Ever wondered how to make carrots grow straight? Growing straight carrots as the ones you see in grocery stores can be achieved under the right conditions. The only draw-back, though, is that many people simply lack the necessary interest or awareness. Achieving straight carrots in your garden should not be a pipe dream.

There are best conditions for growing carrots that I write about here. In this short article I will be focusing solely on some tips to help you achieve your dream carrots.

Keep in mind, however, that for the most part whether a carrot is straight or kinked should not impact on the taste of the carrot. The quest for straight growing carrots is frankly a vanity affair in search of mere aesthetics!

So here are three things you need to satisfy to stand a chance at harvesting straight carrots.

1. Remove stones, debris and bits from your growing medium/location

Remember that carrots are a root crop. Roots naturally avoid paths of resistance. They tend to go around objects and this is what causes twisted or turned carrots. Before planting your carrot seed, thoroughly prepare your grow area making sure they are no stones or other debris in it.

One of the most common causes of crooked carrots are stones existing underground in the path of your carrots. Till your growing location going deep enough (10-12 inches) to turn the soil and pick out any stones and objects that may later become obstacles to your growing carrot roots.

This is one of the most causes of kinked carrots.

2. Do not over-feed your carrots

If you want to grow straight carrots, do not over-feed your carrots. Did you know that manure, compost and other such organic and non-organic fertilizers are counter-productive on carrots? This may be surprising and certainly counter-intuitive because we are all used to putting fertilizer in the soil when growing vegetables.

Well, fertlizer on carrots results in forked carrots as shown in the picture above that I used with this article. Things could get worse. Using fertilizer also causes your carrots to develop multiple thin roots attached to the main root which can be unsightly for those looking for the proverbial perfect carrot. Agricultural science points to excessive nitrogen level in the soil as the cause of these problems.

The question then becomes, should you not use fertilizer at all when growing your carrots? You can and you probably should.

The only difference is that the compost, manure or fertilizer used must have been applied many months prior to the planting. This is opposite to freshly manured soil. What this essentially means is that by these many month later, the applied compost would have become a natural part of the soil turning it into naturally rich soil.

Furthermore, in using fertlizers, ensure you use those with a higher level of phosphorus such as bonemeal or rock phosphate. Phosphate is an essential nutrient for carrots because by their make-up (single root), carrots have a difficult time taking in this nutrient compared to other vegetables.

3. Use the right soil type

The answer to how to make carrots grow straight also lies in the type of soil you use to grow your carrots.

Carrots love loose, well draining soil. This is in comparison to compacted clay or clay-like soil. If your soil is too compacted or clay-like, you can amend it by mixing it thoroughly with sand. Whilst at it, the soil pH for your carrots that is recommended is between 6.2 and 6.8. Carrots thrive under these pH conditions.

So, this is how to make your carrots grow straight. As mentioned already, what I have listed here are minimum requirements in order to harvest straight carrots. These work alongside other conditions necessary for growing healthy carrots in general.