Comments on: Spring Carrots

By: anna

anna — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:40:31 +0000

HI
We have had simmilar problems with our carrotts on the allotment. I sowed the five times the first year, only to get excited to see the first leaves then it all disapeared. Sowed twice the second year similar results. This year we have laid bird netting over them around a low wooden frame and we have carrotts. We are suspecting they were rabbitt h before now tha this has worked. I always blamed the slugs before. In fact they get the blame for anything that goes wrong. poor beasties

By: mtp

mtp — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:11:23 +0000

Thanks for all the advice. When I had an allotment I could never grow Carrots either. There seemed to be too many Carrot fly on the prowl. It’s like they had sussed out that people would be growing Carrots there and they were just hanging around waiting to pounce.

By: Chris Whyles

Chris Whyles — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:56:16 +0000

Just thought I’d be the first to congratulate you on reaching 1000 subscribers! I am sure there will be many thousands more, seduced by your backyard idyll and scrumptious photography!

By: kerry

kerry — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:23:54 +0000

I agree with garden mum, stumbled on your blog whilst looking for advice on seed saving…Growing carrots in large pots works well I find. Ihave a small vegetable plot at the end of my garden. Love all the advice and the community. thank you.

By: Garden Mum

Garden Mum — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:20:51 +0000

Wow. Our carrots are looking very spindly. I think I didn’t thin them out soon enough. There is a lovely blog award for you over at mine. I get some great tips from your blog. Its inspiring.

By: Caz

Caz — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:35:26 +0000

I think I have been very lucky as even though had a slow start as carrots didnt germinate as expected as I didnt have a cloche over them, I have not had problems as yet with carrot fly or slugs! I planted marigolds alongside them to confuse the carrot fly when I thinned the carrots so that the yummy fragrance of the carrots was disguised. Am very lucky to have some toads that seem to keep the slugs away. Am sure by gardening organically it encourages the toads to stay and help me!!
My carrots not quite as beautiful as the ones in the photo yet though!

By: thedroolingvegetable

thedroolingvegetable — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:23:33 +0000

Carrots. Sigh. Slugs ate mine too.

I carefully planted onions and garlic all around to deter the carrot fly, but it’s all rather academic as the big slimy buggers munched them all before the carrot fly could find them.

I’m very jealous.

By: sharon

sharon — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:02:33 +0000

I grow my carrots in large tubs I sow them quite thick then when I thin them you get tiny little carrots which are really cute to eat

Leave the rest in the tub and thin some more when they get bigger and you get slightly bigger ones the kids love these tiny carrots

The last ones in there will be the biggest

I have never had a problem with carrot root fly and it seems to be the easiest way to grow them and you get nice straight carrots as well. You may not get the biggest carrots in the world this way but at least you get some

I have tried it this year for parsnips and so far I have loads that have germinated so fingers crossed

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:15:07 +0000

I was talking to one of the blokes on the allotment yesterday. He’s given up on carrots. Other people grow them in huge tubs (Think large round bins and washing up bowls!) but he’s fed up with the carrot fly just snaffling the lot before he gets a chance!
He also thinks the carrot fly can probably get in these tubs too – despite it being rumoured to only get 6″ off the ground!
These giant tubs of carrots are really densely packed too – so I’m not sure how fat the carrots can get.

Our own rows of carrots look very sad, they survived the slug attacks by virtue of there being so much chickweed growing around them it was like a barrier! Not many seeds germinated I suspect rather than the slug attacked them – they were too busy on my beans!

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:03:16 +0000

Sarah,

Thanks for the info. Will go and have a recce and see how they’re doing!!

Thanks again.