When to plant or sow Carrot?

Carrots thrive in full sun and prefer light, well-drained soil—loam or sandy soil is ideal. Heavy clay causes roots to fork and split, so if your soil is dense, work in plenty of sharp sand or grow carrots in raised beds or containers filled with a light, sieved compost. Before sowing, remove all stones and break up any clods; carrots need a fine, crumbly tilth to develop straight, smooth roots. Avoid adding fresh manure or high-nitrogen fertiliser, which encourages leafy growth at the expense of roots and can cause forking. Sow directly outdoors from March through to June for successive harvests. Carrot seed is tiny, so sow thinly in drills about 1 cm deep, spacing rows roughly 20 cm apart. Cover lightly with soil and water gently. Germination takes two to three weeks and can be slow in cold soil, so wait until the ground has warmed a little in early spring. For an earlier start, warm the soil under cloches for a week or two before sowing. Once seedlings emerge and develop their first true leaves, thin them to about 5 cm apart, then thin again a few weeks later to a final spacing of around 10 cm. Thinning is essential—crowded carrots produce small, twisted roots. Thin in the evening and water afterwards to settle soil around remaining seedlings and minimise scent, which can attract carrot fly. Remove thinnings from the plot entirely. Water the row well after sowing and keep the soil consistently moist until seedlings are established, then reduce watering frequency but never let the soil dry out completely, as erratic moisture causes roots to crack.