My Tiny PlotHalejulah for Carrots!
Holy heck, I’ve actually managed to harvest some carrots that are not either so small you need a magnifying glass to see them, so forked that they’re impossible to eat or so infested with carrot fly that err… you wouldn’t want to eat them anyway. This is the batch that I sowed direct in the old cold frame back in March. One of two things is happening here: either I sowed the carrots so early that they missed the first wave of flies or that my cunning plan of using the cold frame two-thirds full really did act as a barrier to the vertically challenged carrotfly. It’s anyone’s guess which one was working for me here but by the next harvest I should be able to tell as they were sowed much later. So it’s time for celebration here at mtp – after 3 years of trying we finally get to taste home grown carrot. Who said growing your own was easy?
I also had some good results with Early Nantes 2 sown back in Feb into a link-a-bord raised bed. They were sown with the idea to pull them as fingers. No problems with deformed carrots of carrot fly.
Wow!! Those are beautiful. Seriously, I thought for a second it was a professional photo, those are almost too gorgeous to eat!
Almost.
Yup – raised beds are the way to go with carrots. Like you I had years of frustration,
with nothing but spronky, stunted, wormholed results to show for it….then the 1st season in a 6 inch deep cold frame type arrangement – Hey Presto – Perfection!
Well done you, as well.
GM
Well done on getting a good harvest of carrots. I find that sandy soil is what carrots like to grow in best.
Congratulations! I’ve had a disaster with my carrots this year. First lot, Early Nantes planted in the greenhouse are now (6 months later) a fantastic 3″ tall… The other 2 rows planted in May.. did not germinate at all. Will keep trying.
Lost most of mine to slugs, the rest will be dug up by badgers. Me …. jealous…..never!!!
I’ll take the credit for the raised planting idea! Glad it worked for you.
Wow those look delicious! I’ve been reading your blog for inspiration whilst starting my potted balcony garden. Thanks :)
I have only planted Chantenays since I didnt think I could grow long ones! I hope they turn out half as nice as yours.
Hurrah! Congratulations!
Well done! Finally got round to sowing a 4ft long row of carrots on 20 May, myself. So far, 8 have deigned to sprout and have leaves that just about reach 1 inch high. Sigh. Mind you, the potatoes I planted on 11 May have created a forest (much loved by shade seeking cat), so I’m hoping they’re not ‘all leaf and no spud’ and can make up for disappointment in the carrot department. Love your blog, it’s one of my ‘regulars’. You have a wonderful knack of reinfecting me with that childlike wonder of big plants from tiny seeds, particularly with your fine photos. Thank you!
Wow…Bet they taste great…I have mine safely perched, in pots atop my “pallet composter”.
I have just bought 100m x 2m of fleece as a belt and braces approach when I sow direct.
I will try the fleece on the brassicas first having lost the lot…including raddish to (cabbage) root fly!…Ta tarrr..