James Scarlet
Carrot in the UK

Right, with carrots you're sowing directly outdoors, no faffing about with indoor trays usually. Get 'em in from March right through to July, you can do a few small sowings every few weeks for a steady supply. Make a shallow drill, about 1 cm deep, in a nice stone-free bed. Sprinkle the tiny seeds thinly, then gently cover with fine soil. They need to be well-spaced, so you're not going to be able to avoid thinning later on, like I say.

Once those little green shoots pop up, you'll need to thin them out. It's a bit heartbreaking, but you want about 5 cm between each plant, so they have room to grow proper. Do this on a still day to try and stop the carrot fly getting interested in the smell of the disturbed foliage, you know what I mean. If you're doing container varieties like Parmex or Paris Market, sow them thinly in a good deep pot or tub.