Carrot
Also called: جزر · Jazar
Success is entirely about soil depth. Work the ground to 30 cm and take out every stone, or the carrots come out forked and stubby.
The year at a glance
Each month is split in half. The outline marks now.
Stage by stage
Stage 1 of 7
Seed
Days 0–9
Seed
Days 0–9The seed sits in the soil taking up water and swelling. Nothing shows above the surface — everything is happening underground.
Do now
- Water lightly and often so the soil stays damp but never soaked. Letting it dry out between waterings kills the seed before it sprouts.
- Cover the surface with a thin layer of straw or compost to slow evaporation and steady the temperature.
- Label what you sowed and when. You will need the date to work out the harvest.
Watch for
- A hard crust forming on sandy soil after watering, which traps the sprout underneath. Break it gently.
- Ants carrying small seeds away — a very common problem in Qatari gardens.
In Qatar
Mix the fine seed with sand before scattering for an even spread, then dust with sieved compost rather than sand.
Germination
Days 10–19The seed coat splits: a root pushes down and a shoot pushes up. The two seed leaves that appear are not true leaves — they are the seed’s own food store.
Do now
- Keep moisture constant. The first root is very fine and a single dry day can end the seedling.
- Remove any covering as soon as the first sprout shows, or it will stretch thin looking for light.
- Give bright, indirect light. Direct midday sun will scorch a new seedling within hours.
Watch for
- A long, thin, pale stem: the seedling is not getting enough light and will collapse.
- Sudden wilting with a pinched stem at soil level — damping off, caused by overwatering.
In Qatar
The slowest germination in this guide — a fortnight. Patience is essential and most people give up on day ten.
Seedling
Days 20–40The first true leaves appear, shaped differently from the seed leaves. The plant is now feeding itself and the roots are branching fast.
Do now
- Thin crowded seedlings and keep the strongest. Crowding gives you many weak plants instead of one good one.
- Start watering less often but more deeply, to drive the roots downwards.
- Harden the seedling off — build up its sun exposure over a week before transplanting.
Watch for
- Yellowing lower leaves: nitrogen shortage, very common in Qatar’s poor sandy soil.
- Small holes or chewed edges, meaning snails or young grasshoppers.
In Qatar
Thin in two passes — to 2 cm first, then 5 cm a fortnight later. Thinning in one go damages what stays.
Top growth
Days 41–68The plant builds its leaves first. The root is still thin, but the size of the leaf canopy now decides the size of the root later.
Do now
- Thin to the recommended spacing. Crowding is the number one cause of small, deformed roots.
- Clear stones and clods from the soil around the plant. Any obstruction makes the root fork.
- Water regularly and deeply. Roots follow the water down.
Watch for
- Very lush leaves: too much nitrogen, and you will get foliage instead of a root.
- Compacted or very sandy soil stopping the root from expanding.
In Qatar
The feathery tops build the root. Never pick the leaves, however lush they look.
Root filling
Days 69–92The plant moves sugar from the leaves down into the root, which swells fast. You can often see the shoulder pushing above the soil.
Do now
- Keep watering perfectly steady. Swinging between dry and drenched splits the root.
- Cover any exposed shoulder with soil or mulch to stop it greening and going tough.
- Stop nitrogen completely and switch to potassium.
Watch for
- A lengthwise split in the root after a sudden heavy watering.
- Fine tunnels on the root surface, meaning root fly.
In Qatar
Carrots that fill in December–January are much sweeter — the cold converts starch to sugar.
Harvest
Days 93–130The root has reached size. Leaving it past this window makes it woody, hot-tasting or hollow.
Do now
- Water a few hours before lifting so the root pulls cleanly out of sandy soil.
- Lever from the side with a fork rather than pulling the leaves, which just snap off.
- Cut the tops off right after lifting, or they draw moisture out of the root.
Watch for
- A cracked or hollow root from harvesting too late.
- A sharp, hot taste, which means heat stress during growth.
In Qatar
Lift before the end of March. April roots turn fibrous and sharp as the heat comes up.
End of cycle
Days 131–160The plant’s cycle is over. The roots left behind break down and add organic matter if you leave them.
Do now
- Cut the plant at soil level and leave the roots in place to rot down.
- Sow a crop from a different family in the same spot to break the pest cycle.
- Add compost and cover the soil before the summer heat.
Watch for
- Planting the same family twice running in the same bed.
- Leaving the soil bare in the sun all summer.
In Qatar
Any left will flower in April. The umbels pull in beneficial insects if you have another crop nearby.
- Water
- Medium
- Salt tolerance
- Low
- Heat tolerance
- Medium
2 L/week in winter, 5 L in summer
Soil preparation
The most important soil preparation in this guide. Dig to 30 cm, sieve out the stones, and add no fresh manure — it makes the root fork.
Pests
Carrot fly
- Sign
- Rusty tunnels on the root surface and yellowing tops.
- What to do
- Fence with 60 cm of fine mesh. The fly flies low and will not cross the barrier.
Aphids
- Sign
- Curling feathery tops and green clusters.
- What to do
- Water blast. It rarely affects the root itself.
Common problems
Forked or twisted roots
- Cause
- Stones, compaction, or fresh manure. The number one carrot problem in Qatar, because sand often sits over a hard layer.
- Fix
- Use 30 cm raised beds if the hardpan is shallow, or grow short round varieties.
Very patchy germination
- Cause
- The surface drying out during the fortnight the seed needs. Very easy to do in Qatar’s dry air.
- Fix
- Cover the row with a board or hessian until it sprouts, and mist twice a day.
Picking
Lift when the shoulder reaches 2 cm. Water two hours before pulling so the root comes out whole from sandy soil.
Keeping
A month refrigerated once topped. It can also be left in the ground until March as natural storage.