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growing carrots

• Message 1. 

  Posted by horththit (U13862695) on Saturday, 15th January 2011

  I have been growing carrots (or trying to) for the past 10 years. My most successful year was the first year, on virgin soil. Every year since has got progressively worse, last year being the pits. My seed don't seem to germinate, I make consecutive sowings, but hardly with much to show for it. I grow in raised beds, don't plant in manured soil and have incorporated some sand. Can anyone help with a solution please? Is there something wrong with the seed these days? Or is it me? Oh, and I use fleece to warm up the soil prior to sowing.(:-0

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• Message 2

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  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Saturday, 15th January 2011

  My guess is based on your statement;
  
  Oh, and I use fleece to warm up the soil prior to sowing. 
  
  I think you are sowing too early!, and the soil is not warm enough!
  
  When in fact do you sow outdoors?
  
  I will not sow in my area (900 ft up in the Pennines of Yorkshire) before mid May, more often than not even later than this.
  
  I find the later I sow the better the germination rate.
  
  OK I don't get early carrots other than 'thinnings' ( unless I sow under cover in my tunnel) but do not find that a problem providing I lift them before the onset of regular frosts.
  
  Then I store them in old compost for use during Winter/Sprin!

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• Message 3

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  Posted by horththit (U13862695) on Saturday, 15th January 2011

  Thanx for your reply. My Early Nantes packet of seeds says you can sow in Feb. but I would think you would need to cover them. Do you never sow the early varieties? I have sown both, but it's always the same story. Am going to try various ways this year to try and crack it, beds, troughs, cloches, more sharp sand; in fact everything I can think of, as I cannot stand the ones in the shops during the winter, so tasteless and unpalatable. I will post my results if anyone is interested.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Saturday, 15th January 2011

  Do you never sow the early varieties?  
  
  I find the word 'early' a misnomer in my part of the world unless you are growing under cover.
  
  Having said that where I have found this characteristic useful is for late sowings that is; they grow a bit faster than maincrop so sometimes you can get a late sowing in before the end of the year.
  
  ps I rarely follow the information on a packet as it tends to be just a bit too general and rarely area specific.
  
  Am going to try various ways this year to try and crack it, beds, troughs, cloches, more sharp sand;  
  
  Have you tried driving your spade into the soil wiggling it back and forth to form a 'Vee' trench, filling this trench with seived spent compost, soaking it then sowing your carrot seed (and or parsnips) on top of the compost.
  
  This gives you more ideal conditions i.e. the compost is warmer, and there is no lumps to cause the carrots to split!
  
  Worth a try!
  

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Kleftiwallah (U13700999) on Saturday, 15th January 2011

  The phrase "Can be sown early" .
  
  Yes the seeds can be sown early, but that aint saying they will survive and thrive. Sounds like a trip down to the G.C. for more seeds, or is that Mr Cynical poking his head over the parapet? Cheers, Tony.

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  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Sunday, 16th January 2011

  Carrots need a soil temp (as opposed to air temp) of at least 10 or 12C. I don't plant them here in central Italy till early April.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by koala_girl (U12702629) on Sunday, 16th January 2011

  I grow my carrots in old recycling boxes as I never have enough room in the veg patch and I'm also trying to keep them high up out of the way of the carrot fly. I sow Nantes Frubund in the autumn and they overwinter nicely to give me an early crop. My seedlings are currently about 2" high. I will sow more carrots in the spring.

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Logissimo (U14020652) on Monday, 17th January 2011

  Hello,
  I too have had a lot of difficulty in getting a good row of carrots. I can' t say that I've reached any definite conclusions but ideas are a/ is the seed fresh and b/ is something grazing off the seedlings at, or shortly after germination, e.g. slugs snails? I don't have this difficulty with any of my other vegetables so it's a bit of a puzzle.
  
  Good luck with yours this year. L

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Monday, 17th January 2011

  I've put up with slugs, snails and even industrious birds thwarting my carrot-growing.

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• Message 10

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  Posted by horththit (U13862695) on Monday, 17th January 2011

  Hi L, you seem to be having the same trouble as me. Well I've bought seeds on a tape this year to try. If something is eating them, perhaps this will stop them. I don't have any trouble growing anything else either, but it seems carrots are renowned for being contrary. I am going to incorporate more sand this year, and wait a bit longer before sowing. Good luck with yours. P

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• Message 11

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  Posted by horththit (U13862695) on Monday, 17th January 2011

  Thanx, I'll try the v -trench and get some more sand, also am trying seed on a tape this time. I'll keep you posted. P

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• Message 12

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  Posted by Engineer (U3135859) on Monday, 17th January 2011

  Hi P,
  
  I also used to have enormous trouble growing carrots on my soil (heavy clay) but get excellent results using this method:
  Dig a trench about 6-8 inches wide and deep and refill with half of the soil mixed with 25% sharp sand and 25% used compost (I use the contents of grobags which were used to grow tomatoes during the previous year.) Fresh compost is really too rich in nutrients and may cause root-forking as well as excessive top growth at the expense of root formation, so if you have to use it, use less compost and more soil or sand.
  Sow the carrot seed thinly over the whole width of the trench (this means less thinning, which attracts carrot-fly) and cover with half an inch of 50/50 compost/sharp sand mixture. Horticultural sand is best, sharp sand works fine (and is cheaper) but not builders sand (can contain salt and also makes clay into something resembling concrete!)
  I do the same for Parsnips, but everything else grows just fine. Some form of slug control is essential!
  
  Cheers -- Bob

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• Message 13

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  Posted by Greg (U6779230) on Monday, 17th January 2011

  Slugs and snails have caused me havoc in the past. I now plant in beds with a wooden board surround which has a slug tape cap. Check your seed rows at night to see if they have company - especially when it's wet!

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