growing carrots

Has anyone heard of growing carrots in lengths of pipe (at least 9" should be above ground). 3 seeds to each pipe. Thin to the strongest. Water from above until germination, then around the base of pipe after. You should get 1 enormous carrot from each length of pipe and it should be carrotfly free. Seems like a lot of hassle to me, but could be worth a try with a few just for fun. This was recommended to me by a customer at the nursery where I work.

 

Hi GF,The person who told you that may have been thinking along the lines of what growers of record breaking vegetables do.I have heard the same of parsnips but I think they were grown in very large containers where the tap root could go down quite a long way to get the right length for the longest tap root.It seems too much hassel just to grow some carrots,but good luck to you if you want to try it :D :D

 

GF, a slightly simpler alternative is to use an old sharpened spade or fork handle to dibble holes about 9" deep and fill them with sifted soil (I use a mixture of soil and old grow bag compost) then sow three seeds and thin out when they germinate to one per hole. You'll get nice big, straight carrots (not as big as in pipes) and less chance of carrot fly due to a single thinning. I used to add soot and a little fertiliser to the compost, but we don't have a coal fire anymore so I now use fleece as a barrier against fly.

 

I think that sounds a much better idea,I'll try that this year, but I will also try just a couple in pipes just to see how it works. It does seem an awful lot of trouble for a whole crop though.

 

Planted some carrots yesterday Dave using your method. It's probably too early, but they're tucked up under fleece, so it's worth a try.With this mild weather we're having I just couldn't resist it.

 

They should be ok under fleece G-F though may take a while to germinate if the soil is cold. I sowed a few in our tunnel this week as the soil in there is starting to warm up nicely.

 

,Marshalls seeds' have an early carrot 'heracles' for planting in Feb under cold frame or fleece.Harvest may-august.
I shall try this for the first time.

 

I grow mine in tubs in the unheated greenhouse at this time of year. I don't plant outside until end of march.

 

I grew mine in pipes last year and they were brilliant. The thing with pipes is you can get the earth exactly right by adding sand or whatever and they're easier to get out too plus carrotfly doesnt seem to bother them. I had the best carrots in the plot. I had 10 inch wide metal pipes about 15 inches long with about 8 giant carrots in each.



[ 27. February 2007, 09:26 AM: Message edited by: sawfish ]

 

Those are beauties sawfish!Well done you.
I tried carrots last yr,without much success.In fact it was a bit embarrassing.They somehow reminded me of 70`s childrens tv programms??
Anyway,ive been having a gander through, How to make a raised bed and think i might have a bash.There`s a lady who shares her plot with her husband and brother in law at allotments and carrots are her thing.She took me for a walk round last yr in the summer time so things were well under way and we didnt go into how she starts etc.,but she had them in a raised bed.I think i`ll ask her advice.

 

I think the secret is weak earth (no manure), sieved and mixed with sand. Then put this mixture in pipes and they'll be fine.

To get more carrots, I'm trying on the flat ground this year with a few different varieties so we'll see.