Grow Your Own Carrotsby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 30 Mar 2007 04:56 AM
One of the great things about carrots is that you can harvest them as you need them. There is no need to pull your carrots all at once. You can keep them in the ground right through the Fall, if you like. This eliminates waste and makes growing your own carrots for food a very frugal thing to do. Don't be afraid to put in a large crop of carrots this year. Here are some basics to growing your own carrots. Carrots can tolerate cooler weather and can be put in during the early spring after the danger of frost has past, somewhere around April 15th, for most climates. They thrive the best in a soil temperature of between 60 and 70 degrees, but they will do well in a warmer soil, as long as they are given adequate water. Carrots, like other root vegetables, like deep, loose soil. A raised bed is the idea environment for carrots. If the soil is too rocky or heavy, the carrots, which are really the root of the plant, will start to fork off. The soil should be moist but well drained. Carrots don't like acid soil, so test the pH of the soil and adjust it accordingly. You can apply lime if needed. The optimal pH for carrots is between 6 and 6.5. Fertilize, but don't get one of those weed and feed types of fertilizers. The weed killer will also kill the carrots. And, since you are going to be eating the carrots, it isn't a good idea to use any sort of chemical pesticide or weed killer. Weed by hand or try using vinegar if needed. Carrots should be sown directly into the soil. You can try to or three planting spaced a couple of weeks apart, so that you always have some fresh baby carrots ready to harvest. For watering, always soak the soil well. Carrots need at least an inch of water a week. You can probably get away with watering once a week, as long as your soil isn't sandy. Happy growing! Related Articles: Using Egg Cartons in The Garden Frugal Gardening: Can You Use Store Bought Produce for Seeds? Frugal Gardening: Make Your Own Seed-Starting Pots Decorating Your Outdoor Space with Found Objects Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags carrots, Food, frugal, gardening Discuss this article
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If you want to save money, try growing your own food. It is a great frugal practice that will help you save on your grocery bill. If you have never grown your own food before, you can try your hand at carrots. They are pretty easy to grow and can be harvested as needed. Carrots are also very nutritious and can be used in a variety of dishes or just eaten raw. 
