First year growing carrots - Page 3

b54red · January 9, 2017

I have grown a lot of varieties of carrots over the years and now only grow one and that is Sugar Snax II. Nelson was one of my favorites until I tried SS which gets longer and is so sweet. I try to start them in the fall and let them overwinter planting two or three times. It is a little late now because carrots tend to lose that super sweet flavor once the soil gets too hot but I may put in one more small planting.

One trick that really helps after thinning them is to mulch them with some pine bark fines to keep down weeks and help keep the soil moisture more consistent. I plant in raised beds but where I put carrots I make sure to at least loosen the soil at least a foot deep with a digging fork and if I have any compost add it into the soil. I feed them every 7 to 10 days with a liquid fertilizer like TTF.

Bill

Gardeneer · January 9, 2017

Hmm !! Gotta grow carrots.
When is the right time for spring/summer sowing ?
My soil is sandy load and roots can grow deep with little efforts.
After tonight's low of 22F we are headed into 42L to 70H .
My chives , scallion and parsley seeds, sown on Dec 30th are in frozen soil right now.

The next items are lettuce and peas.

ilex · January 10, 2017

I grow carrots in heavy clay. Had all kind of problems, worst problem was poor germination. I've tried over 50 varieties. Ended creating my own landrace. Very easy to do with carrots. It is based on old Spanish varieties. Now I need to create a biennial version of my landrace. Old varieties here are amazing, but annuals.

NarnianGarden · January 10, 2017

Have tried carrots only a few times, but always have got something as a result. My experience has been that they're relatively low maintenance - no matter what the soil.
Provided that hares (and other critters, be it four-legged or two-legged) keep away, the harvest has been plentiful both in beds and in buckets. The latter has perhaps been a bit easier to manage, and I might try it again this coming spring.
Nantes has been the fave of ours, but some multi color heirlooms have also been fun. Atomic purple etc...and Parisian markets are easy to grow even in a smaller container, they also are faster than other varieties.

Gardeneer · January 10, 2017

I know this much that carrots grow best in a long cool summer climates : Plant them in the spring and harvest in the fall. That is very much like growing potatoes. But in the deep south you have to do it much early in the season so that they are done by July. The same way I used to grow potatoes in GA. But have not tried carrots.

rhines81 · January 10, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

I have grown a lot of varieties of carrots over the years and now only grow one and that is Sugar Snax II. Nelson was one of my favorites until I tried SS which gets longer and is so sweet. I try to start them in the fall and let them overwinter planting two or three times. It is a little late now because carrots tend to lose that super sweet flavor once the soil gets too hot but I may put in one more small planting.

One trick that really helps after thinning them is to mulch them with some pine bark fines to keep down weeks and help keep the soil moisture more consistent. I plant in raised beds but where I put carrots I make sure to at least loosen the soil at least a foot deep with a digging fork and if I have any compost add it into the soil. I feed them every 7 to 10 days with a liquid fertilizer like TTF.

Bill

I tried planting carrots the past few years by starting the first row of 12 4 weeks before the last expected frost, (1st week of May). After that, I follow up with another row of 12 two weeks later and repeat until mid-June. I don't eat a ton of carrots so this is plenty for me. Problem is that they all start out fine, but never seem to grow to full maturity. I haven't paid any attention to the variety, always though carrots were carrots - but I think I'll give it one more shot this year and pick something that might be better for my area.
I also grow in a raised bed.

Gardeneer · January 11, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhines81

I tried planting carrots the past few years by starting the first row of 12 4 weeks before the last expected frost, (1st week of May). After that, I follow up with another row of 12 two weeks later and repeat until mid-June. I don't eat a ton of carrots so this is plenty for me. Problem is that they all start out fine, but never seem to grow to full maturity. I haven't paid any attention to the variety, always though carrots were carrots - but I think I'll give it one more shot this year and pick something that might be better for my area.
I also grow in a raised bed.

You have to thin them as they get bigger. This way you enjoy the tiny ones which are even tastier. Or if you have rabbits feed them.

Other thing is that as root crop they need fluffy soil. Just watch the video in BV's post.

AlittleSalt · January 11, 2017

In post #1, the little reddish carrots are Parisian carrots . Both types were grown over winter here in Texas.

We have tried growing them from spring into summer twice, but they were not edible.

ilex · January 11, 2017

Carrots are really a cool weather crop. I plant in summer and get them in winter. They taste better in cool weather and are easier to manage. I think that bigger carrots are better, more flavour. Mine are not selected for baby carrots.

I'm in zone 9 so I have flexibility, but in colder places (zone 6) they planted late june-july-August and lifted in November or earlier if needed before heavy frost. Light frost is ok.

b54red · January 11, 2017

I agree that carrots are not very good to eat if harvested after the soil really heats up in the summer. They tend to lose that sweet crispiness and start sending out a lot of little hairy roots from the carrot.

I like to start mine in the fall and pick them in the late spring; but I can sometimes make some good carrots planted as late as early February if we don't have a really early summer. If you have much weather below 25 degrees it might be a good idea to have a small hoop to protect them during the really cold nights. I have only had carrots freeze one time and that was when it got down to 12 degrees and stayed below freezing for a couple of days with high winds.

Bill

ilex · January 11, 2017

My babies. Most over 300 gr.

PhilaGardener · January 11, 2017

Those look great! Are the purples just skin deep or through and through?

Worth1 · January 11, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

Those look great! Are the purples just skin deep or through and through?

What you see is what you get through and through.
Too bad all the ones in the store are orange.

Worth

ilex · January 11, 2017

It varies between carrots

ilex · January 11, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Too bad all the ones in the store are orange.

Worth

I know, we've had carrots in Spain for over 800 years, all colors, with orange being extremely rare ... and go know looking for those local varieties. But hey, who knows Spanish varieties? They are unknown even here

January 9, 2017	#32
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Hmm !! Gotta grow carrots. When is the right time for spring/summer sowing ? My soil is sandy load and roots can grow deep with little efforts. After tonight's low of 22F we are headed into 42L to 70H . My chives , scallion and parsley seeds, sown on Dec 30th are in frozen soil right now. The next items are lettuce and peas. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

January 10, 2017	#33
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	I grow carrots in heavy clay. Had all kind of problems, worst problem was poor germination. I've tried over 50 varieties. Ended creating my own landrace. Very easy to do with carrots. It is based on old Spanish varieties. Now I need to create a biennial version of my landrace. Old varieties here are amazing, but annuals. Last edited by ilex; January 10, 2017 at 07:04 PM.

January 10, 2017	#35
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	I know this much that carrots grow best in a long cool summer climates : Plant them in the spring and harvest in the fall. That is very much like growing potatoes. But in the deep south you have to do it much early in the season so that they are done by July. The same way I used to grow potatoes in GA. But have not tried carrots. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

January 11, 2017	#39
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	Carrots are really a cool weather crop. I plant in summer and get them in winter. They taste better in cool weather and are easier to manage. I think that bigger carrots are better, more flavour. Mine are not selected for baby carrots. I'm in zone 9 so I have flexibility, but in colder places (zone 6) they planted late june-july-August and lifted in November or earlier if needed before heavy frost. Light frost is ok. Last edited by ilex; January 11, 2017 at 03:21 AM.

January 11, 2017	#41
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	My babies. Most over 300 gr. Last edited by ilex; January 11, 2017 at 07:28 AM.

January 9, 2017	#31
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have grown a lot of varieties of carrots over the years and now only grow one and that is Sugar Snax II. Nelson was one of my favorites until I tried SS which gets longer and is so sweet. I try to start them in the fall and let them overwinter planting two or three times. It is a little late now because carrots tend to lose that super sweet flavor once the soil gets too hot but I may put in one more small planting. One trick that really helps after thinning them is to mulch them with some pine bark fines to keep down weeks and help keep the soil moisture more consistent. I plant in raised beds but where I put carrots I make sure to at least loosen the soil at least a foot deep with a digging fork and if I have any compost add it into the soil. I feed them every 7 to 10 days with a liquid fertilizer like TTF. Bill

January 10, 2017	#34
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Have tried carrots only a few times, but always have got something as a result. My experience has been that they're relatively low maintenance - no matter what the soil. Provided that hares (and other critters, be it four-legged or two-legged) keep away, the harvest has been plentiful both in beds and in buckets. The latter has perhaps been a bit easier to manage, and I might try it again this coming spring. Nantes has been the fave of ours, but some multi color heirlooms have also been fun. Atomic purple etc...and Parisian markets are easy to grow even in a smaller container, they also are faster than other varieties.

January 11, 2017	#38
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	In post #1, the little reddish carrots are Parisian carrots . Both types were grown over winter here in Texas. We have tried growing them from spring into summer twice, but they were not edible.

January 11, 2017	#42
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Those look great! Are the purples just skin deep or through and through?