Topic: Here we go.....

[digmore]

Hi everybody,

Had to bite the bullet yesterday, dived into the green house, got the raised bed gentle warmed from the other day. Planted up some red onion and some sturton sets also several leek. May set some lettuce and radish seeds tomorrow.

By the by, I sowed some early Nantes carrots in the cold frame in Oct/Nov, they are coming along a treat about the size of a little finger. Another couple of weeks they should be on the plate with a little butter.

Digmore. 

[galina]

Digmore,  sounds good.  Very envious about your carrots.  Have you done this in other years too?  I sow all sorts in autumn and I am always surprised what will do fine and survive, but never carrots.  Guess there is very little danger of carrot fly at the moment.  Would love to know more. 

A shortcut would be to buy a tray of living salads and transplant those.  You could harvest almost instantly, a few leaves at a time, until your newly seeded lettuce is coming in.  I transplanted tiny lettuces into the greenhouse very late in the autumn from a late sowing and I am harvesting a few leaves now.  Doesn't work every year, but it has been mild enough this winter so far.  Rocket, cress and landcress work every year for me, others depend on weather.  Mustard is good this year and celery.

Good luck for a great growing season.

 

[Paulines7]

I grew Chantenay carrots in my old greenhouse and got a really early crop.  I used to plant them in early March though.  My new greenhouse doesn't have an area of soil so I may try growing them in a polystyrene box.  The soil should keep quite warm in there so I could put them in now and see what happens.

Galina, that's a good idea about transplanting from living salads.  I will have to try it. 

[digmore]

Thanks for the input.

Lets hope we all have a good year.

Digmore. 

[manicscousers]

I've sowed some primecut carrots last week, they say you can sow in january so I'm having a go 
Done the living lettuce last week, too. I've put them in a trough to keep them away from the slugs and will be starting early tomatoes this week in the prop 

[galina]

Thanks Pauline and Manics -  learning more about proper 4 season gardening.  Will go google Prime Cut  carrot. 

[manicscousers]

These were from D.T. Brown last year, Galina. They don't have them this year, let me know if you find a supplier, they were great last year, in bunches and individually 

[galina]

These were from D.T. Brown last year, Galina. They don't have them this year, let me know if you find a supplier, they were great last year, in bunches and individually 

No I can't find a supplier either.  Wonder whether Little Finger from Seedparade is similar.  Described as very early and fast maturing baby carrot variety.
http://www.seedparade.co.uk/products/Carrot_Little_Finger_1000_seeds-200-7.html
Or perhaps Amsterdam Forcing from the Organic Catalogue
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/p1519/CARROT-Amsterdam-Forcing-15g/product_info.html
or Eskimo F1, said to be frost resistant for over winter harvesting, but these are not small carrots
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/p3434/CARROT-Eskimo-F1/product_info.html

[digmore]

  Slight variation on the original.

Planning and preparation prevents urea poor produce. 

Digmore.