Greenhouse carrots for Christmas

[reetnproper]

At the back end of August, after reading something in one of my gardening books - I forget which one - I seeded 3 large plastic 'rubble tubs' with carrots. We use thes tubs, successfully, to grow beans in and I hated seeing 3 of them sitting idol just waiting for something to be planted in them .

So, using a good quality, all purpose compost, my 2 little girls and I sowed one tub each with carrots, just to see if they would grow and be ready for Christmas. .

Each tub was liberally covered with coffee grounds and then a covering of green netting was place over them.

They spent September outside before being moved into the greenhouse, once space became available, and the netting was removed.

I have to say that my dh was sceptical about wether or not this crop would grow but he was delighted when the Christmas dinner vegetables were homegrown, parsnips, leeks, runner and french beans (blanched and frozen during the summer), butternut squash AND the sweetest, tastiest baby carrots I have ever eaten .

We have had an amazing crop from all 3 tubs and have plenty to spare for a few more meals. This is definitiely something we will be doing next year.

Happy new year all,
Love Reet
xx

[Jillyreeves]

Well done Reet

I did a silmilar thing with my left over compost and carrot seeds at the end of September, no crop to pick as yet but I can see tops of them under the soil so I think I should get some sooner or later.

If you have a greenhouse I think this is a great way to get a out of season treat and will do it again, just next year I will sow them in August like you

[ginger ninger]

I did this with some broad beans, there about 18" tall now so I'm hoping for an early crop, and my garlic are in a large bendy bucket in the green house as well, my carrots didn't survive but ya can't win them all.

[Snadger]

I always over winter some spring cabbage plants, planted individually in flower buckets in greenhouse.

I had carrots for Crimbo dinner as well, but mine just stay in my carrot bed outside until I'm ready to harvest them. You can usually get up until about March/April whence they start going hairy i.e. putting out new roots for the coming season.

[ann-the-nan]

Greenhouse carrots for Christmas

Found some round carrots which had escaped harvesting, when I cleared the summer annuals out of a posh pot. Some were as big as golf balls. Decided to have them Boxing Day when the family came up for dinner. Tasted fantastic. OH said they tasted of real carrot. Grandchildren said they were the best carrots they had ever tasted. Now there's an accolade!

[glasgowdan]

I also did this with carrots in the greenhouse and managed to provide plenty carrots for 12 people at Christmas dinner with some spare. 3 tubs again, sown late aug/early sept. Will be doing it next year hopefully.

[SlugLobber]

I did similar with some autumn kings, sowed in early sept I think. I was harvesting carrots through December. Lovely, sweet babies! Can't harvest any right now, due to solid compost, but it's lovely to be harvesting in the winter, innit?

[zazen999]

I've still got some in a big orange ex-waste paper bin; I'm saving them for seeds though, so no juicy carrots for me....but will do it again, I'll sow earlier so they are bigger by Christmas.

Brightens up the greenhouse as well.