Topic: NEWBIE QUESTION: Thinning Carrots

[phillyq]

Morning All,

I've got my first every line of veggies, some late carrots, which have been growing strong for about 6 weeks now. I know I need to thin them out - how thing do they need to be? I understand once thinned they will need to be fleece covered to keep the flies off - does this need to be fleece? I have a small poly tunnel esque cover I could use.

Thanks,

Phil xx

[jimc]

I find it easiest to sow sparsely first by mixing the seed with dry sand and sow.
If you do have too many then thin out when their shoulders start to touch, say at pencil thickness and use fresh or cook them. Later when they go to touch again thin out more especially if they are a decent size and leave a space say 40-50mm apart so they can grow to maturity.
They do take a lot of nutrient out while growing rapidly so watch for yellowing of leaves and add more if necessary.
Not sure what your question is about fleecing. Mine just grow out in the open in Oz.
As a side point one of my carrot beds is 1500mm long and 900mm wide and 250mm deep full of 20mm gravel in a wicking bed. The surface is granite sand to aid in seed germination. I sprinkle seed all over and harvest from the sides by reaching in. I feed it with worm wee every 3 weeks and a bit of well decomposed horse or chook manure at times too. One harvest I got 7Kg of carrots and I can usually get two harvests a year. As soon as the smaller ones are big enough to harvest I do so and end up with picking larger ones as time goes on for about 6 months. My current crop I planted in late January (bit past mid summer) while we were having a heatwave and kept the bed covered with a double layer of shade cloth to aid in germination. It was probably the end of April when I started to pick, since then getting 1/2Kg every week. At the moment I look at still picking for another 6 weeks and hope to replant mid to late November (late spring)and get the new ones up again before it gets too hot for summer.

[galina]

No it does not need to be fleece.  Any cover with fine, insect proof mesh or total cover will do.  There won't be much carrot fly from now on because it is getting cold, but there won't be much more carrot growing time either.  Covering them will give you the longest growing time possible.

Actually fleecing them (or covering) should have been done right from the start.  The carrot fly does get interested especially around thinning time (attracted by smell), but they can cause problems even before.

Good luck for some nice, tasty baby carrots soon.  Thinnings taste lovely and only need washing and trimming.