Veggie Newbie! What's with my onion seedlings?

[LewaK]

Hi there

So it's my first year in a new house with a new garden, and me and the OH decided we wanted to grow our own. Awesome! So I got some Ailsa Craig onion seeds going, some Arran Pilot potatos chitting and I'm hoping to do some Early Nantes carrots too. Also have started some Early Onward peas in pots (two to a pot).

I do however have some questions. The soil isn't too sandy/clay-ish round here, so it's been alright to single dig to get the lawn out of our garden but is it too early to plant out my carrot seeds? Temperatures aren't hitting above 10C quite yet, but I've got my seedlings in our plastic and glass utility room/lean-to to keep the onions and peas safe.

Will I have lawn re-appearing where we've dug? We've been removing some of the worst weeds and lawn, but just turned over a spade's depth to kill off any lawn/weeds in other places.

Also, there's strange black things on the ends of my onion seedlings. At first I thought it was just soil, but upon lightly pinching it they don't come off or fall apart. What are they?

Thanks for any help.

[taff]

the strange black things are probably the seed casings. They'll fall off.
lawn won't reappear from being turned over, but odd bits of grass will, watch out for couch grass....
never had much luck with carrots so can't help there sorry....someone will be along soon...

[zazen999]

The black things are the seed casings. Nothing to worry about.

The lawn won't grow back if you have de-turfed it, or turned it upside down.

[vegnut]

I'd still wait a while before sowing carrots unless you can cover them with a cloche or something.
Putting your location would help, so sowing times can be given more accurately.
Good luck with your new veg garden

[LewaK]

I'm on the Norfolk/Suffolk border I'll have to update my profile!

I work in a supermarket so I do have access to quite thick shrink wrap (the stuff that goes round pallets and cages) - I was wondering if this would be suitable to cover rows of sown seeds with?

[Polly Fouracre]

I grow my carrots in an old bath and in my council re-cycling boxes. You can get conditions right for them then and being above ground level keep the carrot fly away.
I should think any plastic covering will keep the soil warm. Please note, it will not warm the soil up though. Once the soil has warmed through it will keep the night chill off it.
Good luck with your new garden.

[Kristen]

If you would like some early Carrot you could grown some in a pot. I have some 12" pots I use - 50:50 sharp horticultural sand and last year's "used" multi purpose compost from Tubs / Urns / Potato bags etc. Don't make it rich, Carrots don't need that.

Then sow some more outside when the ground is a bit warmer.

[Two_Sheds]

it's been alright to single dig to get the lawn out of our garden

I've done that too, most of the grass dies - a small amount will stubbornly regrow but it's easy enough to then hoe it off

is it too early to plant out my carrot seeds?

I think so. Carrots like quite a warm soil, I do mine in April

there's strange black things on the ends of my onion seedlings.

They're the seeds themselves, they will fall off eventually


Are you anywhere near me? I'm at the James Paget more or less

[LewaK]

I've done that too, most of the grass dies - a small amount will stubbornly regrow but it's easy enough to then hoe it off


I think so. Carrots like quite a warm soil, I do mine in April


They're the seeds themselves, they will fall off eventually


Are you anywhere near me? I'm at the James Paget more or less

Nope, we're Thetford way As an update, I have laid some thick-ish (2-3mm thick) clear plastic over the patch I'm hoping to do carrots in under advise from a website I read. Even if it doesn't warm up the soil, it might do something positive!

Have any of you sown Nantes carrots yet? I've got two different varieties but I don't want to stick them in the ground and they fail because it's not warm enough. Night temperatures at the minute aren't above 1C, so I'm guessing I should hold off?

[Two_Sheds]

Have any of you sown Nantes carrots yet?

Carrots like quite a warm soil, I do mine in April

Having said that, I have just had a line or two come up on the lotty from an early autumn sowing - it remains to be seen if they'll be edible, or all slug-eaten

Root growth is fastest at a temperature between 15 ºC and 18 ºC, while optimum temperatures for shoot growth are somewhat higher. Seeds of carrot may germinate at low temperatures but [slower] .... a soil temperature of at least 10 ºC is therefore recommended source: Carrot Growing - In depth guide to growing carrots