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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: posie on February 12, 2008, 22:37:32

Title: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: posie on February 12, 2008, 22:37:32
Was going to sow these tomorrow but looks like we've got a few more nights of frost to come, should I leave it til it warms up a bit in nights?
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: saddad on February 12, 2008, 22:39:41
If they are fleeced they should be OK... I have my first carrot seedlings just coming through in a raised bed with a light...
;D
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: posie on February 12, 2008, 22:41:00
Hmmm unfortunately budget has run out for the week so no fleece   :(.  May well leave it for a few days or get some fleece next week if its still cold.
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: saddad on February 12, 2008, 22:49:12
Get the fleece down for a week first... or just lay some glass down then sow and fleece, the fleece helps keep off the fly later as well. I use old windows to get the ground warm.
:)
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: posie on February 12, 2008, 22:50:09
Now glass I have got.  So I'll put that down tomorrow then sow and fleece next week, thanks saddad!
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: cambourne7 on February 13, 2008, 00:38:46
mine are under closhes would that help till they germinate or do i need fleese as well?
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: tim on February 13, 2008, 06:55:40
Is not the minimum germination temperature 40F?
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: saddad on February 13, 2008, 07:39:29
Yes Tim I think it is... but not having had much Winter this year the Italian seeds I planted on 23rd Dec are up and strong... they are in a raised bed and it is covered with a sheet of glass but they are definitely through...
I blame global warming...
::)
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: Chris Graham on February 13, 2008, 08:30:10
I have mine in black buckets in the greenhouse.  ;)   under fleece too
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: Rhubarb Thrasher on February 13, 2008, 08:50:52
sown in troughs in the house last month. Put out in the greenhouse a couple of weeks ago
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: Hyacinth on February 13, 2008, 12:50:15
Gobsmacked! Mine will get seeded in March, as per... :-\
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: cornykev on February 13, 2008, 19:21:43
I will sow mine the weekend, free from grow it magazine.  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: Cuke on February 14, 2008, 13:25:21
I was very very very tempted to put early carrots on my list of things to do at the weekend but I think I'm going to hold out a few weeks to try just to be sure. I'd rather play safe this year on planting times as it's my first year, then perhaps take some risks next year... :)
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: cambourne7 on February 14, 2008, 13:35:22
well the soil was warm when i planted mine and the closhes should keep them warm in the cold spells.

Its only 4 degrees outside so i am going to hold off planting anything else till tomorrow (if its warmer)

Cam
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: cambourne7 on February 14, 2008, 19:15:35
worried now, there forcasting a hard frost for the next 6 nights with temp down to -3 :(
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: Hyacinth on February 14, 2008, 19:48:59
.bout average for mid-Feb, Cam? I've just been sent a photo of the thick snow we had 23/02 last year... :(
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: tim on February 14, 2008, 20:00:25
Bully for those sowing under cover - and those who have had a day of sunshine. But what is the SOIL temperature?? If you CAN germinate in the '30Fs, do recommend the variety?
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: posie on February 14, 2008, 22:36:17
Eeek! Just checked long range forecast and it looks like apart from Wed 27th when its raining, we're in for a very long period of very fine but very cold weather, won't be able to get a fork in the ground let alone plant!  Debating, if I fleece now I should be able to plant just after the rain, so at least ground is bit wet and then cover with fleece once done.  Bit dubious seeds will survive a prolonged period of frost tho - digging I can do, judging when to plant is proving a little more daunting for an amateur!
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: hazelize_uk on February 14, 2008, 22:49:01
I think its easy to get a little bit too keen to get everything planted sometimes!  We wont be planting ours until March and are able to find plenty of other jobs to do and things that can be planted indoors in Feb.

Just from last years experience we found that most didnt really gain much that was planted really early the later planted things seemed to just catch them up!
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: morton on February 14, 2008, 23:11:52
Quote from: posie on February 14, 2008, 22:36:17
judging when to plant is proving a little more daunting for an amateur!
It doesn't get any easier posie believe me.
The secret is to sow a little bit of say carrot seed in a short row and then its easy to protect it. Then in a couple of weeks sow a bit more and so on. If the first fails you have not lost anything but if its a success then well done.
Title: Re: Early Nante Carrots
Post by: posie on February 17, 2008, 08:11:22
Having woken up with this morning to a thick layer of ice everywhere, I'm very glad I didn't put the seeds down!  Going to leave it until the end of the week I think, dug it all over roughly again the other day so hopefully this hard frost will give me some lovely crumbly soil at long last!  ;D