The message
from "Howard Neil" hneil@REMOVE TO REPLY.co.uk contains these words:

I will wait till I have new ideas as to what is causing the failure before
I
waste any more time and money on carrot seeds (as much as I like carrots).

I have just had a thought. I know that root crops are supposed to be sown
direct into the ground they are to grow in and not transplanted. Does anyone
know why?

See below

It seems to me that, as carrots seem to be so hard to cultivate, more
success may be had if grown in a seed tray under controlled conditions. But
what happens to the crop when transplanted?

Carrots and parsnips are basically a tap root, and most taprooted
plants are very easily upset by transplanting. Carrot roots would fork
and the tops rush to flower and seed.

Carrots like to grow undisturbed in a deep loose humusy soil; I put
mine in the patch which was heavily fertilised the previous year for
sweetcorn or potatoes.Both those crops will have left the soil well
worked and fed, without being too rich.

If your seeds are likely to be disturbed by pecking/dustbathing birds
or digging cats, then cover the seed row lightly with a single thickness
of loose-weave onion sack (free from grocers) until the seeds have
germinated. Hold down the fabric very lightly with a few stones. This
cover also gives a gentle protection against excessive sunbaking or rain
puddling, both of which can cake the soil surface and prevent seedling
shoots emerging through it. I use the same thing over onion sets, and
peas if I haven't put their sticks in at sowing time.

You could also use horticultural fleece, but it's easier to see what's
germinating through onion sack fabric.

Janet.

Janet.