Author Topic: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!  (Read 9541 times)

PJW_Letchworth

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Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« on: June 17, 2008, 10:14:37 »
Why, oh why do I bother every year to try and grow carrots?  I try a different variety every year, and every year I end up with very sparse germination and those that do survive would be perfect for the rabbit if I had one!

What am I doing wrong?  The seed beds are well dug with as many stones removed as possible.  I dig compost from the heap into the bed. I sow by opening a wide shallow drill, scatter the seeds then lightly covering.  I've tried covering this with fleece, not covering it with fleece, always different areas of the plot.  I've even tried saying prayers to the allotment-gods!  :o

Any ideas what's going wrong?  I almost long for a problem carrot root fly!
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Rhubarb Thrasher

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2008, 10:17:11 »
grow them in pots, completely stress-free gardening

chappy

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2008, 12:28:09 »
i belive they like light soil so have you tried mixing sand in with the soil?

calendula

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2008, 12:38:29 »
always a good idea to wet the soil first and possibly you are sowing just a bit too thinly - keep trying, still time to sow  :)

kt.

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2008, 13:51:32 »
I had the same problem year on year.  1% germination if I was lucky.  This year I have sown carrots in 9 black buckets of multipurpose compost over 3 successional sowings.  Varieties were 'Early Nantes',  then 'Flyaway'.  All are thriving with large green leafy carrot tops.  Will be sticking with this method from now on for my carrots.  I intend to sow 'Autumn King 2' in August for a winter crop.
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shaunster

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2008, 14:58:35 »
i find with pots, you can sow quite alot and just dont thin them and have many baby carrots  ;D

Kendy

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2008, 15:11:56 »
Reading this, I feel quite chuffed thus far !

1st year on my allotment, thinly sowed some seeds and they have grown to about 3" high already.  Nicely spaced with few gaps so good germination.

Not had to thin out and sprinkled some chopped up satsuma skins around them to discourage carrot fly.  Mind you, pride comes before a fall so I'll probably be back on here in a week moaning that the dreaded carrot fly has visited !

kt.

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2008, 16:56:10 »
Not had to thin out and sprinkled some chopped up satsuma skins around them to discourage carrot fly. 

Never heard of this before.  Keep us informed if it works...... ;)
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caroline7758

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2008, 18:01:35 »
I've never had any success before, but have done two lots in dustbins this year and they are looking good so far.

Busby

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #9 on: June 17, 2008, 18:50:30 »
A few years ago I was in Tunisia and on a visit to the local market I saw the most amazingly large and most perfect carrots that I have ever seen. Piles and piles of them. This led me to think that I had been doing things wrong on my plot because I never really was very succesful with carrots. And obviously the carrots in Tunisia had been grown in sand.

Now I do it like this and have much better carrots: It's important that the bed hasn't been manured or fertilised beforehand - and so I don't use compost earth, nor do I water. I make sure the top few inches are really soft and airy, then I score a not very deep channel in the earth with the hoe. Sow the seeds as carefully as possible - expecting to have to thin out - and then cover the row thinly with loose dry soil.

That's it. What I don't do is water. If you water, the top soil hardens and the carrot seeds get into difficulties - I then wait for rain and it works for me. I never add any sort of fertiliser to carrots.

PJW_Letchworth

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2008, 19:22:19 »

1st year on my allotment, thinly sowed some seeds and they have grown to about 3" high already.  Nicely spaced with few gaps so good germination.


You can go off some people!  ;D  Well done, you have every right to be chuffed.  I think I'll sow some more in the plot but just to save face, I'll sow some in a deep pot and keep them in the back garden.

Would it be an idea to make a wide but deeper drill then put fresh multi purpose compost, sow in the compost and then cover?  I'm just a concious the soil on the plot does cap very easily even though it is not full of clay.  ::)
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Miss Fenella

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2008, 19:42:01 »
I have had poor germination with my 1st two sowings - I presumed it was a slug/snail attack.

Planted Chatenay last year and they were great - will prob go back to them.

Early Nantes and another early this year - pah!
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Angelah

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2008, 20:41:18 »
Well, I've tried four lots in pots so far, and none has come to anything, so am going to try some direct on the plot - one of my neighbours has carrots to die for - no protection etc or anything.

Good Gourd 2

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2008, 20:57:40 »
I have had most of the problems with carrots that have been mentioned. this year-I`ve got some in a raised bed (just compost in it.  Some in a dustbin, mixed soild and compost. Some in a row in the ground. So far so good they all seem O.K I suppose they will all come up so I still won`t know which is the best way. I let you know.  Orelse.

manicscousers

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #14 on: June 17, 2008, 20:59:53 »
hiya, orelse, welcome to the site  ;D
we grow ours in raised beds, too, 12 to 18" high, had some lovely ones this week  :)

Kendy

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2008, 21:00:57 »
Not had to thin out and sprinkled some chopped up satsuma skins around them to discourage carrot fly. 

Never heard of this before.  Keep us informed if it works...... ;)

Just something I saw on a website, on here or in a book - forget where exactly as you pick up so many bits of info.  Fingers crossed it works !

jo9919

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2008, 21:38:16 »
I'm growing Early Nantes and Parmex in containers. Last year I didn't have any success at all, but this year everything is going really well. They're at the 'baby' stage at the moment. I could dig them up and have a nice plateful of small carrots, but I'm waiting for them to get a bit bigger.

I mixed a good amount of sand into multi-purpose compost. Apparently, carrots like good drainage.

Jo.

gwynleg

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2008, 21:43:21 »
I am going to try some of these ideas. I have now sown 6 different lots of different types of carrots (lots) in lovely light compost in raised beds and how many carrots do I have? Precisely 3!

These  are very spaced out so that I have to use a wide bit of fleece to prevent root fly on these 3 carrots (I am determined they will grow big and strong and tasty). Now where do I get those black buckets from again...?

jo9919

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #18 on: June 17, 2008, 21:55:18 »
Now where do I get those black buckets from again...?

Hmmm, sore point with me. There's none around here  ::)

Jo.

Tyke

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Re: Carrots? Don't talk to me about carrots!
« Reply #19 on: June 17, 2008, 21:58:29 »
I'm growing Early Nantes and Parmex in containers.

Jo.

I planted Parmex in a container in February - they should be ready by now, but the 3 i have pulled are barely a few millimeters' thick....

 

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