How to grow carrots in Perth

It is super easy to grow carrots in Perth! There are so many different varieties to choose from, including baby, purple, yellow and even round carrots! They can be used in so many ways – eaten crunchy and fresh on their own or mixed into yummy salads or baked with a little honey and served with a roast.

Many people ask if it’s worth growing carrots at home when they are so cheap in the shops but I prefer to eat food I’ve grown myself and know what chemicals have been used in their production. Growing carrots in Perth is actually pretty easy – so long as you take account of a few golden rules.

When to plant carrots in Perth:
Carrot seeds can be sown all year around, however,  in the cooler months as they need to be sown close to the surface and the soil must be kept wet consistently to enable germination. So when is the best time to sow Carrot seeds in Perth, Western Australia? March – November. The best time to plant carrot seeds is at the start of a rainy week. Overcast, rainy conditions helps to keep the soil moist and the temperature moderate, which are the perfect conditions for germinating carrot seeds.

The mild winters and hot summers with cooling sea breezes, together with sandy soils in coastal areas of south-western Australia provide an ideal environment for year-round carrot production at a commercial scale.

Types of carrots in Western Australia:
My favourite carrots to grow in Perth are Purple Dragon and Royal Chantenay, but here is a bigger list of common carrot varieties available in Perth, WA.

Carrot Topweight – One of the most popular of all carrots. Vigorous growing with long fleshy deep orange roots. Rich in carotene and Vitamin A.
Carrot Manchester Table – Easily grown to 20cm in length, these cylindrical carrots are popular for their crisp, sweet, deep orange flesh.
Carrot All Seasons – A large, superbly crunchy and vigorous variety. Popular and easy to grow. Rich in Vitamin A and carotene.
Baby Carrot – A superb, crisp, sweet variety. Quick to grow, rich in Vitamin A and carotene. Great for containers.
Carrot Majestic Red – Bred for Australian and New Zealand conditions. Has excellent colour, flavour and adapts to most climatic regions. Produces a heavy yield of strong tapering roots. Very crunchy!
Carrot Western Red – A long, smooth, tapering carrot.  A very vigorous grower with excellent colour and flavour. A hardy variety bred for Australian and New Zealand conditions.
Carrot Purple – Produces 20cm roots with a smooth purple coloured skin and coreless orange flesh. Sweet and tasty, the purple colouring remains after cooking. Tops grow to 45cm.
Purple Dragon – Beautiful reddish purple exterior with amazing contrasting yellow orange interior. Sweet almost spicy flavour.
Royal Chantenay – Large diameter root sweet fine flesh, suited for heavy soils, good for winter storage.

How to grow carrots at home:

1. Choose a sunny spot in the garden, loosen the soil with a garden fork and dig in soil improver and plant fertiliser. Ensure you dig around the soil really well and break up any hard pieces or stones, otherwise the carrots might grow into some weird shapes to avoid these!
2. Sow seeds around 6mm deep and 50mm apart. Cover, firm down and moisten.
3. Water regularly to keep soil moist and thin seedlings after 4 weeks – gently pull out weak seedlings, leaving the healthiest in place.
4. Feed weekly with liquid plant food.
5. Sow successive crops at 4 – 5 weekly intervals.

How to grow carrots in a pot:
Not all carrots will be happy in pots, so look for baby and smaller varieties.

1. Choose troughs or containers that are at least 300mm deep and 400-600mm wide and position in a sunny spot.
2. Fill with potting mix with dynamic lifter. Sow seed around 6mm deep and 50mm apart.  Cover, firm down and moisten.
3. Water regularly to keep soil moist and thin seedlings after 4 weeks – gently pull out weak seedlings, leaving the healthiest in place.
4. Feed weekly with liquid plant food.
5.  Sow successive crops at 4-5 weekly intervals.

When to harvest carrots:
Harvest your carrots after 12 to 18 weeks after planting.  Gently pull your carrots from the soil when the reach the desired size. Carrots can be harvested at any stage, depending on which size carrots you prefer. Smaller varieties will obviously mature quicker. Carrots can continue to be harvested from the ground as needed. It is important to not leave your carrots in the soil for too long or they can start to become woody and lose their lovely sweet taste.

Storing carrots at home:
Place carrots in the coolest place in your refrigerator. Remove the tops, which can be also used for salads, but only last up to a week. Once you have cleaned the carrots, wrap them in damp paper towels. Storing fresh carrots this way can last for around a month.

Carrots plant care and common problems:
Pest and disease problems are almost non-existent for carrots apart from the carrot fly. Carrot flies lay their eggs in the young seedlings and their larvae eat and tunnel their way through the growing root. They can be deterred by using plenty of compost.

Carrots, like coriander, can bolt, which means they have a tendency to run to seed before producing their roots, generally when unusually cool weather is experienced in early spring.

Notes:
The trick to ‘straight’ carrots is to keep the soil moist, but not wet, otherwise the carrots will rot.

Check out our other how to grow in Perth guides:

• Growing broad beans in Perth
• Growing broccoli in Perth
• Growing cauliflower in Perth