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west central IN/East central IL

I have giant carrots growing and am wondering what the ideal and max temp they can handle and do well? They'll be in greenhouse and it gets into 80's.

4/13/2018 5:04:51 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

welcome to carrot growing...i have been trying to find good info on them for a long time. My carrots indoors right are at about 75 degrees. Everything I read about them says they are cool weather crops. Qtip grew his outdoors in minnesota. It gets really hot here in the summer. I am wondering if the heat is what brought his to seed. I was trying to cool my indoor carrot this year with a stainless water chilled tube...but every time i formed it..it kinked. Carrots still are new territory for us.

4/13/2018 4:38:02 PM

valparaiso, in

When do you start carrot seeds? I got some seeds this year, and from what I have read I need to start them closer to October/November.

4/15/2018 5:49:30 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

that is different that what i read. First year i tried..my indoor was started in January and went to seed in June. Previous year to that...Dan M i think started in March? and made it the whole season...So Cal as i remember started early and in December was still debating whether to pull it. Qtips world record went to seed in the summer...maybe one of these growers will chime in and relay more info. I am betting that Master P will kick qtips butt this year.

4/15/2018 8:51:07 PM

central Nc

Carrots are biennial, so they'll bolt second year. They will also bolt if you plant early and then have fluctuating temps. Hard to grow here in NC since they are cool weather, but I've been successful growing them in part shade. You won't get any size planting in fall outside, fyi.

4/15/2018 9:24:52 PM

Arizona

The temp fluctuating and bolting makes a lot of sense. I have carrots in the ground now that are growing good. The 9 month old carrot in a 20 gal drum just bolted with the fluctuation in temps we just went thru. 40 degree difference and low 40s.They grow in heat over 100 with shade fine. Even with temp differences of 30 degrees they didn't bolt. Wondering if the cold temperature below 40s is what causes flowering Vs 100 degrees to 65 degrees. Normal for here.

4/16/2018 12:22:23 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

mine that bolted early was an indoor tomato..nearly constant 75 degrees. Must be more to it than temp.

4/16/2018 4:59:38 AM

central Nc

Hmmm interesting. Only vernalization is required for biennials to flower, they aren't daylength sensitive. For carrots, I think this is around 2 months. The temperature doesn't have to be freezing, it can be in the 50s (but for a longer time). I haven't tried a giant yet, but I'm pretty studied up on plant science and very curious about your situation bnot. Do you have pictures of your setup?

4/16/2018 9:14:34 AM

Mn

I started the WR in January and it went to seed early September. I grew it outside in a raised bed. It was a much cooler summer than usual but we still had several days in the 90's and I did not shade the plant at all. Full sun. I actually planted two carrots outside in early may and one of the two ran to seed within a couple weeks, the other grew the WR...I am not sure why one did and the other didn't.

4/16/2018 9:27:46 AM

Lebanon, Oregon

I'm a newbie to growing a giant carrot. I know it is a "cooler weather" vegetable so I put it in a place that had direct sun until 1:00pm. Blazing sun and July/August 95F doesn't seem like it will do it any favors. I would think, however, that under the ground where the carrot is, the temp would be pretty stable regardless of the above ground temp unless the temp of the crown area has some bearing. Would high phosphorus fert values cause flowering or bolting? I'm trying to keep away from high N. Not sure what I'm doing but either way it's been fun so far.

4/16/2018 10:28:32 AM

central Nc

Awesome qtip! Congrats, sounds like you have it figured out pretty well. Did you pull it before getting any seed? You can replant them and usually get them to flower again. Pretty tough little boogers.

4/16/2018 10:32:51 AM

central Nc

Hey Rebel, you'd need to go about 30 feet deep to get a very stable year-round temp. I got really interested in soil temp vs air temp a few years ago and did some research. At 2 feet, you would get some benefit but it is only a few degrees (between 5 and 10 degrees at peak/trough of the curve if I remember correctly). Of course your soil type and moisture would also affect this. My clay transfers heat easier than your better soils, so I'd have to go deeper for more stable temps.

4/16/2018 11:56:57 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

wait a minute...bad bad typing...slap fingers...the indoor carrot went to seed. Wolfpack many, many pictures in my BP diary from 2016.

4/16/2018 1:55:33 PM

Mn

Yup i pulled it before I got any seeds. I replanted this winter in my basement but it rotted before it could run to seed again. Bummer!

4/16/2018 4:30:47 PM

Wixom MI.

Qtip those seeds could have sold for $100's of dollars at the auctions !!! Lol... :-)

4/16/2018 11:59:14 PM

Netherlands

To my knowledge the seeds from bolted carrots are no good. They are biennials and need two years to produce proper seed. Seeing as most carrot seed is F1, you can't be sure what your seeds will end up producing.

4/17/2018 2:15:30 AM

Ely Mn

I grow mine in a greenhouse where it is mostly 80's.I can tell you they don't like it past 85.the foliage will droop.the thing I learned is to not over water to try to get moisture down to the bottom of the carrot.there is plenty of moisture 2 feet down if your keeping the top watered like you would a tomato plant ect.

4/17/2018 4:08:07 AM

Ely Mn

I grow mine in a greenhouse where it is mostly 80's.I can tell you they don't like it past 85.the foliage will droop.the thing I learned is to not over water to try to get moisture down to the bottom of the carrot.there is plenty of moisture 2 feet down if your keeping the top watered like you would a tomato plant ect.

4/17/2018 4:08:13 AM

Brisbane Australia

Anyone growing a Giant this year, I'm giving it a go here in Brisbane Winter temps are very moderate mid 50s to low 70s. I'm using the split pipe English tech. First proper year growing I'm keen.

5/29/2020 6:02:32 PM