Carrie Underwood's sprawling Tennessee farm is a gardener's paradise. Her 400-acre 'backyard' consists of an orchard, chicken coop, private horse stables, and an impressive greenhouse – the latter being the site of the singer's newfound talent.
'I swore I'd never try to grow carrots again after a couple of failed attempts…but here we are,' Carrie says, holding her freshly harvested crop. '[It] feels so good to grow things… hoping the Epic Gardening folks see this and feel just as excited and proud as I do about my greenhouse goodies.'
As the country music star hints – knowing how to grow carrots is one thing – but maintaining healthy growth and creating tasty produce is another. Though, despite the 'failed attempts,' we would say that Carrie has now mastered this kitchen garden staple. And, with the right advice, we're confident we can enjoy similar homegrown veg – far beyond Tennessee.
Key tips for growing carrots – for Carrie Underwood-style success
Cue H&G's gardening expert, Drew Swainston, who shares the key things we need to remember when trying to replicate the singer's produce.
'Carrots are a fantastic crop to grow and should be sown directly into the ground during spring and summer once the soil temperatures are 50F to 80F,' he says. 'Always use a fresh seed to help guarantee germination and sow into a well-prepared seedbed with all stones or rocks removed – stones will cause the roots to fork, and you will not get lovely long uniform carrots like Carrie's.'
When it comes to sowing – we can't all have a greenhouse on the same level as the structure in Carrie's Franklin estate. However, this should not impact our success. Instead, we should focus on finding a container that's fit for purpose.
'Carrots can be sown in pots or containers, but make sure they are deep enough for the variety you want to grow. The crop needs to be watered well, kept weed-free, and most carrots tend to take around 75 days to get to harvest time.'
'To lift your carrots, gently lever the roots out of the soil with a fork, taking care not to pierce the roots or snap the carrots in the ground. Being too aggressive can lead to snapped carrots, which will be very different from Carrie's as they look to have come out of the soil unblemished.'
Beyond the garden, it's no secret that Carrie is just as talented in the kitchen (where we expect she's already put her homegrown produce to good use). We're picking up more of her healthy habits via the guide below.
The rekindled interest in 'grow your own' has got us all searching for vegetable garden ideas and the easiest vegetables to grow.
And it is not just greenhouses, from herb planter ideas by the back door to neat allotment-style rows brimming with produce, there are vegetable gardens to suit every homeowner and every plot. Growing crops is also a great thing to try when gardening with children.
