Carrot growing advice needed please

[Yorky]

I considered sowing carrots today but fear it's too cold yet plus there was a frost last night. (North east of Ireland).

The site is a raised bed which was covered in autumn leaves last October but they didn't rot down over winter so I removed them last week. The bed needed topping up so I put two bags of old peat free compost which I used to grow potatoes in last year. Should I fork this in or just sow directly in to the compost? The soil underneath is heavyish clay but not compacted from walking on as it's in a raised bed.

Also, I fancy having a go at growing long carrots in an old dustbin for a country show in August. Can anyone suggest how to go about this ie sowing rate and growing medium etc.

Thanks in advance.

[Capsid]

I've not had much success with growing the perfect carrot yet as I too have heavy clay soil which the roots will find hard to penetrate. So I'd be inclined to fork in your compost to help break up the clay. I advise good watering as clay will dry out quickly and become very hard which will prevent good root growth.

I think the trick to long carrots is to grow them in very sandy soil in a bucket. Make a big hole first with a metal spike and then fill with sand and sow the carrot on top of this, the root should have little resistance to growing down. But always beware the carrot fly!

One comment about the leaves you placed on top of the bed. These take the best part of a year to break down so it's best to collect them into plastic bags or a chicken wire cage and leave them.

[bobleponge]

I grow my carrots in a raised bed for the same reason, heavy clay soil.
Over the last 4 years there has been a definite increase in the length of my carrots as I turn the beds over at least twice a year and always dig in more sand and organic matter.
Carrots need reasonably warm soil to germinate (10 degrees C is in my head for some reason) and whilst the raised bed soil will be warmer than the surrounding soil, if you are still cold where you are it still may not yet be quite warm enough.
I planted some "Jaune Obtuse" (I think it was) last year, and in a raised bed of about 8" I grew carrots of at least 10" long.
If you're growing carrots just to eat and arent bothered what they look like, there are several types of round carrot, Parmex being very good imho, which grow to tennis ball or slightly bigger size and taste delicious, so the depth of soil isnt of such importance.
All the leaves that fall onto my raised beds are just dug in, and they rot down in their own time.
I live in northern France and I will be sowing my carrots when I get back home in a couple of weeks time, unless its proper cold.

[elsie-scot]

you can also use a dibber or stick to make hole, fill with sand compost mix and sow seed on that. If you've got a lot of carrots might take a while though

[Two_Sheds]

I have near-perfect soil for carrots (light, free-draining and sandy), yet they are nearly always ruined by the carrot fly.

I use debris netting and voile net curtains to cover them, but it's an exposed site and the bladdy netting always gets blown off and the dratted little fly gets in.

This year it's war

[Paulottie]

I am declaring war on carrot fly and leekmoth too...Sick of fleece tearing and my various Heath Robinson contraptions blowing away in the first storm....carrot fly definitely fly over 2' barrriers anyway(certainly when you grow in blocks).... brought a roll of enviromesh and am going to try and put some seams in it to take waterpipe hoops....bit of an investment but I shall sell a bit and it is supposed to last 7 years. I mean business!

[Paulottie]

The site is a raised bed which was covered in autumn leaves last October but they didn't rot down over winter so I removed them last week. The bed needed topping up so I put two bags of old peat free compost which I used to grow potatoes in last year. Should I fork this in or just sow directly in to the compost? The soil underneath is heavyish clay but not compacted from walking on as it's in a raised bed.

I'd fork it in a bit

Also, I fancy having a go at growing long carrots in an old dustbin for a country show in August. Can anyone suggest how to go about this ie sowing rate and growing medium etc.

Dustbin growing is ok...but you need to keep it watered
Holes in the bottom, few inches of sand and then your secret recipe compost. Very evenly mixed before putting it in....maybe it might be 3 parts loam,1 part sand, 1 part compost, to 1 part leafmould, with bonemeal and BFB etc.

You could use a loambased John Innes(maybe with added MP)...but of course that is more expensive.

[Bigmallly]

This'll put a smile on your face Yorky.

The World Records - Heaviest and Longest Carrot - The Growers - John Evans and Joe Atherton

[gojiberry]

Not even one decent meal on the longest carrot.

Ian