Carrot Week 2012!

we have a sprout again .....one.....

hugs

rose

Protect that sprout and wrap him in cotton wool! Fingers crossed for you!

FamilyGardening wrote:its almost day 22 for us.....the one sprout we had is still gone ( what would eat the sprout??) and there are no others showing.....when do you replant?

we are having a really hard time with carrots this year.....we have some planted in our SFG's and others in our new raised beds.....one type in our raised beds have all sprouted very well....we planted about 10 differnt types and the rest of them only had a couple germ.....:scratch:

we over winted some carrots too....they are tall...over a foot...lush and green..but only about an inch of the top root end has grown and is orange....the rest is like a long white root.....then...the really skinny root part.....







sorry if this is not the right thread for our questions

hugs

rose

Rose ,

To me the top picture indicated that the bed has been too dry for a while and then got a soaking that has only penetrated the top few inches ,hence the emergency new roots breaking out to get nourishnemt in the newly damp soil.

Like most veg carrots need a good level of moisture all the time to grow well but don't drown them or water so much you wash out all the neutrients from the bed.

the best test i've found so far is to use an 8 inch long moisture meter probe . one of my beds was much dryer than the others .

It ws the first bed I filled after making my MM up un a large wheel barrow using buckets of components . I reckon I'd mis counted and gone too heavy on the peat/ leaf mould side of things for after adding a couple of buckets of composted straw & animal manures to the bed it's started to retain the moisture better.

Looking at the bottom picture I can see why it may have been too dry . The wooden sides of the tub will take out a lot of water and there are a heck of a lot of carrots in the tub. It may not be too late to do some serious thinning to give one carrot every 3 inches apart , but before you do the thinning really water the tub well several times over a couple of hours to make it easier to do and not so stressful on the carrots that stay behind.

Next time try using the grid of 16 carrots or 3 in ch spacings which ever is the most suitable for the tub.and keep away from the wooden sides and /or line the tub with a plastic back that has a few drain holes in the bottom

thanks plantoid

these carrots in the pic above were over wintered here in the PNW....do you think that they were to dry during the summer months when first planted and then got to much water this spring?....since we get tons of rain

they are also planted in MM that was made up fresh last spring for them.....this container had first set of carrots in it last spring that seem to do well....this is a second planting that we left to over winter from last year.....hope that made since

hugs

rose

I've got THREE seedlings on day 21. I've been looking every day for the last week adn I think I dragged these ones out by force of mind.

we over winted some carrots too....they are tall...over a foot...lush
and green..but only about an inch of the top root end has grown and is
orange....the rest is like a long white

I didn't know that you could overwinter carrots. I've only done it by accident i.e. forgot to pull them up in the autumn. Then they do look like yours a bit. I think it is just their attempt to regrow after being dormant, they put out lots of thin whispy roots.

I thought that carrots were not particularly good if left to grow for a second season as they just go to seed then because they are biennials. Am I wrong about that? Is it sensible to leave the small ones in over winter?

Icemaiden wrote:I've got THREE seedlings on day 21. I've been looking every day for the last week adn I think I dragged these ones out by force of mind.

Have you been talking to the seeds to encourage them to grow? I do that, by the way...

Icemaiden wrote:I thought that carrots were not particularly good if left to grow for a second season as they just go to seed then because they are biennials. Am I wrong about that? Is it sensible to leave the small ones in over winter?

I remember my Composting & Gardening professor saying that she would
leave her carrots in the ground until she was ready to eat or sell them
during the winter. She did the same with potatoes. That was in the Piedmont of VA, where the ground
didn't really freeze, so I don't know if it would work in colder
climates.

FamilyGardening wrote:thanks plantoid

these carrots in the pic above were over wintered here in the PNW....do you think that they were to dry during the summer months when first planted and then got to much water this spring?....since we get tons of rain

they are also planted in MM that was made up fresh last spring for them.....this container had first set of carrots in it last spring that seem to do well....this is a second planting that we left to over winter from last year.....hope that made since

hugs

rose

That's interesting Rose ,

Over wintered you say .. I wonder... if that changes the cause to the carrots thinking it is the second year and they are going to try and make seeds .

Were they dryer than normal during the winter ?

Are the carrots long roots or supposed to be only four inches long but very chunky and conical or supposed to be golfball sized ones ( Shorts ) ?

Carrot box picture:

Top square is Danvers Half Long, bottom square is Scarlet Nantes for carrot week.

plantoid wrote:

FamilyGardening wrote:thanks plantoid

these carrots in the pic above were over wintered here in the PNW....do you think that they were to dry during the summer months when first planted and then got to much water this spring?....since we get tons of rain

they are also planted in MM that was made up fresh last spring for them.....this container had first set of carrots in it last spring that seem to do well....this is a second planting that we left to over winter from last year.....hope that made since

hugs

rose

That's interesting Rose ,

Over wintered you say .. I wonder... if that changes the cause to the carrots thinking it is the second year and they are going to try and make seeds .

Were they dryer than normal during the winter ?

Are the carrots long roots or supposed to be only four inches long but very chunky and conical or supposed to be golfball sized ones ( Shorts ) ?

we had two differnt types of carrots that were planted last year in these containers......i only have one of the packages left to look at....but both were pretty much the same thing just a differnt name....both i believe were from TT seed company and both nate type hybreds with 6/7 inch long carrots..both orange......

this year we are trying to keep better records.....

carrots is the favorite of this family and we really are having a hard time growing a bounty of them....last year we did get a few nice ones and the taste was wonderful....the year before that....we planted 4 sq and got lots of green tops but no carrots to eat very disapointing....(that was our first year of SFG)....this year....our third year of SFG .....the germ is very slow....and most are just not germ very well at all.....we are trying about 10 differnt types.....so far the Ferry Morse Long Imperator in our new raised beds have germ the best

so far in our SFG box's we have ( planted on or around the 12th of april)

1 sq of Nelsons hybrid (TT seed company) 1 sprout-contest carrots

1 sq of Denver half longs (ED Humes) about 8 germ

1 sq of Cosmic purple (ED Humes) 0 germ

1 sq of Solar yellow (ED Humes) 0 germ

our childrens self water containers with Second year of MM with fresh compost

so far their carrots are gem a lot faster!! they just popped up the last couple of days......

our sons....(planted about a week ago)

Cosmic purple (ED Humes) a few

Solar yellow (ED Humes) a few

Nutri Red (Ferry Morse) a few

our daughters....(planted about a week ago)

Denvers (Ferry Morse) a few

out in our new raised beds.....(Planted 3-25-12)

4 sq of Long Imperator(Ferry Morse)......most germ and had to thin

these all have a couple to no sprouts:

2 sq of Verduras (strover)

3 sq of Nutri Red (Ferry Morse)

1 sq of Rainbow (ED Humes)

1 sq of Nelsons hybrid (TT seed company)

2 sq of Red Chanteny ( heirloom-Lilly Miller)

2 sq of Touchon (heirloom-Burpees)

2 sq of Denvers (Ferry Morse)

as you can see thats a lot of carrot seeds planted with very few sprouts

help........we want carrots this year!

hugs

rose

I was afraid to post pics of my carrots because I was afraid I be way behind some of the people here but It looks like I am not doing too bad...



Those are Dragon Carrots on the far left......This morning I sowed some more Dragon Carrots along with a Rainbow Carrot Mix from Ferry Morse in the empty squares seen above.

You're ahead of me. Mine aren't up yet but then I've been inside the last couple of days due to rain so maybe when I can venture out, I'll finally see some progress.

Hey Rose,

I tried a method I found on this site. Maybe it will help you get better germ rate. http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=174 It is for spinach be she claims it works for carrots too. I tried it on both and so far I'm at 70% germ and expecting more to pop out anytime now. Spinach came up pretty much like she said(5 days). I planted 2 squares of Nantes Coreless leftover from last year. Day 21 now and most came up in the last couple of days but it has been rather cold here.

Chris

chjbr63 wrote:Hey Rose,

I tried a method I found on this site. Maybe it will help you get better germ rate. http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=174 It is for spinach be she claims it works for carrots too. I tried it on both and so far I'm at 70% germ and expecting more to pop out anytime now. Spinach came up pretty much like she said(5 days). I planted 2 squares of Nantes Coreless leftover from last year. Day 21 now and most came up in the last couple of days but it has been rather cold here.

Chris

Woah, that priming stuff is really interesting! I would of thought doing htat soaking/drying/storing routine would kill the seeds. Ok, gotta go try it with beets and spinach. Thanks!

Daniel9999 wrote:I was afraid to post pics of my carrots because I was afraid I be way behind some of the people here but It looks like I am not doing too bad...



Those are Dragon Carrots on the far left......This morning I sowed some more Dragon Carrots along with a Rainbow Carrot Mix from Ferry Morse in the empty squares seen above.

No need for embarrassment around here. I think your garden looks great Daniel9999 and your carrots are way ahead of mine.

chjbr63 wrote:Hey Rose,

I tried a method I found on this site. Maybe it will help you get better germ rate. http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=174 It is for spinach be she claims it works for carrots too. I tried it on both and so far I'm at 70% germ and expecting more to pop out anytime now. Spinach came up pretty much like she said(5 days). I planted 2 squares of Nantes Coreless leftover from last year. Day 21 now and most came up in the last couple of days but it has been rather cold here.

Chris

thanks Chris

im all for trying new things......i will let you know how it goes!

hugs

rose

Glad to be of some help, looking forward to hear how it works out.

Chris

A smidgeon of green is popping up in my Nantes carrot square since sown 4/13.

Keep us posted quiltbea!

A smidgeon of green is popping up in my Nantes carrot square since sown 4/13.

Amazing what a bit of rain can do.....

So far no carrots popping up in my carrot box, but a few of my volunteer cilantro are poking their heads up!

GG

Mine are growing slow as molasses




I need to transplant a few to open squares that didn't germinate.

GG, where you been I hope your carrots start popping up soon!

RoOsTeR wrote:
GG, where you been I hope your carrots start popping up soon!

Spent a week in Panama visiting friends - see new avatar!

GG

Have you had any luck transplanting carrots? I know the packages of seeds say do not transplant since it can lead to crooked roots. But it sure is tempting (as opposed to just composting those little seedlings).

well we still have only 1 sprout for the contest ....

so we replanted today!!....we also replanted some of the other carrots as well....this time we just sprinkled them on top of scratched up MM and gave them a good watering!

the childrens self watering containers with MM is showing more life!....for good measure we sprinkled some more seeds in theirs as well with out disturbing the MM and gave them a good watering too!

we shall see......

hugs

rose

Well I have been transplanting the extra carrot sprouts into spots that didnt grow, even into empty squares! they are all thriving !