Home grown crops taste so much better than ones you get in the supermarket, as they are fresher and harvested just before cooking, and summer is a great time to get growing fresh ingredients. Many crops can be sown and planted directly outside in July due to the warm soil, and longer days of sunshine.
However, just as great as it is, July is often the last month that gardeners can grow certain fruits and vegetables ahead of the harvest season. Gardeners should therefore make the most of the remaining days of the month to grow this one vegetable that is a favourite in many households.
Home-grown carrots are great for two main reasons – they are full of flavour and there is much more of a variety to grow at home compared to what you can get in the supermarket. x
Gardeners have the options of orange, purple, yellow, and white carrots, along with rounded ones that are best suited to growing pots.
According to Gardeners’ World’s calender, July is the last month to sow carrots seeds. Fortunately, growing carrots is simple.
Gardeners should make a seed drill that is about a centimetre deep using the edge of a hoe or trowel. Sow the seeds thinly along the bottom of the drill about five to eight centimetres apart – being careful not to grow the carrots too close together.
Cover the seed with a thin layer of sieved soil, and water it well using a watering can with a rose attached.
The vegetable can also grow “better” in containers, as “carrots can be difficult to grow in heavy or stony soil”. Gardeners’ World explained the easy method of growing carrots in a pot.
It states: “Fill your carrot planter with sifted garden soil or a loam-based compost. Water the compost first and allow to drain, and then sow carrot seeds thinly, covering lightly with sieved soil.”
Carrots are great crops as they do not require much care. Gardeners should just ensure that the soil around is kept weed free, and they are watered occasionally, as you want the roots to grow long because the roots will get everything they need near the soil’s surface.