pulling carrots

[aquilegia]

I've been using the thinnings of my carrots as baby carrots. Yum!

But when I pull them sometimes the leaves break off and the root stays stuck.

Where am I going wrong?

I hold all the leaves at the base and pull up firmly but gently, if that makes sense! I've got heavy clay soil and it's really dry at the mo! In the end I had to dig some out with a trowel for dinner, but now I have too big gaps! (they were lovely and a decent size finally!  ;D)

[aquilegia]

[Fork]

Water around the carrots first before you pull.You willl find they come out easier

[aquilegia]

Thanks. I knew there had to be something simple I was missing! I've never actually got carrots to germinate before!

[Trevor_D]

Carrots do that. As Fork says, if you water first, it's easier. Try using a dibber fork, or even an ordinary table fork - they don't cause quite the havoc a garden fork does.

Personally, I don't use the thinnings. I pull the biggest ones (still small, at this time of year) and leave the thinnings to bulk up into bigguns later.

[aquilegia]

I pull the biggest ones (still small, at this time of year) and leave the thinnings to bulk up into bigguns later.

Actually Trev, that's what I've been doing really too. I've been pulling the ones that have the most leaves. Sometimes they look big, but aren't, though! (but we still eat them. My son likes the tiny ones. And I like it when I can tell people he ate 5 carrots last night, but not that each one was an inch long!)

[Trevor_D]

As long as he doesn't claim that 5 carrots makes up his entire 5-a-day!!

(And carrots taste best when pulled from the ground - cleaned on the back of your trousers if you're feeling really picky - and eaten there & then! Well, that's what my dad taught me, and I've never found any reason to argue with his advice....)

[earlypea]

Actually Trev, that's what I've been doing really too. I've been pulling the ones that have the most leaves. Sometimes they look big, but aren't, though!

Also, in case you didn't know, as big leaves don't necessarily indicate a big root because they've been putting their energy into growing the former and not the latter I find it's best to scrape a bit of earth away at the bottom of the leaves then you can easily see which carrots are stout and which aren't before you try and pull them.  

Have same problem in this kind of weather myself trying to pull 'em, water helps a bit but doesn't get down deep enough.

[grannyjanny]

A good downpour would help ;D.

[earlypea]

A good downpour would help ;D.

Does too  :)

[aquilegia]

A good downpour would help ;D.

Oh yes we definitely need one of those!