Does anyone know why rows of carrots are supposed to be at least 16″ apart? It’s my first time growing them and that seems like a lot of room.
Does anyone know why rows of carrots are supposed to be at least 16″ apart? It’s my first time growing them and that seems like a lot of room.
by SunshineFloofs
13 Comments
manyamile
Most row spacing information comes from a combination of fertilization schedules and mechanical harvesting guidelines for commercial farming. The same goes for some popular but misguided tips on growth practices.
For example: a lot of people insist on trimming their onions despite the fact that the practice was started to make mechanical planting easier and several research studies back up the fact that doing it reduces overall yield and allows entry points for diseases and pests
Figure out what works best in your field/bed context and the variety you’re growing.
I sow 5 rows of carrots across my 30” beds, about 2” apart in the row.
HorizontalBob
Plant spacing is good. Row spacing is more about getting in there . Imagine a field of carrots 1 inch apart.
gogomom
I have 3′ beds that I sow carrots into densely – 2″ spacing between rows.
I hate weeding carrots, I would MUCH prefer to thin.
dractor_taddy
I plant my rows 4″-6″ apart. I have done the same on a farm, it’s easy to hoe and do a little hand weeding. If there is enough fertility and enough space for each carrot to grow, carrots are fine. I can do about two carrots per inch in row, I like them a little smaller for snacking on.
For mechanical cultivation and mechanical harvest (on a farm scale), 16″ is needed. With wider row spacing, there might be 4-6 carrots per inch in a row (they push out a bit). I hated using the mechanical harvester because pulling carrots by hand never gets old. Just never ending orange (or red, purple, yellow, white) goodness appearing from the soil.
Elrohwen
If you’re growing in a raised bed and don’t need to leave rows for walking in between your crops then ignore the row spacing and only use the plant spacing guidelines.
frankzappalikez2
I have the same question, but for favabeans, how far between rows?
Moderatelysure
You might want to look at John Jeavons’ “How To Grow More Vegetables in Less Space ”, which is about biodynamic growing. He has fabulous charts that show how vegetables can be grown in mixed grids of surprising density by accounting for the above and below ground needs of different plants.
rowan_ash
I never bother with that. I intentionally overplant so that i can thin as they get bigger. I grow in 5 gallon containers.
Invasive-farmer
Charles Dowding’s “multi-sowing” method debunks some “rules”…enjoy!
They are root vegetables, so that’s why spacing is important.
You can plant them closer and thin out as needed. Just have to keep in mind the width when fully grown.
Justryan95
Its so theres enough space between the larger more mature carrots so that they arent in competition with each other for nutrients + water in the soil and for sunlight from their leaves blocking each other out. If you have a raised bed and actively water then it really doesn’t become an issue but sunlight competition might still be a thing and physical space to actually get thiccc.
BVPS4610
I’ve been growing carrots for a few years in raised beds. I plant/thin them to 3″ apart and they are fine and healthy..the seed packs use those guidelines for farmers..no way do you need 16 ” apart rows even on ground growing..make sure the ground I’d ro ck and clump gree ,fertilized too w all purpose fertilizer and you’ll be fine ,happy growing
13 Comments
Most row spacing information comes from a combination of fertilization schedules and mechanical harvesting guidelines for commercial farming. The same goes for some popular but misguided tips on growth practices.
For example: a lot of people insist on trimming their onions despite the fact that the practice was started to make mechanical planting easier and several research studies back up the fact that doing it reduces overall yield and allows entry points for diseases and pests
Figure out what works best in your field/bed context and the variety you’re growing.
I sow 5 rows of carrots across my 30” beds, about 2” apart in the row.
Plant spacing is good. Row spacing is more about getting in there . Imagine a field of carrots 1 inch apart.
I have 3′ beds that I sow carrots into densely – 2″ spacing between rows.
I hate weeding carrots, I would MUCH prefer to thin.
I plant my rows 4″-6″ apart. I have done the same on a farm, it’s easy to hoe and do a little hand weeding. If there is enough fertility and enough space for each carrot to grow, carrots are fine. I can do about two carrots per inch in row, I like them a little smaller for snacking on.
For mechanical cultivation and mechanical harvest (on a farm scale), 16″ is needed. With wider row spacing, there might be 4-6 carrots per inch in a row (they push out a bit). I hated using the mechanical harvester because pulling carrots by hand never gets old. Just never ending orange (or red, purple, yellow, white) goodness appearing from the soil.
If you’re growing in a raised bed and don’t need to leave rows for walking in between your crops then ignore the row spacing and only use the plant spacing guidelines.
I have the same question, but for favabeans, how far between rows?
You might want to look at John Jeavons’ “How To Grow More Vegetables in Less Space ”, which is about biodynamic growing. He has fabulous charts that show how vegetables can be grown in mixed grids of surprising density by accounting for the above and below ground needs of different plants.
I never bother with that. I intentionally overplant so that i can thin as they get bigger. I grow in 5 gallon containers.
Charles Dowding’s “multi-sowing” method debunks some “rules”…enjoy!
https://youtu.be/roxdgQ4xeVQ?si=VEc-6Ln3k5hLziJd
They are root vegetables, so that’s why spacing is important.
You can plant them closer and thin out as needed. Just have to keep in mind the width when fully grown.
Its so theres enough space between the larger more mature carrots so that they arent in competition with each other for nutrients + water in the soil and for sunlight from their leaves blocking each other out. If you have a raised bed and actively water then it really doesn’t become an issue but sunlight competition might still be a thing and physical space to actually get thiccc.
I’ve been growing carrots for a few years in raised beds. I plant/thin them to 3″ apart and they are fine and healthy..the seed packs use those guidelines for farmers..no way do you need 16 ” apart rows even on ground growing..make sure the ground I’d ro ck and clump gree ,fertilized too w all purpose fertilizer and you’ll be fine ,happy growing
They don’t need to be that far apart