Courgette, Baby Beetroot and Carrots

On the way home from dropping my better half off at her work, I popped into the local garden centre to get some bamboo canes to support my tomato plants, and (as you do) had a browse at some of the seed packets (never going to end well )

Suffice to say, I have come home with a pack of Courgette seeds (F1 Patio Star), pack of Beetroot (Baby Type F1 Action), and a pack of Carrots (F1 Flyaway) and my daughter got a packet of cress seeds (maybe she is going to develop an interest in gardening earlier than I did!)

Now, being an absolute novice, I would be grateful for any advice on growing any of the above please?

I was intending to sow the courgettes initially in those wee peat pots, so that I can then harden them off into next month and then have them growing in pots on the patio - sound sensible?

The carrots and beetroot, I thought I would make up another two of my re-useable growbags and put beetroot in one and carrots in the other, sowing them directly into the compost in the bag? My mum has said that carrot fly can be a problem (to the point that she never bothers growing them), yet the seed packed says that this variety are resistant - is there anything I should do or look out for?

Now, the one packet of seeds that I shied away from (but would really like to grow), was parsnips - I wasn't sure that they would grow in a growbag, even although these re-useable ones are much deeper than 'normal' ones? Also, reading between the lines on the packets, it appeared that they were a bit difficult to grow?

 

Yes that sounds OK, I'm not sure what size peat pots you mean, I sow my courgettes one per 3” plastic pot. They develop very fast and will need re-potting (next size pot up) at least once prior to planting out. So if you get a similar sized peat pot that should be OK. Mine go out late May/early June depending on the weather. Don’t put them out if the nights are cold.

Beetroot should be OK in a growbag, Carrots are much deeper rooting, there are some globe shaped varieties more suitable for shallower soils in containers or growbags). Carrot fly can be a problem if they find your seedlings, it’s best to remain under their radar (i.e. their sense of smell) by sowing thinly (if you sow too many seeds and thin them out the flies are attracted to the smell of the freshly pulled up roots). You can cover the carrots with horticultural fleece as a physical barrier but that doesn’t look too nice. Late sown carrots (which is now!) generally avoid this problem and pick them by August to miss the second batch of flies that emerge later in the season.

I would not attempt parsnips in growbags, they need a very deep soil. They are fairly easy to grow, just that they need a very long growing period and really need sowing a month ago when the soil has not warmed up, hence people have trouble getting them to germinate.

 

Thank you both

I already planted the courgettes in 3" peat pots, and they are currently sitting on a tray on one of the windowsills that have served me well for germination so far - I suppose I could soak and then tear the pots off before potting them on into their big pots? I was looking at having the courgettes growing in the big pots on the patio from about mid June?

I'll get the beetroot and carrots planted this weekend, and will do the carrots thinly as advised; the growbags are reasonably deep (just under a foot), so fingers crossed we'll get a half decent crop.

 

Thanks again

Hopefully I'll be posting photos of various crops as the summer goes.

 

To avoid peat pots drying out whilst in the greenhouse/windowsill, insert them inside a tight fitting plastic pot, this keeps the peat moist and hopefully the roots will already be growing through them when you come to plant them in their final position.

 

No movement from the courgettes yet (but its only been since Monday, so no surprise there), however I've been and stocked up on compost so hopefully will get the carrots and beetroot sown over the weekend. Got a 14hr shift tomorrow, so no chance there, but don't start 'til 3pm on Sunday so hopefully get them done before I go to work.

 

Five out of the six courgette seeds have sprouted, so not a bad turn out. I didn't have plastic pots the right size to jam them in, so I will have to either pot these as they are, or re-pot them as normal in a week or so by tearing the pots off hopefully before the roots have gotten anywhere near the outside of the pot:



I didn't get time to do the carrot and beetroot bags at the weekend (work getting in the way again!), so will have to do them in the next couple of days.

 

Well, no chance of beating the roots - came home this evening, and they are already busting through the pots!