Make an onion happy, make a carrot sad

Onions, garlic, shallots – if you’ve any left from last year’s crop you’ll find at this time of year a tendency for them to go soft and produce a green shoot (sometimes even shop-bought ones too). Although pretty useless for cooking don’t chuck them out but plunge the root end into a bowl of moist compost somewhere reasonably light (indoors or out, frost free) and let them fulfill their natural cycle which as bi-annuals is to flower. Just stick ‘em in the bowl as they shoot and you’ll have a succession of tall flowering alliums as good as the hyacinths you struggled to get to flower for Christmas (and some allium flower bulbs are quite expensive, these are freebies…). Even better if you can be bothered, you can collect the free seed and either way you’ll be left with some of the best dried flower-heads in the business! Moreover you’ll have let an onion fulfill its natural purpose and so made it very happy, la la….

Unfortunately I can’t be quite so upbeat for the humble carrot and need help on this one. I know it works, have seen it done, but I can’t get it to work for some reason…. - that is, you sow and germinate carrot seed in a poly bag or plastic container of water gel (e.g. the sort used to aid water-retention in hanging baskets and containers) and then, once germinated, you squirt/pour them into a shallow drill where you want them to grow. And hey presto, a neat row of carrots! You could even sign your name in them if so inclined, or leave messages for over-flying helicopters... Except, duh! – I can’t get it to work… They germinate OK but don’t survive the transition (thus sad/dead carrots ). What am I doing wrong? I’ve also tried it with radish seeds with the same results. b.