Onions and carrots

[Jenegade]

Got my fork at the ready......CHAAAARGE

[kitchengardner]

carrots & onions

carrots and onions grow well together, indeed the onions help deter carrot fly (although garlic is even better)

I also have heavy clay soil and got round the problem by starting the carrots off in a 50:50 mix of sharp sand (not builders sand, the lime kills them) and multipurpose compost contained in toilet roll inners (ie the cardboard tube) on a sunny window sill. Once they are large enough to handle ie thin them to 2-3 seedlings per tube and after a couple of weeks plant them out

I do this by using a bulb planter to open up a hole in the soil and then fill this about a third full with more of the sand/compost mix before placing the whole tube (with seedlings in it)into the hole. Gently firm round and water using a rose. I fleece mine for extra protection, especially in spring.

hope this helps

Kitchen Gardener

[Snadger]

....................I was planning on putting my carrots and onions in alternate rows, apparently it's meant to confuse the carrot fly!.....................

I thought of doing that in my two raised beds...........the problem as I see it, is that they both like different soil conditions!
Onions like a rich loam with lots of organic material present whilst carrots like a sandy loam without manure!

If grown in blocks next to each other it will hopefully give the same effect and I can doctor the soil to suit the crop!

PS I can't grow carrots without the use of enviromesh or or fleece............I've tried but they always get munched by the carrot fly grub!

[Smuff]

Got my fork at the ready......CHAAAARGE

That's the spirit

[Alice]

Smuff, if you're soil's not good and you just want a small crop anyway, then they do well in containers. I've grown Parmex in big , shallow, containers , filled with compost. with good results.
Early Nantes in deeper pots do well too.
Whichever way, hope you get some nice carrots.

[Smuff]

carrots and onions grow well together, indeed the onions help deter carrot fly (although garlic is even better)

I also have heavy clay soil and got round the problem by starting the carrots off in a 50:50 mix of sharp sand (not builders sand, the lime kills them) and multipurpose compost contained in toilet roll inners (ie the cardboard tube) on a sunny window sill. Once they are large enough to handle ie thin them to 2-3 seedlings per tube and after a couple of weeks plant them out

I do this by using a bulb planter to open up a hole in the soil and then fill this about a third full with more of the sand/compost mix before placing the whole tube (with seedlings in it)into the hole. Gently firm round and water using a rose. I fleece mine for extra protection, especially in spring.

hope this helps

Kitchen Gardener

Indeed it does; I feel a grand experiment coming on for next year. Some carrots in tubes and the rest in sandy/compost filled trenches. With onions. And fleece.
At this rate there won't be much room left for the soil

For clarification; do you then thin out to one seedling per tube or leave the 2-3 seedlings in the same tube?

[Smuff]

Smuff, if you're soil's not good and you just want a small crop anyway, then they do well in containers. I've grown Parmex in big , shallow, containers , filled with compost. with good results.
Early Nantes in deeper pots do well too.
Whichever way, hope you get some nice carrots.

Thanks
I was going to hedge my bets and try some in some big pots. That way I can, almost, be guaranteed something.

[kitchengardner]

carrots & onions

I do grow mine in blocks rather than truely interspaced, but it is still in the same bed and I haven't had any problems with the soil, I find using the bulb planter technique lets me create a local soil environment to suit the individual plant.

Mind you I am growing for eating not show so am not after giant/perfect specimens

Quite agree that some kind of barrier is essential, especially as I am a diehard organic grower. I also find garlic spray is an effective deterrent, especially when I plant out, thin or harvest. Simply crush a few cloves and pour on 1pt hot (not boiling) water cover and allow to stew for about an hour. I then strain and put into an atomiser. This keeps for about 4 weeks in the shed.

Regards

Kitchen Gardener

[kitchengardner]

carrot thinning

Smuff - I leave 2-3 seedlings per tube. It means if one dies you still get something and I find that the carrots will push each other out and still grow fine at this density. I have tried leaving 5-6 seedlings per tube but this lead to much smaller carrots.

Regards

Kitchen Gardener

[Smuff]

Smuff - I leave 2-3 seedlings per tube. It means if one dies you still get something and I find that the carrots will push each other out and still grow fine at this density. I have tried leaving 5-6 seedlings per tube but this lead to much smaller carrots.

Regards

Kitchen Gardener

Ok. I'll give it a go.

[vegnut]

What i want to know is. Do you top your carrots at the lottie, and throw the green on the compost heap. If you do, would that not attract the carrot fly. It's just something that i thought of this year, while doing just that .

[kitchengardner]

carrots on the heap

Vegnut - Unless your heap is right on top of where you grow your carrots it shouldn't be a problem but if you are not sure simply push them just underthe surface and it will mask the smell.

If you are really paranoid (like me ) then a quick spray with the garlic spray I described yesterday will definitely solve the problem. However, it is more important to spray it over the carrot patch when you harvested in the first place as carrot fly can pick up the scent of fresh carrot at over a hundred yards! Mind you a simple barrier of horticultural fleece and a few sticks (think windbreak)around the patch is the best defence, just make sure the bottom edge is just below the soil

Regards

*************er

[Snadger]

My carrot tops don't last very long................the chooks luv em!

[womble]

kitchen-gardener, how far apart do you plant your loo rolls with the carrots in them?

[kitchengardner]

carrot/loo roll spacing

kitchen-gardener, how far apart do you plant your loo rolls with the carrots in them?

I plant mine 2" apart (between the rolls) in all directions in a block fashion and then harvest alternate ones once the visible top (not the leaf) gets as thick as my thumb. I leave the remainder for about another 4-6 weeks, depending on the time of year, to get full size carrots.

Regards

Kitchen Gardener