How to Grow Carrots in Straw
Carrots are a cool-season, biennial vegetable known for its orange color and tasty texture. It is high in vitamins and fiber, making it a nutritious addition to the diet. Although traditionally grown in soil, it is possible to grow carrots, among other vegetables, in a straw bale. Growing in straw allows you to grow where you do not have adequate soil, or a soil that is rich enough in nutrients to support the carrot root. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Water your wheat straw bales until they are soaking. Water more than once over if it is hot outside. The bales heat up during this time. Allow the bales to cool for five to seven days before planting.
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Pull any sprouting wheat seeds from the bales.
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Set the bales horizontally around your gardening area.
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Rough the surface of the bale with a pitchfork to create texture. Insert the pitchfork several inches into the bale from the top to loosen the hay and make room for the carrot roots.
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Apply a 3-inch layer of compost on the top of the wheat bale.
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Seed rows spaced 12 to 18 inches apart with carrot seed at a depth of 1/4 inch. Cover the seeds with compost. Water the compost to keep it from drying out until the seed emerges from the soil.
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Thin the seedlings so that they are 1 inch apart.
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Apply straw to the layer of compost once the plants are established.
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Water until the carrots are finger sized -- usually in 50 to 60 days. They are now ready to harvest.
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Tips & Warnings
Store carrots in the refrigerator or in a cool cellar, layered in sand in a cardboard box. Carrots can keep for up to six weeks when stored properly.
Straw bales can last two seasons if tied with synthetic twine.
Straw bales may be too tightly compacted to grow long carrots -- stick to round or baby cultivars, like Thumbelina or Short and Sweet.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
