What's the best way to sow Carrots?

[Twoflower]

Am planning on sowing mine at the weekend, but before i do is there anything i should know? I have tried them in my small plot in the garden but they never seem to come to much and then the cat sits on them! so now i have a big packet of seeds and an allotment i am going to give it one more try, any tips before i do? 

[saddad]

What's your soil like?
 

[SPUDLY]

A nice fine soil is what you need to try for, plenty of raking. Then just put your line out and make a shallow groove in the soil and sow thinly, and cover up with soil and dampen the row. When they are growing, thin the row, using the small carrots as baby carrots.

[Twoflower]

Basicall clay but has been well looked after so it now mostly crumbles with a bit of raking.

[Twoflower]

Do i need to cover them and if so with what?

[manicscousers]

we water the drill before we sow the seed, then cover with dry compost, seems to work for us , also do some in small pinches(hands don't work properly), with a space between, means we get small bunches of baby carrots, we take out a few small from  the ordinary rows and leave some to grow bigger..cover them with fleece, keep the fly out  

[saddad]

Good advice there... I'm on clay and it took me 10 years to crack it... Try to sow after it has rained! (Or even while it is raining... the soil needs to stay damp while they germinate). Water into the drill. Sow carrots, add compost or sand covering, firm in ( so that seed is touching damp soil... just tap with back of rake will do)water again. Cover with fleece, this stops it drying out... check and re water at least weekly... put some slug pellest down, or they may disappear as fast as they emerge...
 

[Twoflower]

Thank you, I'll try all of the above advice and keep my fingers crossed

[saddad]

The fleece is the real trick... without the sand/compost the soil will cap and trap the emerging seedlings under the surface... the fleece keeps it moist and keeps the fly out (and slugs in sadly.... ) 

[Tee Gee]

I do it this way; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Seed%20sowing%20outdoors/Seed%20sowing-%20outdoors/seed%20sowing-%20outdoors.html

Note OK  the example shows lettuce being sown but the same applies to carrots

[lushy86]

I saw folk growing carrots in barrels on the big dig so thought I'd give it a try this year as there is still a long way to go before I get decent beds and OH can get the drums from work. 

Lushy x

[davyw1]

I saw folk growing carrots in barrels on the big dig so thought I'd give it a try this year as there is still a long way to go before I get decent beds and OH can get the drums from work. 

Lushy x

Do you mean that you are going to cut the barrals into three to grow your carrots or grow them in the complete barrel, because its not as easy as they make it look. To start what are you going to fill a 45 gall drum with to grow in.

[lushy86]

Was planning to cut it and put multi purpose compost in

Lushy x

[davyw1]

Then may i sugest to make it cheaper make a mix of
1 Part riddled compost,
1 Part riddled sharp sand
2 Parts riddled soil

[lushy86]

OK thanks Davy, what does riddled mean? Apols for my ignorance

Lushy x

[saddad]

passed through a sieve...

[davyw1]

Put thro one of these to make the mix fine

[lushy86]

Great thanks for that will do as you suggest 

Lushy x

[taurus]

 Suggest you don't  cut the barrels lower than 30 inches the carrot fly won't reach the carrots at that height.  What I'm trying this year in my barrel is an up turned bucket to reduce the need for so much compost.  This an old factory jam bucket takes more room up. This for the tapered carrots and a raised bed for the stubby carrots. I no it means I'll after water more, but after last year I'm prepared to give any thing a go.

[ktlawson]

Last year was my first success with carrots - it had to be in containers as I lost each time I did direct sowing in the ground.  Last week I did a trial of direct sowing in the ground again after rotovating some ground with my Mantis.  Hopefully this will work.  If not then containers it will have to remain.......