Carrot Crazy

[andyp]

Hi

several attempts to grow carrots this year have failed. I prepare a shallow drill, water it and then sow the seeds and lightly cover the drill. Same as I did previous years, expect this year no carrots.

I believe the probably is we receive rain often prelongered periods and the drills
become capped, before the carrot can push through.

As a solution I have decided to cover my drills with Vermiculite in place of soil.
This hopefully will prevent the capping and as a bonus really make weeding easy by clearly marking the drill. Does anyone have any comments on this idea ?
Am I carrot crazy or not ?

Rgds Andy

[snohare]

Great minds think Alike Andy (/fools seldom differ ) !
I have noticed other gardening forums are full of people asking why their carrots are not germinating. Capping does seem to be a problem - I know mine have done best where the soil is very good loam with no inclination to cap. I was thinking of planting both carrots and parsnip seed into swell gel to see if that would help. Vermicullite was my other idea (that, and don't sieve the soil too finely before backfilling the dibbed hole - it is an absolute disaster if you do).
If I ever find a gardener who can always be successful germinating root crops, I am going to kidnap him/her. (Isn't that what root cellars are for ? )
Try scorzonera if you are having problems, mine has done much better than the multiple varieties of parsnips and carrots that I've been trying in three different locations. I just hope I like the stuff !

[Cutecumber]

Sounds like it should work, Andy. You can use compost too - as long as it is not too fine in texture.

[littlewin]

Ive grown carrots in a grow bag in summer before (for the kids) but I have put some in a tub this year and have also put some in the ground to see how they fare. Unfortunately my soil is a bit hard and they are struggling to push through as are the beetroots. The water in our town is also full of limescale, so I don't suppose that helps either. What is capping by the way ?

[zazen999]

Hi Carrot fans.

If you head over to the growing techniques part of the forum; you'll find 'an easy way with carrots'.

you can also grow carrots by pushing a rod into the soil and making a cone shaped hole; fill with sand and sow a few carrot seeds in; and pull the smaller ones as babies leaving the last one standing to grow on.

Either way works for me.

If you mix compost into the top 3 inches of your soil, and then sow; you'll not get capping.

Also, the main enemy to newly sprouted carrots are slugs; they munch them as soon as they come up; so you need to take measures.

Then, once you have all that sorted; you'll need to prevent carrot fly from munching and laying eggs; so either net, companion plant or any of the other numerous measures.

If you sow them thinly and they don't need thinning and will push each other apart as they grow; which is my favourite method of growing them. So, a pinch of 3 or 4 every few inches. then I just leave them be until they are ready; only water in the driest of summers as I want the roots as deep as possible for a longer root.

[Cloud]

Had no problems with my carrots germinating[in light clay] only problem I've had is slugs eating them just after germination.

[Demeter]

What is capping by the way ?

I believe (and hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong!) this is when, once you have water the soil after sowing, it then dries as a hard "cap" which makes it difficult for the germinating seed to break through the surface.

[andyp]

Update:
--------
Last night I planted 4 new rows of carrots, in the following manner.

1st prepared 4 small trench 4" wide and 4" deep the width of my raised bed. This was filled with compost and lightly firmed down.

2nd in each trench added a small carrot sowing drill, and watered the drills.

3rd Thinly sowed carrots in small groups 4" apart into each drill.

4th Covered with Vermiculite. (could have used compost but I am experimenting)

Lets see it this is any better performance.

Andy

[snohare]

Demeter is correct, Littlewin, capping is just what he says. It is a sign that you don't have enough humus (organic matter) in your soil.
Well, how many of us do have that legendary soil that is so crumbly and full of humus that it retains the imprint of your fingers when you crush it in your fist ?
( Me actually, in a garden I look after. I get SO excited digging over that soil, watching it break up as it falls off the spade...I know, I''m a gardening nerd, but frankly this is likely to be my one and only approach to optimum excellence !)

[andyp]

Germination Update:

Well the experiment worked, I have seedlings pushing up now through the Vermiculite. I also topped a few drills with compost as suggested by Cutecumber. I planted carrots, spring onions & beetroots and all are showing growth now.

Just got to avoid the slugs now grazing them off !!

Rgds Andy

[JennieAtkinson]

Good news Andy. I've sown four lots this year and lost the lot so far, but i think it is slugs that are the main problem. Like you I will try again!

[Two_Sheds]

I've never been so successful with carrots as I have this year... I sowed them in loo rolls, then planted out on lottie. Look, they're beautiful: adelaide,16.6 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Carrots sown direct on my lottie never come up! Capping and slugs to blame

[Demeter]

Aw lovely, Two-Sheds
Hope I get some as nice as that!
Although probably not as they were transplanted by pricking out rather than planting out loo-rolls and will probably grow all bent! At least we'll have amusing shapes to giggle over if that happens - there's always a bright side.