ACTIVITIES
Planting Carrots for Santa's Reindeer
Sierra Leeper | October 10, 2024
It’s October! Which means it is finally fall. Many of us are beginning to think about end-of-the-year and holiday plans, and we might have even started preparing for gift-giving and holiday meals.
One of the coolest – and sometimes most frustrating – parts of gardening is the time it takes for things to grow. We have to be well prepared, patient, and able to plan ahead if we want to enjoy a bountiful harvest.
Well, in the spirit of the upcoming holidays and being prepared, let’s get ready for Christmas by planting carrots for Santa’s reindeer! The Parisian carrots sent in all Fall & Winter Plant Education Kit boxes take only 55 days from seed to harvest. So, if we begin planting now, we will be able to harvest a wonderful array of carrots just in time for Santa to arrive on his sleigh!
HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW:
Carrots are one of the easiest things to grow in your garden. They require little-to-no maintenance, as long as they are watered regularly and have nutrient-rich soil. Plant your carrot seeds in a row. Once the seeds have germinated, thin them out to be 2-3 inches apart.
If aphids appear on the green stems of your carrots, spray the leaves with Neem oil to treat them. After about 55 days of growing, your carrots should be about 2 inches in diameter and ready to harvest. These are called Parisian carrots and they are a 19th century French heirloom! They will grow into little bulbs, similar to radishes. You probably have never seen these kinds of carrots in your grocery store but they are small, round, and easy to grow.
To have carrots ready and harvested before Christmas, be sure to plant your carrot seeds no later than October 28th. The sweet spot would be to plant your seeds between October 14th and October 25th so your seeds will have enough time to germinate and grow into delicious carrots!
We can’t wait to see the holiday harvest you produce! And, if you have leftover carrots that the reindeer don’t eat or you don’t celebrate Christmas, these carrots will still be perfect for all kinds of winter recipes like stew, soups, and roasted as a side dish. (But I’m sure Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph will be happy to taste test them for you…)
Happy Gardening!
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS:
