Here are the instructions on how to grow a carrot top at home. This is a fabulous introduction to growing for children as it provides them with a basic form of responsibility to look after and help it grow. So much can be observed over the days it sprouts and grows up tall. Changes can also be recorded on paper.
Have you ever given your child an experience of gardening or growing a plant from a seed? It’s wonderfully fascinating for young minds to observe changes over time and it also teaches them lots about how plants grow and what they need for survival.
Previously I have taught you how to grow crystals indoors, but this time we are going to learn how to grow a carrot top! We seem to eat an abundance of carrots in our family and so it wasn’t hard to set up this experiment.
You will need
- Carrot top (2-3 cm from stem with some root growth remaining on top)
- Shallow dish
- 10 Cotton wool
- Water
- Sunny and protected spot
How to grow a carrot top
Simply add a layer of cotton balls to your small dish. Add a light dribble of water over the cotton balls so they are wet but not completely flooded with water. Press your carrot top into the wet cotton balls and place the dish in a sunny location. Be sure to check that the cotton balls remain wet throughout the growing period. You do not want to dry them out.
It will take a few days for children to see the carrot top begin to grow, however, once it starts it will grow quite quickly when in the right conditions.
Learning involved
This activity that is so simple to set up teaches children –
- How a root vegetable grows (science)
- Developing a sense of responsibility in looking after it
- Observational skills
- Plant care
Of course it is possible to grow other root vegetables so why not give your child a chance to experiment a few different types and record their findings. Have them test to see if there is a difference between growth rate when
What other root vegetables could you grow in this way?
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Sheila Giffin says
March 13, 2014 at 11:22 amWill it keep growing if you plant it?
Kate says
March 14, 2014 at 5:14 pmExcellent question Sheila and thank you for asking it Unfortunately it will not grow into an actual carrot if placed in soil as it will not produce any seeds.
beth says
March 16, 2014 at 3:53 amCan you please tell me eat to do with a sweet potato to get it to grow roots. I am doing something wrong –
Kate says
March 16, 2014 at 9:11 pmHmmmm I think it’s all in the choosing of the sweet potato Beth. You’d need to find one that has some evidence of root growth for it to start growing, otherwise it’s like attempting to grow something cubed. If I was going to try and grow a sweet potato I would skewer the sides with toothpicks and hover it over the top of a jar full of water. See how you go. 🙂
Denise says
February 4, 2016 at 8:25 amWe used to do this in 2nd grade all the time BUT not lately. I have been told that potatoes have been treated with substance that inhibits sprouting/ That is why, no matter how hared you look, none of potatoes have anything more than buds for sprouts. Perhaps try organic? Farmers Market?
Kate says
February 4, 2016 at 11:39 amBoth my children have severe allergies Denise so I’m constantly finding out about food and reading labels. It is absolutely frightening how food is treated these days. I think you’d have great success with organic foods. Thanks for your comment and pop back and let me know how you get on. 🙂
Cathy says
February 20, 2019 at 1:45 pmTry seed potatoes:)
Nancy taylor says
April 16, 2017 at 4:22 amThat’s what I do. Either end in the water. It WILL grow roots and eventually beautiful leavesk
Kate says
April 16, 2017 at 5:51 pmSo awesome. I love growing things from scraps.
katepickle says
March 16, 2014 at 9:11 pmGrowing things on the window sill is such a great way to get kids interested and learning about plants and this idea is so doable for everyone!
You guys should grow a sweet potato next… you’ll be amazed at how much it grows!
Frances T. Ginty says
April 8, 2014 at 11:54 pmU mentioned that children could grow other root veggies like a carrot but u never mentioned which ones in ur article.
Kate says
April 10, 2014 at 2:15 pmNo problem Frances. Here is a great link that will give you the answers you need. http://wakeup-world.com/2012/10/15/16-foods-thatll-re-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/
Karen Salinas says
February 5, 2015 at 11:22 pmbuy organic veggies as the other type may have chemicals for esthetic reasons including pesticides- this will inhibit root growth
Kate says
February 6, 2015 at 11:22 pmGood thinking. I will absolutely consider this with future activities.
ROWENA says
May 29, 2016 at 12:30 pmWhy are my carrot heads rotting? They did sprout but they have no roots and are starting to rot. I removed the rotting bits, washed them, and this time put them on wet cotton wool. I hope they root this way in order to be able to plant.
Kate says
May 29, 2016 at 3:19 pmHi Rowena. Thanks for getting in touch with me lovely. I’m thinking it could be rotting because maybe your cotton wool is too damp. Could that be it? My cotton wool was just slightly damp. If not, you might just want to be sure you haven’t left too much of the carrot (Orange bit). If possible, I’d keep it in a warm, sunny spot as that will hopefully reduce the chances of rot.
Let me know how you get on. 🙂
Susie says
May 1, 2017 at 3:24 amWhen growing carrot tops you do not grow an actual carrot. However, can you use the green tops for anything?
Kate says
May 1, 2017 at 10:49 amHi Susie! If you put it into the ground it will eventually sprout roots and a carrot will form. You can use the green carrot tops in salads or sprout them off to make more carrots. Lots of fun.
Fara Spence says
July 29, 2017 at 2:37 amIt’s so good to know that carrot top sprouts are edible. You say to put the carrot in the ground. Can it be planted in its own container inside my home instead of outside– to continue growing the tops? Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
James-Lachlan M says
November 8, 2017 at 7:19 pmThank-you me and my mum enjoyd doing this. Great result