No more luck with Carrotts

[rob the roller]

After years of disappointment trying to grow carrots in the vegetable bed, I finally hit on the following method.

Raise the space you want to sow the carrots in by acquiring or building a vessel. I have used an old water tank from a loft and a pair of wooden tile crates. I placed flattened cardboard cartons on the base and sides of the crates to keep the compost in.

Fill the vessel to about 8 inches below the rim with a suitable growing medium. I used homemade compost. Finishing off with the contents of a growbag or GP compost for the last 2 - 3 inches. Try to leave 6 inches or so between the top of the compost and the top of the vessel. You can do without the shop bought compost if you want to, but run the risk of the seedlings being overwhelmed by weed seeds in the homegrown compost.

You can scatter sow the seeds on the surface of the compost and sprinkle a covering of compost, but I have found it better to sow in drills, about 6 inches or so apart. That way you can follow the line of seedlings as they emerge.

The height of the vessel will deter most slugs. Word will eventually get around, but by then the carrots should be well established and the slugs can be removed easily. The rim of the vessel should also be high enough to deter carrot fly.

Keep the compost moist. It should not be a problem this year, but don't rely too heavily on the rain. The water needs to get down to the root tips, so they need more than just a surface soak.

[helanuels]

Some of us use loo rolls, some of us sow into a wet drill and then cover with multi-purpose instead of soil (helps to prevent capping)

Stupid question (I know I've read the answer somewhere but can't remember where) Do you then plant the whole loo roll? Hx

[matthew2riches]

I've had no luck with carrots this year either. My first lot got caught in with weeds while I was working solid for 3 weeks and then my second lot never grew. My 3rd lot were planted on Wednesday, so we'll see what happens.....

[zazen999]

I've had little luck in the first half of the year, so I cleared a bed last month, sowed a couple of packets in the bed, put slug pellets down and covered with a net curtain.

The foliage is starting to come up - so here's hoping for some this winter.

We had a table at home that was going to go to the tip but I am going to bodge together a carrot frame from the legs; waste not want not.....

[Two_Sheds]

Do you then plant the whole loo roll? Hx

Yes, but you must bury all the loo roll so it rots.
The point is not to disturb the carrot root http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ots_30865.html

[Flobalob]

I've had great success with growing them in containers. I keep them raised on a bench to avoid carrot fly.