Agriculture’s contribution to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has steadily increased over time.
This is particularly significant when compared to past years, when its contribution was minimal.
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Although there has been progress in this area, there is still much to be done.
Carrots are a very important crop, and this page concentrates on them.
What is the point of talking about carrot growing in Ghana?
This crop provides a lot of health benefits in addition to its great commercial worth.
Vitamin A can be found in abundance in carrots. D, C, E, and K, as well as Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium, are some of the other vitamins.
Carrots: How to Grow, Plant, and Harvest In Ghana
Carrots from the garden are flavorful and varied in texture. They’re a popular, long-lasting root vegetable that thrives in a variety of climes. Learn everything there is to know about carrots, including how to plant them, how to grow them, and how to harvest them.
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Carrots are simple to grow if planted in loose, sandy soil during the milder seasons of the year—spring and fall (carrots can tolerate frost). Carrots can take anywhere from 2 to 4 months to mature depending on the cultivar and local growing circumstances. Plant them in the spring and summer for a crop that lasts all the way into the fall!
Good Soil Is Crucial
When growing carrots, it’s critical to prepare the soil properly. Stunted and deformed harvests can result if the carrot roots cannot easily develop unobstructed.
To prepare your garden soil, follow these instructions:
- Till down 12 inches and remove any rocks, stones, or soil clumps that may obstruct the growth of your carrots.
- Avoid using nitrogen-rich materials like manure and fertilizer to modify the soil, as this might lead carrots to fork and sprout side roots. Working on old coffee grounds is a better alternative.
- If your soil is heavy clay or too rocky, consider growing carrots on a raised bed that is at least 12 inches deep and filled with airy, loamy soil (not clay nor silt).
- Finally, don’t expect “grocery shop” carrots to be completely straight. Regardless of their shape, your carrots will taste great!
Carrots that have been stunted
Heavy, dense, overly-enriched soil can cause carrots to be misshapen.
Planting:
Carrots should be planted when the weather warms up.
3 to 5 weeks before the last spring frost date, sow seeds outside for a summer crop. Here you can find out when the frosts are expected in your area.
Plant a new batch of seeds every three weeks until late spring to ensure a continual crop.
Sow seeds in the middle to late summer, about 10 weeks before the first fall frost, for a fall crop.
Carrots require full sun, but they can also take moderate shade.
To allow carrot roots to freely push down into the earth, the soil must be loose, sandy or loamy, and airy.
Carrots: How to Plant
Rather of transplanting, we recommend immediately putting seeds in the garden (or wherever you wish to grow them). Carrot roots dislike being disturbed.
14 inch deep, 2 to 3 inch apart in rows 1 foot apart, sow 14 inch deep, 2 to 3 inch apart in rows 1 foot apart
To avoid seeds growing together, try to scatter seed in an even manner. Use a seed-sower or severely thin the plants to the desired spacing.
Use frequent shallow waterings to keep the soil moist. The soil must not build a hard crust on top for little carrot seeds to germinate; prevent this by covering with a layer of vermiculite or fine compost. (Place your finger in the ground to the middle knuckle and it should be moist but not wet.)
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Carrots have a tendency to take a long time to sprout. It may take 2 to 3 weeks for them to show any signs of life, so don’t be alarmed if they don’t appear right away!
Mix carrot seeds with fast-germinating radish seeds or put radish seeds between carrot rows to help keep track of where they were planted. The radishes will develop swiftly, and the radishes will be ready to harvest by the time the carrots begin to sprout.
Carrot Planting Instructions
Mulch carrots lightly to help them retain moisture, germinate faster, and keep the sun off their roots.
Thin seedlings to 3 to 4 inches apart when they’re an inch tall. To avoid damaging the surviving plants’ fragile roots, snip the tops off with scissors rather than pulling them out.
To begin, water at least one inch each week (about 12 gallon per square foot), then two inches as the roots mature.
Carefully weed, taking care not to disrupt the roots of the baby carrots.
Fertilize 5 to 6 weeks after sowing using a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen but high in potassium and phosphate. (It’s worth noting that too much nitrogen in the soil encourages top growth—not root growth.)
More carrot-growing advice is available here.
Pests/Diseases:
- Canker of the black variety (Itersonilia)
- Rust flies on carrots
- Root-knot nematodes (flea beetles)
Wireworms
Carrot tops will be shortened, discolored, and have hairy roots due to Aster Yellow Disease. Pests transmit the illness from plant to plant when they feed. Keep weeds at bay and invest in a pest-control strategy for leafhoppers, for example. This illness is capable of surviving the winter.
Harvest/Storage:
Carrot Harvesting: When and How
The taste of a carrot is generally better when it is smaller.
When the desired maturity or size has been reached, harvest it. Carrots should have a diameter of at least 12 inches and be about the size of your thumb.
Harvest carrots before daily temperatures become too hot if you’re growing them in the spring and early summer, as the heat can cause the roots to become fibrous.
After one or more frosts, carrots taste a lot better. (A frost encourages the plant to begin storing energy in the form of sugars in the root for later use.) Cover carrot tops with an 18-inch covering of crushed leaves after the first hard frost in the fall to keep them alive for later harvesting.
Carrots are only available once every two years. If you don’t pick your carrots and leave them in the ground, the tops will flower the next year, producing seeds.
Carrots
Before storing carrots, scrub them clean and cut off the tops.
What’s the Best Way to Keep Carrots Fresh?
To preserve carrots that have been recently gathered, twist or cut off all but 12 inch of the tops, scrub out any dirt under cold running water, and air-dry. Refrigerate the sealed airtight plastic bags. Fresh carrots will go limp in a matter of hours if just placed in the refrigerator.
If the ground doesn’t freeze and pests aren’t a concern, you can leave grown carrots in the soil for temporary storage.
Carrots can also be stored in cold, dry areas in tubs of damp sand or sawdust.
