Why has my carrot split?

Question

my 1st year growing carrots, have done really well, the biggest carrot has split though, whats caused this?

Answer 1

You have insufficient moisture in your garden.  This causes the carrot to shrink in diameter and that causes the split.

Answer 2

This could have been caused by not enough water or not planting it deep enough

Answer 3

Usually a sudden saturation after a dry period is the reason for split carrots but very rapid growth can also be a cause.

Answer 4

rocks or dirt clods in your soil, or inconsistent moisture. They'll still taste fine, though.