Carrots or Sweet Potatoes? A Gardener’s Guide to Choosing the Right Crop

Carrots and sweet potatoes both grow underground, but they behave very differently in the garden. One loves cool spring and fall weather; the other demands long, warm summers. If you pick the right crop for your climate and prep your bed well, you will pull up straight carrots or dig a crate of sweet, cured roots.

This guide compares the two from seed or slip to storage. You will see where each shines, how to plant and care for them, and what to expect at harvest.

TL;DR

• Grow carrots in cool weather from seed; grow sweet potatoes in summer from slips (vine cuttings).

• Carrots mature faster (about 65-75 days) and handle light frost; sweet potatoes need 90-120 warm days and cannot freeze.

• Carrots like slightly acidic to neutral soils; sweet potatoes prefer a bit more acidic soil.

• Cure sweet potatoes at warm, humid conditions for about 5-10 days before storage; store carrots cold and very moist.

• Pick based on climate and calendar first, then soil and space.

Root Crop Showdown: Carrots vs Sweet Potatoes

This comparison table highlights the fundamental physiological and cultivation differences between these two root crops. Having this data side-by-side helps you quickly determine whether carrots or sweet potatoes fit your local climate and available garden space.

Use this chart to choose your crop, then take the next step: if carrots fit your season, shop our carrot seeds and follow the packet’s sowing depth/spacing for your specific variety. If sweet potatoes fit your summer, source slips locally and use this table’s warm-soil and curing targets to plan your planting and storage.

Climate and Timing

Carrots are a cool-season workhorse. They like cool soil and steady moisture. 

• Direct sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, often about 3-4 weeks before the last frost, roughly when soils are in the mid-40s Fahrenheit. Plant again 10-12 weeks before your first fall frost for a sweet, late crop.

• Carrots are semi-hardy, so tops can handle light frost and the roots can stay under mulch into early winter in many regions. Expect roughly 65-75 days to maturity, though you can pull baby carrots earlier. 

• Best results in loose, rock‑free soil tilled 8-9 inches deep and kept evenly moist during the long germination window.

Meanwhile, sweet potatoes are heat lovers with a long season. They will stall in cold soil. 

• Plant slips only after danger of frost when the soil is 65 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. 

• In much of the U.S., that means late spring to early summer. Plan for about 90-120 frost‑free days.

• Warm soil and long days drive vining growth and storage root expansion. Setting slips on raised ridges speeds soil warming and makes digging easier.

Planting and Bed Prep

For carrots, seedbeds matter most.

• Prepare a deep, fine seedbed free of clods and stones to prevent forked or twisted roots.

• Sow about 1/4 inch deep, sprinkle seed roughly 1/2 inch apart, keep the surface uniformly moist during the 2-3 week germination window, then thin to 2-4 inches between plants.

• Aim for a slightly acidic to neutral pH of about 6.0-6.5. Raised beds and sandy loams are a good match; heavy soils benefit from compost and patient cultivation.

In contrast, sweet potatoes prefer warm ridges and room to run.

• Plant certified disease‑free slips 12-18 inches apart in rows 3-4 feet apart.

• Target soil pH near 5.8-6.0; sweet potatoes tolerate 5.5-6.8. Go easy on nitrogen to avoid excess vine growth at the expense of roots.

• Raised ridges help with drainage and warmth. Water well for the first week to establish slips, then water deeply but not constantly. 

Care, Pests, and Problems

Carrots (Apiaceae) and sweet potatoes (Convolvulaceae, the morning glory family) are unrelated crops, so their pests, diseases, and best growing conditions differ.

For carrots:

• Water: Keep soil evenly moist to reduce cracking/splitting; heat and drought stress can cause bitter or off-flavors.

• Thinning: Do not skip. Crowding equals spindly roots.

• Pests: Carrot rust fly larvae tunnel into roots. Floating row covers and tighter harvest windows help. Aster leafhoppers can transmit aster yellows, which causes hairy, bitter roots. Rotate beds and control weedy hosts.

For sweet potatoes:

• Water: Steady moisture improves yield and shape, but avoid soggy soil.

• Fertility: Low to moderate nitrogen; high K demand relative to N.

• Pests: In warm coastal and southern areas, sweet potato weevil can ruin flavor even at low damage levels. Start with certified slips, destroy culls, rotate, and keep vines hilled to limit access to roots. Wireworms and white grubs can scar roots; crop rotation helps.

Harvest and Storage

Harvest as the roots size up, or leave fall plantings in the ground under mulch for sweeter flavor. For storage, clip tops to 0.5-1 inch, keep roots unwashed, and store at 32-35 degrees Fahrenheit, ~98-100% relative humidity for 4-6 months.

For sweet potatoes, dig carefully before frost once roots reach 1.5-2.5 inches across. Don't wash. Cure immediately: hold at about 85 degrees Fahrenheit and ~80-90% relative humidity for about 5-10 days to heal skin and boost sweetness. 

After curing, store at 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity and good airflow. Properly cured roots can be stored for many months and can keep for up to a year. Never refrigerate.

Nutrition and Kitchen Use

Both crops are rich in provitamin A carotenoids that the body converts to vitamin A. A baked sweet potato and a serving of raw carrots are both notable contributors. Include them roasted, mashed, stir‑fried, or raw in slaws for bright color and fiber.

Examples

Use these real-life examples to see how to apply specific planting timelines and techniques based on your regional weather patterns.

Small Urban Bed in a Cool Climate

A gardener in Minneapolis builds a 12‑inch‑deep raised bed and sows a spring carrot crop in mid‑April when the soil hits 45 degrees Fahrenheit. She thins to 2 inches, mulches, and waters weekly.

By late June, she pulls crisp 6‑inch Nantes carrots. In August, she sows again and mulches heavily before freeze, harvesting sweet fall carrots into November and storing extras at 34 degrees Fahrenheit in a tote of damp sand. 

Warm Southern Yard With Long Summers

A gardener in eastern North Carolina plants certified Covington slips on 8‑inch ridges in late May once the soil is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. He spaces slips 15 inches apart, keeps rows 3 feet apart, and hills vines to cover exposed shoulders. 

After 110 days, he digs carefully, cures roots in a warm spare room with a humidifier for 5 days, then stores them at 58 degrees Fahrenheit in ventilated crates. The crop lasts through winter.

Actionable Steps / Checklist

This practical guide breaks down the cultivation process into a series of manageable tasks from soil preparation to final storage. 

• Check your calendar: If you have a short, cool season, favor carrots. If you have 100+ warm days, sweet potatoes fit.

• Test soil pH: Aim for 6.0-6.5 for carrots and 5.8-6.0 for sweet potatoes. Amend based on a soil test.

• Prep beds: Loosen 8-10 inches deep, remove rocks for carrots, and form warm ridges for sweet potatoes.

• Plant right: Direct sow carrots shallow and thin. Transplant certified sweet potato slips after the soil reaches 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Manage moisture: Keep seedbeds evenly moist for carrot germination. Water slips well for a week, then irrigate deeply.

• Prevent pests: Use row covers on carrots where rustflies or leafhoppers are common. Start sweet potatoes with certified slips and destroy culls.

• Harvest and store: Clip carrot tops and store them cold and moist. Cure sweet potatoes in warm and humid conditions, then store them around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Glossary

Grasping these specific terms allows you to interpret seed packets and agricultural advice with total precision.

• Slip: A rooted vine cutting used to plant sweet potatoes.

• Curing: A short period of warm, humid holding that heals wounds and sweetens sweet potatoes.

• Relative Humidity (RH): The amount of moisture in air compared to its maximum at that temperature.

• Raised Ridge: A low, mounded row that improves drainage and soil warmth.

• Aster Yellows: A plant disease caused by a phytoplasma spread by leafhoppers.

• Carrot Rust Fly: An insect whose larvae tunnel in carrot roots, causing brown, rusty scars.

• Soil pH: A measure of acidity or alkalinity; it affects nutrient availability.

• Frost‑Free Days: The number of days between the last spring and first fall frost dates.

FAQ

Q: Can I grow sweet potatoes in a northern climate?

A: Yes, you can grow sweet potatoes in a northern climate if you can give them 90-120 warm, frost‑free days. Use raised ridges, black plastic, and early varieties, and plant slips only when the soil is 65 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.

Q: Why are my carrots skinny or forked?

A: Usually crowded seedlings, rocky or compacted soil, or uneven moisture can cause carrots to be skinny or forked. Thin to 2-4 inches and loosen soil deeply before sowing.

Q: Do I need to cure carrots?

A: There's no need to cure carrots. Remove tops and store cold and very humid right away. Curing is for sweet potatoes.

Q: How far apart do I plant sweet potato slips?

A: When planting sweet potato, set slips about 12-18 inches apart in rows spaced 3-4 feet apart to give vines room and roots space to size up.

Final Thoughts

Pick the crop that suits your season first. If your springs and falls are mild, carrots will reward steady care with crisp roots. If your summers are long and warm, sweet potatoes will turn a few slips into a pantry full of cured roots. Match the plant to the weather, prep your soil, and the harvest takes care of itself.

Whether you’re growing cool-season carrots or heat-loving sweet potatoes, start by matching the crop to your calendar, then set yourself up with the right inputs. Grab our seed packets and choose a carrot variety that fits your bed using the planting directions printed right on the packet. Then, if sweet potatoes are on your summer plan, source slips locally and follow the curing and storage steps in this guide.