Make an onion happy, make a carrot sad

[bazzaboy]

Onions, garlic, shallots � if you�ve any left from last year�s crop you�ll find at this time of year a tendency for them to go soft and produce a green shoot (sometimes even shop-bought ones too). Although pretty useless for cooking don�t chuck them out but plunge the root end into a bowl of moist compost somewhere reasonably light (indoors or out, frost free) and let them fulfill their natural cycle which as bi-annuals is to flower. Just stick �em in the bowl as they shoot and you�ll have a succession of tall flowering alliums as good as the hyacinths you struggled to get to flower for Christmas (and some allium flower bulbs are quite expensive, these are freebies�). Even better if you can be bothered, you can collect the free seed and either way you�ll be left with some of the best dried flower-heads in the business! Moreover you�ll have let an onion fulfill its natural purpose and so made it very happy, la la�.

Unfortunately I can�t be quite so upbeat for the humble carrot and need help on this one. I know it works, have seen it done, but I can�t get it to work for some reason�. - that is, you sow and germinate carrot seed in a poly bag or plastic container of water gel (e.g. the sort used to aid water-retention in hanging baskets and containers) and then, once germinated, you squirt/pour them into a shallow drill where you want them to grow. And hey presto, a neat row of carrots! You could even sign your name in them if so inclined, or leave messages for over-flying helicopters... Except, duh! � I can�t get it to work� They germinate OK but don�t survive the transition (thus sad/dead carrots ). What am I doing wrong? I�ve also tried it with radish seeds with the same results. b.

[pdblake]

Not sure on the carrot front but thanks for the idea with the garlic. I have a fair bit left from last year's crop and might have a stab at planting some up and letting them go to seed.

[Eyren]

Re the onions, that's what I'm doing with last year's leftovers (Red Baron) - the ones that were too small for cooking and which I didn't get around to pickling. As I see it, if they grow to usable size before bolting I might get an early crop, and if not (which is more likely) I'll get some seed out of them

As for the carrots, they don't like root disturbance, so perhaps the pre-germination method isn't suitable. I though the gel method was for sowing seed evenly, not for "chitting" seed, but then I've not read up on it. Plus, carrots like fairly dry growing conditions, so the gel might make things too wet for them.

Also, slugs are very good at mowing them down the second they break the soil surface. On my lottie, where there are loads of slugs and snails, the few carrot seedlings that have escaped the slimies have done really well in the past (pretty much carrot fly free), so I'm stepping up my slug protection this year!

[Mi Jard�n]

I transplanted some of my carrot seedlings into a container and sat in under one of those plastic cloches, they are doing well. I've used gel in most of my veggie pots this year, but not at the germination stage. Not much help I know...
As for the onions, well I am not having much luck with mine so maybe I will have pretty flowers instead!