Re: Carrot Week 2017!

BeetlesPerSqFt 5/3/2017, 1:12 pm

Hurray for sprouting carrots! I'm getting much better germination this year...and I have no idea why. huh?

But I do have something eating the seed leaves off in one square. I poked around and found a critter and removed it (didn't kill it since I wasn't sure). And when I looked it up I found it was a rove beetle larva* and probably not responsible. In fact, it may have eaten the responsible party (fingers crossed!) It was probably slugs that did it, even though I've got many fewer than last year. (Or maybe the sow bugs, I've still got too many of those.)

*don't look up photos if you're squeamish!I love bugs but find these ... hard on the eyes.

Robbomb116 5/3/2017, 1:25 pm

Just did my first batch of carrot planting this last weekend. In addition to th carrots in my deep bed, I planted mokum carrots where I plan on putting my tomatoes this year. The seed packet says they can be harvest as baby carrots in 34 days, so I think there should be time to get some quick 3-4 inch baby carrots before my tomatoes can go in.

Now I have read a trick to getting carrots to germinate, which is to put burlap over the are you planted. It acts like a mulch to keep mostiure in that very top layer it need to be for carrots, and also helps so the seeds don't wash away in a heavy rain (which we might be getting this weekend). So I am going to get some burlap tonight and put them on my carrot squares!

yolos 5/4/2017, 9:26 am

I use burlap over newly planted seeds quite frequently. It helps keep the seeds moist and keeps the birds from pecking the seeds up before (or just as) they germinate.

Mimi2 5/4/2017, 10:14 pm

Thanks for the tip about burlap- can't say that I've had much luck with carrots. Perhaps this will help.

MrBooker 5/10/2017, 8:27 am

I had to replant my carrots. Not much germination the first time. Looks like I had 100% germination this time and it's going to take some thinning. I hope these overwinter as well as last years.
Carrot Week 2017! - Page 5 100_3310

CapeCoddess 5/10/2017, 10:52 am

Those carrot sprouts are SO CUTE! Did you cover them with something until they germinated? How often did you water them? What variety are they?
CC

**Turan** 5/10/2017, 10:53 am

I like that photo from the side, baby carrots are a hard portrait to take.
Congrats on all the sprouts.
I took the cover off the carrot bed and see that mine are up and moving too, just a bit more weedy a bed. Once they have a couple true leaves I will do some weeding and thinning if needed.

MrBooker 5/10/2017, 12:41 pm

They are Tendersweet and Danver half longs. I water them every morning just enough to keep the MM moist until they get going. If it gets hot weather, I give them a little water in the afternoon.

When they didn't germinate well the first time, I put down 4 or 5 seeds when I replanted and I think I'll do that from now on. It's easier to thin than than to replant.

Going out to mow the yard right now. Haven't mowed in two weeks and the grass is really tall. Going to start two more compost piles today.... rock on

Robbomb116 5/12/2017, 9:31 am

My carrots have successfully germinated, or at least most of them! The burlap is off so the seedlings can get some sweet sunshine. Supposed to get to 84 here today! And it's still a week before our last frost date.

**Scorpio Rising** 5/12/2017, 11:30 am

Tendersweet and Sugarsnax in here. There is germination, but I didn't label them so no idea which is which until I pull one! Sugarsnax are skinnier.... Carrot Week 2017! - Page 5 998388915

Robbomb116 5/12/2017, 12:26 pm

I planted mokum, and purplesnax, the purple version of sugarsnax! Hoping my 2 year old is interested in the different colors. She LOVES dipping baby carrots in ranch.

**Scorpio Rising** 5/12/2017, 3:48 pm

Robbomb116 wrote:I planted mokum, and purplesnax, the purple version of sugarsnax! Hoping my 2 year old is interested in the different colors. She LOVES dipping baby carrots in ranch.

Who doesn't? LOL!

Robbomb116 5/12/2017, 4:14 pm

Umm I actually can't stand ranch and much prefer roasted carrots over raw. Embarassed

**Scorpio Rising** 5/12/2017, 4:28 pm

Robbomb116 wrote:Umm I actually can't stand ranch and much prefer roasted carrots over raw.

LOL! I like roasted as well. But I really do prefer the homegrown ones raw, they are so tender and sweet!

Robbomb116 5/12/2017, 5:48 pm

This is my first garden (minus last year's small fall garden of 8 squares), so I've never had garden fresh - well mostly anything besides the very few things I grew last fall. Definitely going to try some of my carrots raw of course!

**Scorpio Rising** 5/12/2017, 6:10 pm

Robbomb116 wrote:This is my first garden (minus last year's small fall garden of 8 squares), so I've never had garden fresh - well mostly anything besides the very few things I grew last fall. Definitely going to try some of my carrots raw of course!

They are a whole different animal, Rob!

BeetlesPerSqFt 5/12/2017, 11:56 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:
Robbomb116 wrote:This is my first garden (minus last year's small fall garden of 8 squares), so I've never had garden fresh - well mostly anything besides the very few things I grew last fall. Definitely going to try some of my carrots raw of course!
They are a whole different animal, Rob!

Carrots, a whole different animal: https://i2.wp.com/www.funsterz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Carrot-Fox.jpg?w=625

**Scorpio Rising** 5/13/2017, 6:37 pm

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:
Scorpio Rising wrote:
Robbomb116 wrote:This is my first garden (minus last year's small fall garden of 8 squares), so I've never had garden fresh - well mostly anything besides the very few things I grew last fall. Definitely going to try some of my carrots raw of course!
They are a whole different animal, Rob!
Carrots, a whole different animal: https://i2.wp.com/www.funsterz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Carrot-Fox.jpg?w=625

**trolleydriver** 5/14/2017, 5:37 pm

I found the top of one of my two volunteer carrots lying on top of the MM. The carrot itself was gone.

Carrot Week 2017! - Page 5 671790

yolos 5/14/2017, 11:58 pm

trolleydriver wrote:I found the top of one of my two volunteer carrots lying on top of the MM. The carrot itself was gone.

Oh No.

**sanderson** 5/16/2017, 12:06 am

Oh, no!

countrynaturals 5/16/2017, 1:27 pm

trolleydriver wrote:I found the top of one of my two volunteer carrots lying on top of the MM. The carrot itself was gone.

Look at it this way, you made some little critter very happy. Rolling Eyes

plantoid 5/17/2017, 1:14 am

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:Hurray for sprouting carrots! I'm getting much better germination this year...and I have no idea why.

But I do have something eating the seed leaves off in one square. I poked around and found a critter and removed it (didn't kill it since I wasn't sure). And when I looked it up I found it was a rove beetle larva* and probably not responsible. In fact, it may have eaten the responsible party (fingers crossed!) It was probably slugs that did it, even though I've got many fewer than last year. (Or maybe the sow bugs, I've still got too many of those.)

*don't look up photos if you're squeamish!I love bugs but find these ... hard on the eyes.

You had the ideal temperature & levels of moisture for this years crop , plus sunlight & have you've sown the seeds at the correct depth .

Get all those right & they will germinate in less than three weeks . Get it wrong & it can take well over a month or so for them to pop through if they ever do germinate .

Last year I found one square I'd sown up took nearly two months to show through , for I'd sown it when it was too cold & too wet . Not all the seeds germinated either despite it being seeds sold for that years cropping .
I'm guessing that the no shows had rotted before germination took place either that or the dreaded slugs had been eating them just as germination got going .

Fiz 5/26/2017, 10:44 am

I unknowingly participated in this event, haha. Planted some mini carrots on April 18th or 19th, and here they are today! I think these little guys will only be 3-4 inches long when fully mature. They are seeds I had left over from a mini terrarium garden my wife got me for my birthday last year. I also am growing round baby carrots (romeo) but those were planted way before these, in containers.

Carrot Week 2017! - Page 5 Carrot10

**sanderson** 5/27/2017, 3:55 pm

No carrots showing yet. Oh, wait, I didn't get around to sowing any seeds. Embarassed

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