them away easily.
Whichever container you choose, make sure it has a depth of around 30cm and drainage holes. To ensure your drainage holes won’t get blocked by the soil, start off with a layer of gravel.
- No digging required
- Designed to be easy to use
- Quality product from Haxnicks
Then add your compost. You can use a mix of compost and sand (50/50), which will help with drainage and will also make the soil lighter, which will help the carrots grow straight.
Lay a thin layer of compost on top, and then add your seeds, followed by another thin layer of compost. Water and look forward to the seedlings appearing.
Soil in containers will dry out quicker than in the ground, so you need to make sure you water your carrots regularly to keep the soil moist, but not wet.
There are some varieties that grow better in containers than others, such as Chantenay, Nandor or Round carrots, as they are shorter.
Why didn’t my carrot seeds germinate?
Although growing carrots in the UK is easy, you might encounter this issue.
The first reason could be that the seeds were planted in soil that was too cold. While carrots need cool temperatures to germinate, the soil shouldn’t be below 7°C. The ideal germination temperature for carrot seeds is 10°C, which should cause them to germinate within 10 days.
Another reason could be that the seeds were planted too deep. Plant your carrot seeds about 2cm deep to ensure they germinate.
Seeds also rot if they are too wet, so make sure that you don’t overwater them.
We hope our carrot planting guide has given you all the answers you were looking for, and you are now ready to grow and enjoy your own carrots.
How do I best store my freshly harvested carrots?
Root vegetables like carrots, swedes, beetroot and celeriac will lose moisture if not stored correctly, which causes them to shrivel up. So you have to store them in a moist environment. There are two options:
First, make sure you only store carrots that are in perfect condition and not damaged in any way. Ones that might look a bit odd or damaged, you best eat fresh.
Also, leaving your carrots in the ground could risk pests and diseases getting to them.
However, if you are living in a cold region (with prolonged subzero temperatures), you are better off storing your carrots indoors. Equally, if you live in a region that has very mild winters, where the temperatures are not low enough to keep the carrots from growing, you should also consider storing indoors. If the carrots keep growing, they will become woody and tough.
You can leave your carrots in the ground until you need them. Just cover them with a layer of straw, mulch, cardboard, or bracken and fix it with some netting or horticultural fleece. Protected in such a way, they should keep until March of the next year.
Storing your carrots in the fridge
Small quantities can easily be stored in the fridge, as long as you have the space.
Ideal storing conditions for carrots in a fridge are just above 0°C and they need 95% humidity. Mine, and most probably your, fridge will be warmer and also drier than this. But if you prepare your freshly harvested carrots in the right way, you can still store them for 2-3 months in your fridge.
Here is how to prepare them:
- Don’t wash the carrots, just shake off most of the soil. It might sound odd, but leaving on some soil will help prevent them from rotting
- Leave them out to dry for several hours, but no longer than half a day, ideally in the sun
- Cut off the green top close to the root
Then put your carrots in a single layer in a zip-top freezer bag, then seal the bag, removing all the air. Store them in the vegetable drawer or on a shelf. This method should keep them fresh for a minimum of one month and up to 2-3 months.
Storing carrots in a box
Prepare your carrots as mentioned above. Get a box and put a layer of about 5 cm (1 inch) of moist sand in it, and layer your carrots on top. Add more moist sand and keep layering until you have buried all your crops in the sand.
Then place the box, or boxes, in a cool, dark place, such as a shed or cellar. Make sure you keep the location frost-free, as frost can damage the root vegetables.
Check on your carrots from time to time to make sure the sand hasn’t dried out to avoid your carrots shriveling up. This method will keep your carrots fresh for up to 6 months, depending on how close you can get to just above 0°C and 95% humidity.
