Advice on carrots please.

It has been years since I have grown carrots. Now I have more time and a greenhouse again I intend growing all sorts of veg. I have a feeling you aren't meant to grow carrots in ground that has been manured......right? Any tips on success, what to do/don't do would be appreciated. I was intending to sow in trays in the greenhouse and then plant out...hoping to get a head start as I live in Scotland with often a late Spring. Good idea or better to sow direct? Thanks in anticipation of some kind knowledgeable soul pointing me in the right direction!

 

I'm in Scotland too. I managed to grow carrots last year with ease. I started them on my kitchen windowsill (indoors) and transplanted outside into containters (wasn't aware of the risk of transplant, might just sow direct this year!). Have to say, they were very easy.... hoping this year is as easy!

 

For an early crop I sow stump rooted ones in our polytunnel in pots in April.
My main crop I sow in late April to early May and they stay in the ground over winter.

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Some of them split into what was like conjoined twins (lol good description), but mostly they were fine

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@Dave W..Wow...I'm going to grow Autumn King this year....hope they turn out like yours...

 

There's a risk of Carrot fly smelling the bruised foliage when thinning or transplanting, folk used to damp down with a bit of Parrafin to disguise the smell, just around, not on the actual carrots

 

As JWK says transplanting is likely to make them fork. I have grown them in "tubes" made from wrapping newspaper around an aerosol can, and then planted the whole thing, but although I still do that for parsnips I decided it was too much Faff for individual carrots!

I do grow them in pots though. I use spent potting compost from last year (Potato bags, or just failed / finished plants of one sort or another) mixed 50:50 with sharp sand. You can bring those on in greenhouse, of course, for an early crop and Mrs K will then tell you that, then, having them right by the back door for picking is A Good Thing

I grow something with "Nantes" in the name for an early crop (or even "Amsterdam forcing" even earlier), and then other varieties later in the season.

Net them against carrot fly. You need a fine net - I think Enviromesh (or a good quality, but cheaper, alternative) is The Only Way. Scaffolders Debris Netting is not fine enough. Just one or two carrot flies getting to the crop causes a lot of damage, so I don't put any stead in "Companion plant onions to keep the fly away", or "Put a barrier wall around them as fly cannot fly high" or "Put the pots up high" or even "Use a fly resistant variety" (I prefer a variety that everyone raves about the flavour of, and find a different way to deal with The Fly)

I think your soil is light? Mine is heavy, so apart from some pots of very sandy soil I am intending to put a timber frame (4" or so) around my carrots and fill it with a 50:50-ish mix of my soil and sharp sand. Rotating this round, as part of my normal crop rotation, will gradually introduce sand to the clay in my Veg Patch. That's the theory, at least

Good luck with that expectation!!

 

Thanks all, you've given great advice, going to have a bash with getting some going in pots in the greenhouse and then sow some outside when it gets (HOPEFULLY!) warmer. Correct Kristen our soil is quite light so should suit. Already sourced some Nantes Early seed and after seeing the results of Autumn King will have to get some seed of that variety. Would quite like to "grow" the wee girl and the pink wellies too Dave W

 

I saw a TV episode about growing carrots in a pipe and they come out
Mega long, but sadly I cant remember much else :(

 

I've bought some Sweet Candle to try, on the strength of this:

Sweet Candle on YouTube

 

I hate YouTube - you look something up and get sidetracked - often for HOURS!

From the same bod as the Sweet Candle above IWOOT too!!

 

Wow that is some carrot!

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That's how I use to grow carrots when I was showing.40 gallon oil drum with the bottom and top knocked out,fill with sharp sand,then get a iron piece of pipe and push it right to the bottom then turn the pipe round and round to form a tapered hole,fill with fine compost and sow 3/4 seeds per station (5 or 6 holes per pot ) thin to one plant when easy to handle. Only water the drum at the base as this makes the carrot go down for water,(the rain will water the top).
When I grow on the plot I always grow 1 row onion to 1 row carrots (this tip was passed to me many years ago by a chap who worked in market gardens) he said carrot fly don,t like the smell of onion and onion fly don't like the smell of carrot,this has worked for me a lot of years.