Tips for Growing Carrots in December

Carrots produce the highest-quality, most-tender roots in soil temperatures of about 60 to 70° F, and are a cool-season crop in many portions of California. Carrots prefer shade during afternoons when temperatures are consistently above 80° F, and roots may lose color, become tough, and/or become bitter or unpleasant-tasting when soil temperatures are above 85° F. Carrots are often best planted in sunny southwestern or western exposures when grown from fall through early spring, and in southeastern to southwestern exposures when grown from winter to early summer. For customized information for growing carrots in your area, find your GardenZeus Climate Zone. 

For those of you currently growing carrots, keep in mind that while carrots withstand short frosts to approximately 25° F, they are are biennials, and after a period of weeks of cool to cold temperatures, especially with a few periods of light frost, that are then followed by warmer days, carrots may respond as though winter has passed and spring has arrived by bolting, flowering, and setting seeds.

Carrots prefer uniformly moist but not wet soil. Do not allow soil to dry between waterings. Underwatering or soil dryness between waterings may result in poor root formation or split roots. With the recent rain, underwatering may be less of a problem than overwatering. Overwatering or wet soil may result in poor root color, shallow rooting, and/or rotting or diseased roots.