Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: Justy on April 23, 2005, 21:35:50
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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?
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
(http://cropandsoil.oregonstate.edu/weeds/Wild_carrot/seedling.jpg)
Jerry
Jerry
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Thanks Jerry - I will look in the week sometime.
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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
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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!)
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Great stuff Elkebe. Congratulations ;D
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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.
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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
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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
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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!!
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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
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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 ::)
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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
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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!
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I like that idea - at what stage did you put them into the ground? what did you cover them with? My originals been in so long now I doubt they will come up although the Paris Market ones I planted in a trough at home are doing well so at least I will get some.
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When they had grown small roots about 1/2" long I just washed them off the kitchen paper and dribbled them in to a row and covered v lightly with compost.
The plan had been to mix it with fung free wallpaper paste but couldnt find any, anyway it worked fine without them.
Have thought I might extend this to other seeds so I can have instant allotmenting!
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I have had problems with carrot growing in the past. I would sow directand nothing would happen. So last year i tried growing them in toilet roll inners before planting out tube and all. Whilst the cropw wasnt big and a few did fall victim to carrot fly, I did at least get to taste homegrown carrots for the first time :).
This year I am 'upping the ante' with them. I have already sown some in deep 'rose' type pots which i may or may not plant out depending on soil space. I also intend trying two direct sowing methods. The first is the 'compost in drill' method as described already. The other is sowing into pieces of drainpipe sunk in the ground and filled with compost. This will (hopefully) result in carrots in groups/stations rather than rows, but should work.
Germination is i agree still a problem even in compost rather than soil. My pot grown ones (early nantes) took ages to come up and when they did all came up around the edges of the pots in big clumps (which had to be thinned).
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6 rows! 6 flaming rows of carrots all lurking under fleece! I can see green, but I think that is all weeds!!!! What to do, what to do?! Lift the fleece, weed, cry due to zero germination, replace fleece and keep fingers and toes crossed, or just leave fleece, weeds, and hopefully, carrot seedlings to fend for themselves until I want them?!?!?!?
Now it is warmer, I am going to sow more, it is just a case of finding the room!!!!!
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Aha - just seen Gardeners World and Monty just scattered his seed ( :o!) all over the place so will rake over and give it another go tomorrow.
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Justy I sowed freebie Paris Market but now show as yet. It's cold though so maybe if I can keep them moist they'll sprout when the sun comes out. Ever the optimist Wardy :)
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are they from GYO Mag? I did mine in a trough filled with multipurpose compost and they are doing really well. Just the Rainbow mixed and nantes early at the lottie I am having probs with.
Going to try Montys suggestion today but cover the surface of my clay soil with a layer of compost first.
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Justy - you've hit the nail on the head? See http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,9123.0.html
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Thanks Tim. I also have some spring onion seeds which I think I may mix in with the carrots deliberately and then scatter the whole lot over the bed - don't know if spring onions work as companion plants but don't suppose it can hurt. My neighbours will probably think I am mad - the one gentleman has very regimented rows which are dead straight for the whole length of his lottie (probably100m!) Hope I don't lower the tone with my carrot garden!
Incidently I presume I will have to thin the seedlings? Only other problem I can see is weeding - can't just hoe between the rows - oh well I quite like hand weeding...... ::)
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Try this for a bit of comfort?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/veg/carrots2.jpg
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Yes they were free Justy from GYO. Anyway been back to plot and apparently they are up (according to the wise guy on the next alllotment) I thought that was spring onion coming through :)
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I was intigued by Montys idea on GW. I've never been one for dead straight rows, but i do prefer sowing in drills rather than broadcast as you can tell wanted from weed seedlings.
Any how I plan to sow my carrots in between my young cabbages and salads. I am told they make good companions.
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I have yet to plant carrot or parsnip seeds so you are all way ahead of me. In our part of the world the weather just doesn't seem good enough to chance it. Not too worried as I only planted the seeds last year at the end of May, but I do feel very envious of you all seeing things coming up. :-\ busy_lizzie
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Don't ever assume that a row that hasn't germinated won't.
I re-sowed within a couple of inches of 2 rows which didn't show and - yes - we now have 4 rows!!
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spent a lovely couple of hours down at the lottie yesterday (don't get much chance usually) and still no sign of carrots. I obviously sowed them too early. As previously mentioned on other threads packets give very misleading information. Garden centres don't help either when you go round and see acres of beautiful foliage. I am going to try hard to be more patient. Having said that planted out french beans and broccoli yesterday..... will go down later and see if they survived the night!
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Don't ever assume that a row that hasn't germinated won't.
I re-sowed within a couple of inches of 2 rows which didn't show and - yes - we now have 4 rows!!
Tim,
I've just used that horticultural version of Murphy's law. I've resown my maincrop carrots and parsnips in rows between the originals.
Just to rub salt into the wound, the next plot owner has just rolled back his fleece to reveal carrots and parsnip thicker than weeds - he covers his with peat based compost in the rows - I can take small comfort from the fact that he now ahs a lot of thinning out to do!! :D
Phil
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My carrots, sown about 3 weeks ago, are UP ;D ;D Have given up on fleece and I will have to take my chances with the carrot fly :-\ Weeds seemed to be doing too well under the fleece! The row that has germinated is next to rows and rows of onions any way, so hopefully that will help
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None of mine up as of today, so 8 more rows of carrots sowed and 2 or 'snips. Took everyones advice and this time covered the drills with compost rather than earth. Looked very neat too! Now they are all tucked up under fleece again, and I am not planning to look for at least 4 weeks. Now, if sod, Murphy, and Tims law takes place, I am going to end up with 14 or 15 rows or carrots and at least 4 of 'snips!!
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btw how will i know when carrots are ready? The paris market in trough at home are doing well.
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Gently scrap a bit of compost/soil away from the top of a carrot, if you can see the shoulder of the root and it looks wide enough to eat try pulling one to see how long/thick the root is.
One of the joys of pot grown carrots is how early they are and picking them as finger carrots to enjoy is great. No need to peel just scrub clean.
Some early Nantes planted back in feb should be ready in a couple of weeks I hope.
Jerry