Topic: no show carrots

[Justy]

I sowed my carrot seeds on lottie about 3 weeks ago and as yet not a single one has come through.  I planted some in a trough at home at the same time and they are all now through and looking fine. 

Any advice as to what to do with the lottie ones?  Should I rake over and start again?  How long is reasonable to wait?

[Sarah-b]

Hi Justy - me too.
They can be tricky to grow - that's for sure.
I think my trouble if the "capping" on the soil - it's rock hard - maybe the poor little things cannot break through?

Sarah.

[sandersj89]

For the last few years I have got excellent germination with carrots. That is since I started to sow in a drill and then cover with compost rather than soil. This prevent any capping, especially on heavy soils. The compost also warms up quicker, being barker.

I also fleece from day one.

Having said all that germination can be 3 or 4 weeks.

Early Nantes sown on 19/02/05 came up on 05/03/05, Autumn King sown on 02/04/05 came up on 18/04/05, Sytan sown on 10/04/05 are just starting to show.



Jerry

[westsussexlottie]

Silly question - but what does a baby carrot seedling look like?????

I have lots of carrots interplanted with chives (seed tape) in a row under a fleece cloche. I am reluctant to keep pulling the fleece up to check.

[sandersj89]

Silly question - but what does a baby carrot seedling look like?????

I have lots of carrots interplanted with chives (seed tape) in a row under a fleece cloche. I am reluctant to keep pulling the fleece up to check.

Here is one, the first 2 straight leaves are the first to show, then the frondy leaf.



Jerry
Jerry

[westsussexlottie]

Thanks Jerry - I will look in the week sometime.

[ellkebe]

Mine are just appearing above ground, with two bent over straight leaves - and I'm ridiculously pleased with them as they're my first veg. to put in an appearance outside.

Ellkebe

[littleweed]

Thanks for the pcture Jerry mine have n't got the frondy bits yet and I wondered if they were supposed to look so weedy (no pun intended!)

[wardy]

Great stuff Elkebe.  Congratulations  ;D

[North Country Boy]

Ive sowed mine in potting compost in shallow drills to give them a bit of a fighting to chance to sow. Only sowed them last Friday so no show yet.

[ellkebe]

Ive sowed mine in potting compost in shallow drills to give them a bit of a fighting to chance to sow. Only sowed them last Friday so no show yet.

Mine went 'no show', 'nope', 'nothing', 'nada', 'where the hell are they' etc.  for at least two weeks, followed by 'gosh, where'd they all come from?!' - so it'll happen  :)

Ellkebe

[Justy]

still no sign.  Think I will rake over and put down some compost and try again.  Particularly annoyed about the rainbow mix as I did not have many of those and now all used up.   :( 

I will probably now end up with a bed full of carrots all over the place!

[Moggle]

My early attempts haven't done so well  :( Same with parsnips.
I will perservere though, and sowed another row about 2 weeks ago, so hopefully they will pop up soon!

[Mrs Ava]

Mine have been in about 3 weeks and no show yet, altho I haven't lifted the fleece properly to get a good look.  I will keep sowing, and I am going to try your method Jerry with the compost.

[Doris_Pinks]

Checked mine yesterday, not a carrot in sight and they have been in the ground, under a fleece for a month! :o  Re-sowed and have fingers crossed, if they don't come up, thats it, no carrots ever on the plot for us! (cos I have tried for years, and have now almost run out of my 3 packets of new seed >:()  Bet I try again next year though! ;D

[Mothy]

Like Ellkebe, mine went in 3 weeks ago and are now sprouting up all over the place. The row I sowed 3 weeks before haven't put in an appearance!!
Soil temp methinks!!

[wardy]

No sign of my carrots yet.  Not fleeced them as got fed up of faffing about with the stuff.  I shall have another go when I get some more fleece.  cut it up to make it more handleable and cut it too small.   It makes my blood boil .......  ;D

[Moggle]

Over the last month or so I have sowed 3 short rows of carrots and 3 short rows of parsnips and then fleeced. I have had a grand total of 3 parsnips germinate! And lots of bindweed coming up from the extra warmth from the fleece  >:(
Have tried re-sowing in a different spot that is bindweed free (ish) and will just leave the fleecing for now  ::)

[sandersj89]

I am sighing a first sign of relief. I never have much problem with carrots and have Early nantes, Autumn King and Carson all germinated and under fleece. Only Sytan to germinate now and they have only been in 10 days. So 4 full rows! That should see us through :-)

But why the sigh of relief? Well the first two rows of parsnip are now showing through, Tender and True. They were sown over 4 weeks ago I think and were under a cloche for the first 2 weeks. Two more rows to germinate and I can relax a little.

All carrots and parnips have been sown in compost drills by the way.

Hope you all get some sucess too.

Jerry

[raisedbedted]

I got so fed up with everone else having lovely consistent rows of carrot and parsnup seedlings only to look at my well marked and empty rows.

So I sowed them on kitchen roll in the airing cupboard then poured the germianted seeds into the rows, and hey presto instant rows!

That was 2 weeks ago and they are fair romping away, however the seeds sown about a month before seem to have taken the hint and now I have a carrot jungle going on!