Fertilising guide
How to fertilise 'Paris Market' Carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus 'Paris Market')— schedule & NPK
Also called Round carrot, Parisian carrot, Tonda di Parigi.
More about 'paris market' carrot
About 'Paris Market' Carrot
Daucus carota subsp. sativus 'Paris Market' · also called Round carrot, Parisian carrot · edible
'Paris Market' is a French heirloom carrot producing small, round, golf-ball-shaped orange roots rather than long tapers. Its short, rounded shape makes it ideal for heavy, shallow, or stony soils and for containers where long carrots struggle. Sweet and tender, it matures quickly in around 50-60 days and is best harvested young.
Growth habit: Feathery green foliage above a small, round-to-oblate taproot. A biennial grown as an annual; flowers on a tall umbel in its second year or when stressed.
What fertiliser 'paris market' carrot actually wants — and why
'Paris Market' Carrot stores its crop underground, so the rule is the reverse of leafy plants — go easy on nitrogen, which sends energy into tops at the expense of roots.
Low-nitrogen, with modest phosphorus and potassium for root development — ideally compost-improved soil rather than a high-N feed. Excess nitrogen forks the roots and grows lush tops instead of a crop.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for 'paris market' carrot: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed 'paris market' carrot, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For 'paris market' carrot:
A light feeder. Skip fresh manure and high-nitrogen feeds, which cause forking and leafy growth; favour balanced phosphorus and potassium. Compost-enriched soil from a previous season supplies enough; add only a light balanced feed if growth lags. In practice: prepare the bed with well-rotted compost (not fresh manure), then little or no extra feeding through the season (spring through early autumn); a light potassium feed mid-growth at most.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when 'paris market' carrot is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for 'paris market' carrot
Less is more for 'paris market' carrot. If you feed at all, keep it light and low-nitrogen — the soil preparation does the work, and over-feeding actively spoils the crop.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water 'paris market' carrot first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the 'paris market' carrot watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding 'paris market' carrot
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for 'paris market' carrot:
- Large lush leafy tops and small, forked or hairy roots.
- Split or cracked roots from a nitrogen-and-water surge.
- All foliage and no usable crop at harvest.
Signs you are under-feeding 'paris market' carrot
- Genuinely uncommon in reasonable soil — these are not hungry plants.
- Pale, weak tops and small roots only in very poor, exhausted ground.
- Slow growth across the whole bed in long-uncultivated soil.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full 'paris market' carrot care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flushing is not the issue for 'paris market' carrot — the equivalent care is avoiding fresh manure and high-N feeds entirely, and rotating beds so the soil is not over-rich from a previous hungry crop.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for 'paris market' carrot
Organic options
Well-rotted compost worked in the season before, or for a previous crop, is ideal — never fresh manure. UK: garden compost, low-N blends; US: Espoma Garden-tone sparingly or finished compost. Lean and well-worked beats rich.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
If anything, a low-nitrogen, potassium-leaning feed only — UK: a high-potash feed mid-season at most, never a general high-N; US: a 5-10-10 sparingly. Most root crops crop best with no synthetic feed at all.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising 'paris market' carrot — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does 'paris market' carrot need?
Low-nitrogen, with modest phosphorus and potassium for root development — ideally compost-improved soil rather than a high-N feed. Excess nitrogen forks the roots and grows lush tops instead of a crop. 'Paris Market' Carrot stores its crop underground, so the rule is the reverse of leafy plants — go easy on nitrogen, which sends energy into tops at the expense of roots.
How often should I feed 'paris market' carrot?
A light feeder. Skip fresh manure and high-nitrogen feeds, which cause forking and leafy growth; favour balanced phosphorus and potassium. Compost-enriched soil from a previous season supplies enough; add only a light balanced feed if growth lags. A light feeder. Skip fresh manure and high-nitrogen feeds, which cause forking and leafy growth; favour balanced phosphorus and potassium. Compost-enriched soil from a previous season supplies enough; add only a light balanced feed if growth lags. In practice: prepare the bed with well-rotted compost (not fresh manure), then little or no extra feeding through the season (spring through early autumn); a light potassium feed mid-growth at most.
What strength of feed for 'paris market' carrot?
Less is more for 'paris market' carrot. If you feed at all, keep it light and low-nitrogen — the soil preparation does the work, and over-feeding actively spoils the crop.
What does over-feeding 'paris market' carrot look like?
Large lush leafy tops and small, forked or hairy roots. Split or cracked roots from a nitrogen-and-water surge. All foliage and no usable crop at harvest. Feeding 'paris market' carrot a nitrogen-rich fertiliser, or planting into freshly manured ground, is the defining mistake — you get a forest of leafy tops and forked, hairy, split or all-leaf-no-root crops.
Should I flush the soil of 'paris market' carrot?
Flushing is not the issue for 'paris market' carrot — the equivalent care is avoiding fresh manure and high-N feeds entirely, and rotating beds so the soil is not over-rich from a previous hungry crop.
Keep reading
- 'Paris Market' Carrot care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water 'paris market' carrot — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise tomato
- How to fertilise pepper
- How to fertilise cucumber
- All 1284 fertilising guides in the Growli library