Carrots sown last august

[Sue]

Hi
I sowed some carrots in big tubs last august and left them to it all winter, they foliage looked rather sad so I thought I'd grub them up as no-goers. But the carrots (Autumn King) look fine, strong and up to 6" long but very thin.
Will they keep on growing and "fatten up"? And how much longer would that take? Want me tubs back...
Sue

[roitelet]

They are bi-annual Sue and will flower this year. If I were you I would dump them as they are probably woody. Then you can have your tubs back

[Snadger]

They are bi-annual Sue and will flower this year. If I were you I would dump them as they are probably woody. Then you can have your tubs back

Have to disagree with you there roitelet! I have Autumn king which I sowed in July last year under enviromesh (which they are still under!) and I am still cropping on a regular basis!
By all means dump them if you like Sue, but dump them in the pan with the Sunday lunch.
Mine aren't woody at all and they still have that freshly pulled taste.

As roitelet says , they are a biennial so I intend cropping mine until they start to grow foliage again, and even after that if they taste ok!

[Janco]

I'll agree with you Snadger, I am still digging and eating my carrots sown last July under a net and also have others grown last September in a greenhouse border and they are just right for using now.

[Sue]

Snadger and Janco
Does that mean I should eat them now or will they still keep growing and getting tubbier?
Sue

[Snadger]

Snadger and Janco
Does that mean I should eat them now or will they still keep growing and getting tubbier?
Sue

Depending on how many you have, pick a boiling or if they are thin, a steaming, and I am sure you will enjoy them with your Sunday lunch. I don't think they will get any broader as when something goes to seed it usually gets thinner if anything. Just pick em as you need them, enjoy them and you'll soon use them all up!

Just make sure you sow a bit earlier next year!

I could be wrong, but that's the way I see it!

[kethry]

or, if you're not absolutely desperate to have your tubs back, you could wait till they flower in may, then when the seedhead appears, wrap a bag around the flower/seed head, cut the flower head off, tip upside down and collect the seeds. not entirely my idea: i was reading the GYO mag last night and it said you can do this.. pg 14! (the April edition).

keth
xx

[Snadger]

or, if you're not absolutely desperate to have your tubs back, you could wait till they flower in may, then when the seedhead appears, wrap a bag around the flower/seed head, cut the flower head off, tip upside down and collect the seeds. not entirely my idea: i was reading the GYO mag last night and it said you can do this.. pg 14! (the April edition).

keth
xx

The only problem with that keth is that if you are collecting seed it would probably be better using your biggest and best carrots to propagate from to be able to grow better carrots next year!

[Sue]

Thankyou, I'll start eating then!
Last year I got my potato planting round the wrong way and planted the earlies in compost bags and the lates in the tubs so was waiting impatiently for the potatoes to be finished before I could plant my carrots.
Will get it round the right way this year. And I did find that the carrots grow really well in the ex potato compost once all the roots are picked out, means it gets used twice before going for mulch.
Sue