Carrots and Parsnips

I am preparing to make some raised beds for my Carrots as my new allotment plot is quiet stoney. Could I also grow Parsips the same way.

Does anyone use pelleted seed for either or both of these ?

Dave

 

You could do raised-bed for Parsnips too. They ought to be part of your rotation though.

Parsnips are planted further apart than carrots, so it becomes more fesible to make a planting hole (crow bar and wiggle around, or bulb planter) and then fill with sifted soil, or half-and-half compost and sharp sand. Then station-sow the Parsnip seed - a small pinch at each station. The use scissors to "thin" them - rather than pulling up and disturbing them. Make sure you get ALL-BAR-ONE though, otherwise you will harvest entwined-pairs!

 

Yes I could cope with the crow bar method and it would save raised beds for something else (not sure what yet ) Cheers for that info ..



Dave

 

Your raised bed will help deter carrot root fly too, those little buggers only fly upto a height of two feet. Thin carrots out in the evening and remove the thinnings straight away..the smell of you handling the foliage will attract them. You can also companion plant some onions/garlic with them to mask the carrot smell.

Steve...

 

I don't go with the "can only fly two feet" and the "companion planting" I'm afraid :(

They get carried up&over on air currents and still drill holes in your carrots :(

Enviromesh is the only deterrent I have found that is effective (worth putting on your Parsnips as well I think, because there is a school of thought that says that carrot fly doesn't "damage" Parsnips, as such, but its attack can be a cause of canker then getting in.

 

Thanks for the tips Kristen and Steve.
Dave

 

I reckon pellet seeds are a very expensive waste.
I use the crowbar method mentioned by Kirsten for carrots and parsnips. I sow three or four seeds and progressively thin down to one seedling. I also use enviromesh - works a treat!

The proof of the pudding (before the eating!)
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Raised beds and companion planting (onions) have worked a treat for us, too. Last year we bought some enviromesh as well, but haven't used it yet as we didn't need to. Thanks for the tip about thinning out in the evening, Steve, I didn't know about that but it makes sense.

Diana