Frugal gardening with carrots s a good place to start. Carrots are easy to plant, and yield a fairly good harvest. Carrots are a good vegetable to add into a garden of zucchini which is self-growing, pumpkins that are also a strong plant and tomatoes. All of these plants rank in the low maintenance category for me.
My first year that I tried carrots they did not even grow. The second year some grew, some did not. Along the way of my frugal gardening journey I have picked up some tips and tricks to help me try the next year. One of the best tips that I took from someone else is a garden journal.
My garden journal has become so handy as a reference tool. All of my summer growing season activities are listed, and ideas to try for the next year. Included are plants that did not work, weeding tips that I found useful or picked up somewhere, and finally how much I watered my garden.
If the season has been especially dry, like this year I had to water every day. Next, I marked the days that were rainy, and calculate how many were in a row for the week. Water plays a big part with carrots. They cannot get too dry.
Spring Seedlings
Carrots will grow great in a homemade newspaper pot . We live in a state that is cold until about May. Our last frost this year was at the end of May. That was recorded so that I know what to look out for in the next year, and how to protect my seedlings.
To plant seedlings in the spring I used a storage tub and turned it upside down. Inside of the tub created a greenhouse effect. Condensation did build up inside, but kept the temperature regulated. Using the clear storage tub was the only option I had since my greenhouse was not ready yet.
Low Maintenance Tips for Frugal Gardening with Carrots
Carrots do require a moist soil, not too wet though. As long as they are watered every day on super hot days, and every other day on mild summer days Carrots will survive. Weeding is important and mulch to hold in the moisture. From the planting date, harvest should be 14 weeks.
We had more carrots this year than last. Each year I learn a little more on maintenance and how to take care of them. My intention for next year is too plant at least 3-4 rows of carrots. I opened a new section in my garden this year and did not leave enough space. Trial and error are how most of us learn anyway…right?
Carrots should be planted in an area that receives at least 6 hours of sun daily. Therefore, carrots will not grow well in clay soil, and need to be fertilized with little nitrogen and more potassium. Frugal gardening tips for carrots is to make sure they stay damp, not dry, and they like cooler weather. Some may grow really big, other’s may grow an odd shape. In the past it was hard for me to grow carrots until I did some research.
Most of our fertilizer is compost from our chicken coup and leaves from the previous fall. Since the whole reason to grow crops is too be healthy I don’t use anything not homegrown. If fertilizer is purchased don’t use too much.
Storing Carrots for the Winter
Carrots can be stored in 5 gallon buckets with dirt. No lid, and a dark cool place. We have never had enough to store, but from research, it looks like the will last most of the winter. I do look forward to the day where I will have carrots to store.
Carrots should be washed well upon use. Allrecipes has a great carrot soup that we love to make when I buy carrots at the store. Carrots do well in cool weather, so next year I may try to plant in August. Tips suggest 2 months before the last frost.
Carrots are high in Vitamin A, and great for the eyes. Not too many disappointments come with this vegetable, and the fact that they are a root veggie makes it better! Frugal gardening ideas for winter storage is easy. In addition to that, they are a root vegetable, so storing them in a cool, semi damp basement or root cellar will allow them to last longer.
Making frugal gardening decisions that are based on what you want to grow and eat vs. what you want to preserve will be the driving factor on their success. Carrots are a great vegetable to grow, they are easy, and they will preserve well. but, they do require research and some good soil. Likewise, cultivating the soil to a condition that is tolerable for the carrots will guide their growth.
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