CARROT WEEK HAS BEGUN!!!!

I fully intended to plant my carrots today. My husband even ran out to HD before he went to work and built me a 2x3 top hat. Unfortunately, while I was out getting ready to fill the top hat with MM and plant my carrots, the kids decided not to cooperate. A stick wielding 4 year old is not a 2 year old's friend.

I'm going to run out first thing tomorrow morning and get my carrots planted before the rain starts at lunch time. Wish me luck that I can actually get it done this time!

Blackrose wrote: Unfortunately, while I was out getting ready to fill the top hat with MM and plant my carrots, the kids decided not to cooperate. A stick wielding 4 year old is not a 2 year old's friend.

I'm so glad I wasn't at your house today! We are currently potty training a four month old Dalmatian puppy. Trust me...you wouldn't want to trade a kid on one of their worst days!

When it comes to carrots, a few days one way or the other won't make much difference.

I forgot about carrot week, and on Saturday, planted a whole square of kaleidoscope carrots (the girls were so excited). So this evening, I stuck two seeds of the scarlet variety in one hole in an empty square, and in another week, I'll finish the square. Want to stagger a bit. Don't worry, I'll write down which spot got planted. I am well enough acquainted with colander-brain syndrome...

Carrots are not one of those veggies worth stagger planting for a staggered harvest.

They don't get 'ripe'. They can be eaten at any time of their development at any size. Forget the 'days till harvest' on the back of the seed package. I don't think there's another vegetable that pays less attention to that number! Carrots can be stored in the ground for months after their projected harvest dates. A good heavy frost or two makes them taste better, and they can survive in frozen ground, to a certain extent, just fine.

I stagger plant my carrots for safety and interest. Some times, a planting just doesn't 'take'. That's the best way I can put it. Maybe it's my mood, or the moon cycle, or the weather, or that the Mariners lost the night before...some times, a planting doesn't work. So, I do four or five plantings a year, at least, to be on the safe side. That also gives me a chance to see how weather plays on development. It appears that 3-4 weeks difference in planting time can make a big difference in size development by the time cold weather comes in the fall, and growth stops.

Just sayin'... ...carrots are worth playing with as a 'grid'. Plant them under your grids in your boxes that have one crop per season in them. Remove grid as carrot tops develop.

Aw Blackrose, don't worry about it. That one day isn't going to "disqualify" you from anything. You can still be part of the SFG forum. Life is just like that sometimes. But wishing you all the best at getting it done tomorrow.

Gwynn

jazzymaddy wrote:I am well enough acquainted with colander-brain syndrome...

Or as a friend of mine used to say: "Little Sieve Head!"

TC

Goosegirl wrote:

jazzymaddy wrote:I am well enough acquainted with colander-brain syndrome...

Or as a friend of mine used to say: "Little Sieve Head!"

TC

Love it! BTW, your user name wouldn't happen to be after the book, would it? Loved Goose Girl!

jazzymaddy wrote:Love it! BTW, your user name wouldn't happen to be after the book, would it? Loved Goose Girl!

Never heard of the book - now you have me curious!

TC

Goosegirl wrote:

Never heard of the book - now you have me curious!

TC

It's a great YA fiction (which is all I read anymore because you can count on them being clean, plus it keeps me feeling young...). Kind of fairy tale-ish. Author is Shannon Hale. I believe she's the author of The Princess Academy, which was made into a movie. Anyway, if that sounds like your cup of compost tea... definitely check it out.

jazzymaddy wrote:

Goosegirl wrote:

Never heard of the book - now you have me curious!

TC

It's a great YA fiction (which is all I read anymore because you can count on them being clean, plus it keeps me feeling young...). Kind of fairy tale-ish. Author is Shannon Hale. I believe she's the author of The Princess Academy, which was made into a movie. Anyway, if that sounds like your cup of compost tea... definitely check it out.

I looked it up on Amazon and it sounded pretty good. Tomorrow I will be off to the library!

TC/GG

Awesome! Let me know what you think. Hope you love it. In fact, I think I'll check it out again.

So i totally forgot to mention that I planted my carrots on the 16th. I used the tissue paper seed tape method. This is my first experiment with it, so I'm a little anxious. Hopefully it works out...

Dizzy, please explain the tissue paper seed tape. Sounds like it might help space tiny carrot seeds better. Inquiring minds want to know.

Here is a video. I subbed elmer's glue for the flour and water paste.

Cool! Thank you so much. Never envisioned a seed tape, but it will rapidly become a necessity in my future gardening...so, you CAN teach an old dog a new trick!

Dizzy,

I tried elmer's glue on single layer paper towel seed tapes this year too.(the paper towels are about 1 sq ft) A bit too early to see how well the seedlings germinate, but full of hope. Those tiny fluttery little carrot and lettuce seeds are too difficult for me to plant one at a time in our windy area.

The very first square (and only, so far) I plant are my Nantes! I planted them on April 17th.

Quick carrot update. Planted nantes and 3 other varieties, about 1/2 have come up so far. With all the rain we've received I haven't had to water much I kept the covers on the beds a few nights due to the low temperatures but no other issues to report.

I have carrots!! Ok, only two tiny seedlings so far - but they're sprouting! Yeaaaaa! I honestly just planted them to be part of the fun of Carrot Week - thought it would be too hot here already for them to even sprout. I've seen some other posts (that I was very jealous of until this morning when I saw my first sprouts) saying their carrots were coming up recently. How are the carrots that were planted for Carrot Week - any more reports?

Never grew carrots before and mine aren't Nantes cause I didn't realize they were supposed to be until after I planted them - but what fun! Next time Carrot Week rolls around I'll get the Nantes!

Still not a carrot in sight around here.

No carrot sighting here either, Dizzy. This IS the Pacific Northwest, and it has been RAINING, perhaps it was too early, too wet, too cold. If nothing by this weekend, I'll replant the two squares.

None here either, although I am not totally surprised.

Gwynn

Of the one square I planted on April 13th, I had every hole sprout at least one of the two seeds except one. So I quickly and carefully transplanted one seedling from a hole where both germinated into the empty hole and it seemed to have survived the journey. However, I'm sure it will grow into a funny shape as it did bend in the process. So right now I have 16 carrots (thinned out the rest where both sprouted) barely an inch high but no true first leaves yet.

The Nantes Carrots were sprouting. They were around 1/2 inch high BUT!

Would you believe it. I went down the garden this morning and something
had walked all over my beds and left great big animal footprints. I can
only think it must have been a fox.

It had dug a hole right where
I had planted my Nantes carrots and deposited something in the hole and
buried it. So, I got my shovel and started digging and guess what I
found? 2 Iced Buns, yes you read right, I didn't believe what I was
seeing. I had to laugh.

Needless to say I think the carrots will be growing in different places now when I can find out where I will let you know.

I have Carrots! I went down to check my beds yesterday. Several little sprouts popped up while I was working last week! I was ready to give up and replant! Silly carrots!