Do carrots need full sunlight?
Written by
Michael Sullivan
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.The process of growing carrots in a climate with the right light begins with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. For example, if you live in an extremely hot climate, it is very effective to have partial shade. In my garden in Arizona, I have gotten very good results yielding crispy roots under 30% shade cloth. As the morning sun beats down on the soil, the afternoon shade prevents the soil from crusting over the delicate seedlings.
Full Sun Benefits
- Accelerates growth in zones 3-6 with cool summers
- Enhances sugar production for sweeter roots
- Reduces fungal diseases through faster drying
Shade Strategies
- Use 40% shade cloth in zones 9-10 afternoon heat
- Plant near taller crops like corn for filtered light
- Mulch to retain moisture in shaded beds
You can use leaf color as a light meter. Dark green leaves indicate the plant is receiving enough sunlight. Yellowing leaves show the plants are getting too much sunlight, so I will put burlap screens on the tunnel house frame if a heat wave occurs. Pale-colored leaves indicate not enough light. My tunnel house in Minnesota has removable shade panels for balancing light levels.
When caring for your container garden, rotate your pots every day to relieve the plants of uneven exposure to light. I make good use of a permanent marker to mark north on my pots. The southern exposure works best, but a neighbor of mine grows Paris market carrots in a balcony garden that is mostly shaded and only receives 2 hours of direct sun each day - still yielding marble-sized carrots.
Read the full article: How to Grow Carrots: Complete Guide for Beginners
