Hi everyone - I've heard a few people (here and other places) talk about sprouting carrot tops. As carrots are one of the few veg that Humph will eat with pleasure, I want] to try it]== (o]]][[

(excuse me, apparently Miss Humphrey had a few things she wanted to add to this thread! That was all her beak tapping above!)

ANYWAY! I want to try sprouting carrots, for her nutrition and foraging needs. Can anyone please tell me exactly what to do with the carrot tops? (I couldn't find the green top leafy ones at the supermarket today)

Thanks for any advice.
Michele xx

Um, please?

I'm not sure, but I think I remember doing it a long time ago by just cutting an inch or so slice off the top of a carrot and sitting it in a shallow dish of water. I think the carrot has to have some green showing or it won't regrow the top leaves. I remember doing this when I was in school once when we tried sprouting all sorts of veggies and fruits, like sweet potatoes, avocado seeds, white potatoes, citrus seeds etc.
I just buy the carrots with tops because the stores around here usually have them. My birds don't like carrots, but they do like the greens.

Hi Michele,

I've never attempted it myself, but I googled it and came up with below:


Carrot top

Carrot tops will sprout and grow into bushy plants, but will not grow another carrot. You can start your carrot top either in a pot of soil or on a newspaper lined plate. Cut off the top about 2 inches from the crown. If there is any green on your carrot, cut it off.

If growing your carrot top in dirt, place the carrot just below the soil line in a pot. Keep the soil damp and in a few weeks, new leaves should begin to emerge.

To grow your carrot on a plate, line it with newspaper and add enough water to make it nice and damp. Place carrot tops directly on the newspaper and add water to the newspaper often enough to keep it damp. Leaves should sprout in a few days.

One more carrot sprouting method is to fill a shallow bowl with small pebbles or marbles. Push the carrot tops into the pebbles or marbles and fill the bowl with lukewarm water. Place the bowl near a sunny window and in a few days you will see the pretty fern-like sprouts of the carrot.

Your carrot plant will last until it out grows it's container. It also makes a fun table decoration.

Thanks for that info! I had forgotten you could do that. I keep the tops in a bag in the fridge & make sure they're clean & hydrated once in a while - they last a fair amount of time without the carrot attached.

I was lucky enough to find carrots with tops at the organic store but they aren't always in. Because of that, I was looking at the sprouted broccoli [in the soil-less seeding mix] & it has turned out to be an excellent purchase. The sprouts have lasted 2 wks in the window & Laker is loving them. If you have enough light you could seed your own.

This is the information that I found also.

Thank you! Off to try it now.