Carrots

[scotti]

In this weeks Amateur Gardening Nov.26, 2006 p.13, Anne Swithinbank is shown holding a crop of carrots with the caption " I'm delighted with this years crop of carrots - the best we've ever grown" I had trouble this year with carrots and I seem to recollect on Gardeners' World Monty saying similar. Their crop was not so good. Is Anne lucky or what do you need to make the crop successful?

[mazel-bee]

I have not tried or heard of the Anne variety and there are more knowledgeable people on here. I have great luck with planting out side the carrot fly peak season, and I am using pots so I plant mine in really peaty compost making it easy for the root.

[PAULW]

My carrots this year were fantastic, I have grown four types through the season Early Nantes, Maestro, Paris Market and autumn King have had very little fly damage which I put down to the very cold spring, Grown on ground that had not been manured and kept well watered, but then again my beetroot and potatoes were rubish this year, you win some you lose some.

[Alice]

Hello Scotti, My ground is not suitable for growing carrots in, so I grow them in deep pots, using the compost from grow bags. The variety is Early Nantes. The crop was tremendous. We had all we could eat and some for the freezer. When I plant them I pick the seeds out by hand and space them 1" apart each way. So no thinning, and I empty a whole pot at a time, so no carrot fly. It could be worth a try for you.

[nick the grief]

I had some nice ones early on in the greenhouse. Outside we had to sow twice as they didn't germinate the first time by then it was getting round the carrot fly maximum soo they got munched a bit. Didn't bother after that.

[Fezinio]

Alice,

What do you mean by

So no thinning, and I empty a whole pot at a time, so no carrot fly. It could be worth a try for you.

because I want to grow early Nantes in tubs next year.

Many Thanks

Fezinio

[Snadger]

Alice,

What do you mean by because I want to grow early Nantes in tubs next year.

Many Thanks

Fezinio

I think what Alice is saying is that she doesn't take some of the carrots out of a single pot, allowing the smell to attract the carrot fly to the remaining carrots, but empties the whole pot at once!

[burnie]

My early carrots were grown under fleece and were a great success,second crop sowed in amongst onion sets were ok,last lot planted in september after the so called fly season are very poor.They had no protection and weren't harvested until last weekend,full of maggots in november in scotland after a frost,tough little blighters.Next year all will be grown under fleece,even inside the poly tunnel.

[Snadger]

Judging by the reports of carrot fly this year, I think that if we don't have a hard winter this year it will be even worse next year!

[Skipper]

Hi Scotti
Sorry to here about your carrots .......I had a great year with mine....Planted "Early Nantes" and "Paris Market" on the 5th of may,in went "F1 Ingot" on the 4th of June and put some more "Paris" in July/August.....I didnt do any thinning but just pulled small ones up and used as babies (lovely) which then allowed the others to grow on.I did lose a few to what I think were slugs( as they were on them when I pulled them up) and the very last carrot I pulled up yesterday.The only thing that might have made a difference was the French Marigolds that I planted near them but I'm not sure.I hope you have better luck next time

[Alice]

Hello Fezinio, I wasn't sure about your question, but Snadger has the answer right. I empty out the whole tub, rather than pull a couple of carrots. I wish I had taken some pics of them as they were truly superb. Hope you have great success with your carrots next year.

[kirsty b]

I had some success with carrots this year. Planted Autumn King, most of earlier sowing was munched by my daughter digging them up when they were little and scoffing them when I wasn't looking but my later sowing which we dug up last week came out ok. Not huge, but nice shape and taste.

Kirsty

[plivingstone]

I had terrible luck with the carrots this year, our geese stuck their heads through the fence and took the carrot tops off in one sitting. Have made a more substantial fence and next year will either plant in pots or in a bed further away from the fence.

[JennieAtkinson]

I had a good year with carrots both in the polytunnel and outside. Still have some in the ground, earthed up, and hoping they will last until Christmas.

Nick - how early did you sow the greenhouse ones?

[nick the grief]

ah now your asking, I think it was about october/november as I wanted them for around Christmas - they were Amsterday Forcing3 so quick matureing. The germination was patchy as it was old seed that I found having said that some has germinated recently after I dug the bed