Is it time to sow carrots yet?

[Storming Norman]

Every year I make a different carrot mistake and you'd think I would learn. I'm just no good at getting the carrot timing right.

There is a pack of Nantes carrots winking at me - I think they were free last year. Is it worth sowing them yet? I've got a nice friable patch for them and the weather has been better recently.

Or am I just diverting them from the seed bin to the compost bin?

[miker2d2]

I'm tempted to start a tub of them in my cold frame, still getting frosts at night even down here though

[Piggle]

I started some off in my greenhouse a couple of weeks ago and they've come up. I think they were Early Amsterdam forcing .. they came free off something butI can't remember what!

Must admit I always get a bit bored of waiting for carrots ... they seem to take forever to grow and then I tend to eat them all in one go and forgot to plant anymore

[growerkari]

I've sown some in a large pot this afternoon, so I hope so

Early Scarlet Horn I think they are, I've brought the pot into the unheated conservatory overnight for fear of frosts though

[Alan G]

I had some left from last year so I've started them off in a tub on the patio under fleece this weekend.

Worst case scenario, they don't germinate and I've only spent a few pence.

Fingers crossed.

I've got another packet in the garage that 'll use once the weather picks up.

[Swanton]

Someone at work gave me some chantenay seeds & I planted them up 2 weeks ago in a tub and they have germinated, they are inside at the moment until the frost goes. My colleague said she has never had any joy with them so i'm determined to get something growing!

[Alison]

I'll be sowing some direct into the polytunnel bed next weekend and if it's anything like last year will be pulling them in early summer before the outdoor ones are ready. I won't sow outdoor ones until the end of the month which has worked really well for me the past couple of years, don't do many earlies and most are main crop and am still eating last years crop out the ground - and we eat a lot of carrots.

[Two_Sheds]

I tend to eat them all in one go and forgot to plant anymore

As you pull them, sprinkle more seed in the holes

Root growth is fastest at a temperature between 15 ºC and 18 ºC, .. . a soil temperature of at least 10 ºC is therefore recommended source: Carrot Growing - In depth guide to growing carrots

[buzzingtalk]

I was reading seed packets earlier, and I too have Nantes and they say to plant out from March onwards? I'm guessing they are quite tender to the frosts though, so should they be covered?

[Two_Sheds]

they say to plant out from March onwards? I'm guessing they are quite tender to the frosts though

They aren't bothered by the cold so much when they're grown (I have a row that's been in leaf for a couple of months now) but the seed won't germinate in cold wet soil

Plant in March if the soil is dry and warm

[buzzingtalk]

Ahhh, its more for germination. So I could start them indoors then plant out? Or would that shock them?

I think dry soil is an urban myth at the minute, I've been doing lots of gardening the last few days and everything is damp and sodden.

[Alison]

Ahhh, its more for germination. So I could start them indoors then plant out? Or would that shock them?

Carrots like most root veggies are much better sown insitu so as not to disturb the roots. Sit on your hands for a few weeks and you'll be fine. Alternatively you can put a cloche over where you want to sow to warm the ground up a bit.

[King Carrot]

We sowed a few rows of early nantes under fleece last week. The soil was kept dry and warmed up for about a week with some polytunnel plastic - it had been covered by a window cloch all winter so the earth wasn't too wet and cold to begin with.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Buzzing you will be growing in pots I think. So yes you could kick them of indoors and then move the pot at a later date.

Colin

[Storming Norman]

As you pull them, sprinkle more seed in the holes

Now I like that suggestion.

I'm thinking of pulling to make small gaps and re-seed the gaps with late sweetcorn as its a bonny patch, but this is a generally good idea for the allotment.

Thanks for the comments all - will possibly leave it a week and fleece. Also will try a pot in the greenhouse as a control. Maybe they will germinate but I don't usually have any success with the earlies outside.