Let's talk about Carrots !

[KevinM67]

Atomic red in one of my raised beds with two thirds grit sand and one third compost soaked in pigs blood .
This is what my mate did last year with astonishing results so I've prepared a raised bed to do the same this year.

Where would you pick up some of that stuff ?

[jackarmy]

Pigs blood are us , jeez Kev

[veggiechicken]

Atomic red in one of my raised beds with two thirds grit sand and one third compost soaked in pigs blood .

Where would you pick up some of that stuff ?

Pigs blood are us , jeez Kev

Nutter ^^^^.
Slices of black pudding would be much easier to handle
Actually, that's one tip I'm going to resist !!

[jackarmy]

Oh JC, now in hungry again

[Alison]

I find carrots one of the easier veggies. My soil is a bit silty, slightly acidic and thankfully pretty stoneless. I add some home compost to the surface then draw indents across the bed with the side of my hand, 6" apart. Water the indent then sow 2 or 3 seeds every few inches along the indent and cover again with soil. Then the really important bit, cover the whole bed with enviromesh and leave for the whole growing time. When big enough to handle then thin to one plant per station. I usually sow mid April and harvest from about September to the following March as they store better in the ground. Grow various varieties, the yellow ones from Real Seeds are good, as are Autumn King. Usually grow a few earlies (Nantes types usually) in the tunnel from a Feb sowing but don't need to cover those and they've all gone by August.

[KevinM67]

I've never had any success growing carrots either.

Do they need much nutrients ?

I was considering starting them off in loo roll holders, using a mix of seeding compost and quite a bit of sand - indoors. With the plan to harden them off and eventually plant out soon after the first shoots show.

I've no idea if it will work, will try anything - just, be gentle with me if it's nonsense.

[jonny the plant pot]

Where would you pick up some of that stuff ?

Sorry to be crude but my pal keeps pigs so getting blood is quite easy

[jonny the plant pot]

Part of last year's crop

[veggiechicken]

They're fantastic, jonny. What varieties are they please?

[lottie dolly]

Thanks everyone. Very helpful - but don't stop

Here's a really nutty idea (maybe!)
Does anyone grow their carrots in a permanent plot?
Just wondering whether I could set aside a bed for carrots, pull what I wanted to eat and leave the rest to set seed the following year - and keep them going in perpetuity?
Any thoughts?

I think it would be a bad idea,as they go to seed the year after,then let the seeds fly,so it would be every 2 years,plus where would you find room for the alternate years seed,so you will just end up with a tangle of roots going nowhere doing nothing,have 2 separate beds,for alternate years use,is the nearest you will get,but you would be forever thinning the things out,leaving them liable for a visit from the fly,but you know all this before you asked,dint ur

[jonny the plant pot]

They're fantastic, jonny. What varieties are they please?

Rainbow and a french variety which I can't remember will let you know tomorrow as I've got another pack of them in seed tub .

[jonny the plant pot]

121887375392
Here's the ebay number for the rainbow mix

[Small pumpkin]

I always grow my carrots in the tunnel. In there own raised bed. And in potato grow bags. My short stumpy carrots like Paris market atlas get grown in little troughs. I add a bit of fresh multi purpose compost to the raised beds each year. That's all I do. It seems to work for me.

[KevinM67]

Part of last year's crop

Looks like I'll need to acquire a sacrificial pig.

[Bigmallly]

After reading all the comments on covering them, I guess I may just decant some medium out of the bed into flower buckets & grow them in one of the cages with the toms & cucs.