• Careful soil preparation is the key to successful carrots. Carrots like light, sandy loam that's fine in texture and rich in organic matter. They need a soil that is loose and free of rocks to grow straight roots. Rocky soil or too much nitrogen can cause forked roots.
• Sow seed thinly in rows, 1cm (1/2 in.) deep, 30-40cm (12-16 in.) between the rows as soon as the danger of hard frost has passed. Try to get about 4 seeds per 2cm (1 in.).
• Carrot seeds will germinate when temperatures are as low as 40°F (4°C), but temperatures of 50°-85°F (10°-29°C) are preferable.
• Carrots are slow to germinate and may take 1-3 weeks to emerge. One trick is to plant a few radish seeds in the furrow along with the carrot seeds to mark the row. Radishes pop up quickly and can be harvested just after the carrots break through the soil.
• Carrots can be sown every three weeks until midsummer for a continuous harvest. Plant a final sowing 85 to 100 days before first frost for an autumn crop.

Thin to 16-20 carrots per 30 cm (1ft.) for fresh eating whilst small and 6-10 carrots per 30 cm (1ft.) for mid season crops, depending on the root size you want, and keep weeded and watered.

Grow Spring Onions next to carrots as the smell of the onion helps deter Carrot Fly

Ideal crop for children to grow

Carrots prefer light sandy soils so if your garden earth is on the light side you will have no problem. If you garden on clay or stony land then your carrots will always struggle. You will not fail so long as you are careful which varieties you choose - round or stumpy rooted types will succeed practically anywhere, whereas long rooted, tapering types will faulter. Carrots do well in containers. Choose pots which are at least 12 inches deep and give them good drainage. Use potting compost and keep them moist at all times.

Quantity - 1000 seeds