Start digging over your soil in late winter or early spring, removing any stones you find and thoroughly turning the soil until it has a fine, crumbly texture. Carrots grow best in a sunny spot that has light.
Don’t add manure to the soil when you dig it over as this makes the soil too rich for the seeds. One week before sowing your seeds, rake in a light dressing of general fertiliser.
Sow the seeds thinly on a sunny, dry day in shallow drills around 2-3cm deep. Early sowings in March and April may need to be protected with fleece or a cloche in some parts of the country.
Parsnips can be grown in a similar way, but as they're larger they should be thinned to 15cm. Keep the plants well watered during their growth period - too little water results in coarse, woody roots.
From June-July onwards, start pulling up your carrots as soon as they are big enough to eat.