Carrot test-pull

[Pa Snips]

Just pulled one of my container grown carrots to see how they're doing and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. They're a way off being big enough to eat, but having never grown veg before there's only way I can learn about the progress of root veg and that's to periodically pull one up.

I can has carrot

[Jeanied]

Yay, pa snips has carrots - now how are the parsnips doing then?

[veggiechicken]

That's a 24 carat carrot, Pa. Its 1000 times larger than mine (because mine are still in the seed packet!!)

[Pa Snips]

Couldn't tell you Jeanied, I only have about twenty or so 'snips growing so I won't be wasting one of those with a test-pull, unfortunately.

[Jeanied]

Have to confess my snips and carrots are still in the seed packet too - apart from loads of self seeded parsnips on the plot which are everywhere they shouldn't be! (Paths, asparagus bed, brassica bed!)

[Potstubsdustbins]

Nice one Pa nice one.

Colin

[Farmer_Gyles]

that's looking good Pa!
you're doing the right thing in pulling one every now and then to check growth - it's a good way to see what's happening and learn for the future

keep sowing more, try different varieties and see how they grow
if you sow them close together, you can thin then out (pull up baby carrots) and leave others to grow bigger and thicker

carrots i sowed in october are now about 6in long and half inch thick ....

[Pa Snips]

Thanks Farmer G, that's what I intend to do...pull up baby carrots when they're big enough to be worthwhile eating, allowing room for the others to grow on a bit, then pull some more and so on.
This year I'm sticking to just one variety (Early Nantes 5) as this is the 'steep learning curve' year for me, but will no doubt try others next year... I quite fancy trying the purple ones.

The one pictured was sown in early March in a big old plastic toolbox...



I have more sown in the raised bed that are a month behind the toolbox ones, and another couple of rows in the raised bed that are still just at the seed leaf stage due to having to re-sow the ones that the slimeys ate.

Here's one of the raised bed rows, though they're a bit bigger now.

[Two_Sheds]

You don't have to pull them up to see how big they're getting: just brush the soil away from the neck/shoulders of the carrot/parsnip, and you can see how wide it is

[Pa Snips]

You don't have to pull them up to see how big they're getting: just brush the soil away from the neck/shoulders of the carrot/parsnip, and you can see how wide it is

Thanks for the tip, but that won't tell me how long they are.

[Two_Sheds]

True, but width usually indicates some degree of maturity. If the shoulders are still small, you can leave the carrot to keep growing on, which you can't do if you pull it up

[Pa Snips]

I have no doubt that the width may indicate some degree of maturity to the experienced carrot grower. I, however, am not an experienced carrot grower, hence why I decided to forego one solitary carrot in the interest of learning.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks for the tip, but that won't tell me how long they are.

Good idea of the day:-
I wish someone would invent transparent compost so that you could see exactly what your root crops looked like without having to dig them up!

[Feral007]

Altho with transparent compost you'd have no excuse for eating your carrots!

Oh, forgot to say - Well done Pa snips! I've grown those little round carrots this autumn and they are fun - you don't need to know how long they are, because they aren't and they are very nice in salads, or just in the garden. None of ours have made it into the house yet!

[Florence Fennel]

Well done Pa, you'll soon be able to tell how big they are without pulling them up. I'm still miffed about my carrots being swamped by chickweed. I've sown some more, but they're taking ages to germinate.