How many days does it take for carrots to sprout out of the soil?

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, in addition to vitamins C, K, B6, potassium, folic acid and fiber. The growth cycle of carrots is relatively long, usually taking 2-3 months from sowing to harvesting. Let’s learn how many days it takes for carrots to sprout and emerge from the soil?

How many days does it take for carrots to sprout out of the soil?

It usually takes 7-14 days for carrots to germinate from the ground. This time may be affected by many factors such as temperature, soil moisture, variety characteristics and planting management techniques.

Carrot sowing time and method

1. Choose high-quality seeds

Selecting appropriate varieties is a key step in increasing yield. Due to the wide variety of seeds, high-quality varieties suitable for local planting should be selected according to local climatic conditions and planting habits, rather than purchasing seeds at random. The yield difference between different varieties may be very large. Under the same management conditions, the yield of high-quality varieties may reach tens of thousands of kilograms per mu, while ordinary varieties may only have a few thousand kilograms. The difference may be twice or even more. Therefore, varieties should be carefully selected before planting to avoid blind planting.

2. Land Selection and Preparation

Carrots prefer loose, fertile, deep sandy soil , which is rich in organic matter. Heavy, compacted soil is not suitable for planting as it can easily lead to bifurcated fleshy roots, increased lateral roots, rough outer skin and increased crude fiber, affecting yield and quality. Carrots grown in sandy soil are usually large, tender, and smooth-skinned.

Before plowing, sufficient decomposed organic fertilizer should be applied, and then deep plowing should be carried out. The depth of plowing should be more than 20 cm to facilitate the growth of fleshy roots.

3. Timely sowing

Carrots have strict requirements on sowing time. Sowing too early may cause the fleshy roots to become loose in texture, while sowing too late will make it difficult for the fleshy roots to expand. There is a saying: "Seven is big, eight is small, and nine is nailed", which means that carrots planted in July are big, those planted in August are small, and those planted in September hardly grow. Planting in the northern region generally begins in mid-July, while in the southern region the sowing time should be arranged according to local climatic conditions. Carrots are usually sown in rows or broadcast, covered with about 1 cm of soil after sowing, and covered with straw, stalks, etc. to keep the soil moist. Remove the covering on the third day from sowing, when the seedlings are basically out.

4. Seedling Management

In the early stage of carrot seedlings, the root system has not yet formed fibrous roots and has only one taproot. It is neither drought-resistant nor water-resistant. Therefore, appropriate moisture must be maintained during the seedling stage. It should not be lacking in water nor too wet, otherwise it will be detrimental to growth. Thinning should be carried out 2-3 times during the seedling stage, and the spacing between rows and plants should be determined according to the variety when finalizing the seedlings.

5. Reasonable control of water

Sufficient water is needed in the seedling stage, but the water needs to be controlled after the seedlings are established to encourage the root system to develop deep, which is beneficial to the expansion of the fleshy roots in the later stage. The water control time is about one week, after which fermented human feces or urea is applied in combination with watering, and the second and third top dressings are carried out after half a month. During the period of fleshy root expansion, apply appropriate amounts of potassium fertilizer to promote root tuber expansion and sugar conversion.

In summary, there are certain differences in the germination and emergence speed of different varieties of carrots. Some early maturing varieties may only take about 7 days to emerge, while some late maturing varieties may take longer.