2024 Carrots - Ingot, Little Finger and Cosmic Purple

2024 Carrots: A Lesson in Dirt vs. Soil

2024 was an unusual gardening year, to say the least. It was the year I had to learn the difference between ‘dirt’ and ‘soil’—a lesson that came after discovering my reinvented vegetable garden was filled with dead, non-nutritious dirt.

For months, I waited and watched nothing happen. Then, late into the growing season, my husband amended the soil, and just like that—things took off! It was a good reminder that healthy soil = healthy plants… and that patience in gardening isn’t always rewarded unless you fix the real problem first.

Carrots: A Hands-Off Approach

In previous years, carrots have been easy to grow, and I tend to let nature take its course. Some gardeners painstakingly thin out their carrots (because let’s be honest, those tiny seeds are impossible to space out perfectly when planting), but I prefer to just let them grow wild.

I’m not aiming for picture-perfect vegetables, and honestly, I think it’s kind of charming when a few carrots twist and curl around each other—like a happily intertwined married couple.

Successive Planting? Not for Me… Yet

Many gardeners swear by successive planting to ensure a steady supply, but here in Vancouver’s shorter growing season, I haven’t quite embraced it. When a seed packet says “60 days to harvest,” I often find it’s closer to 120 days—and by then, the weather is cooling down fast.

So, in 2024, I had great carrots, but they weren’t ready until October, just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving.

The 2024 Carrot Lineup

Like tomatoes, I lean toward unusual and smaller carrot varieties—because why settle for ordinary?

🥕 Ingot – A classic orange carrot, reliable and sweet.
🥕 Cosmic Purple – A purple-skinned drama queen that looked more red than purple in my garden, with a bright orange interior. It made for a show-stopping Thanksgiving centerpiece!
🥕 Little Finger – A small, tender, sweet variety that’s perfect for snacking right out of the garden—no peeling required!

The verdict? Carrots are still one of my easiest crops, but next year, I’ll be paying closer attention to starting with better soil from the get-go. Lesson learned! 🌱🥕✨