Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating some of
them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should just leave them
alone for a few months and hope they grow to a reasonable size. My
carrots have always been stunted, usually just an inch long, never more
than three inches, maybe giving them two seasons to grow is what they
need to reach a normal size. The carrot variety is Danvers. I'm in
Massachusetts so I assumed that Danvers which is a New England carrot
would do best but it's been a disappointment. However it's ability to
survive the winter seems to be a redeeming feature.

On 4 Apr 2010 22:17:24 GMT, General Schvantzkoph
wrote:

Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating some of
them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should just leave them
alone for a few months and hope they grow to a reasonable size. My
carrots have always been stunted, usually just an inch long, never more
than three inches, maybe giving them two seasons to grow is what they
need to reach a normal size. The carrot variety is Danvers. I'm in
Massachusetts so I assumed that Danvers which is a New England carrot
would do best but it's been a disappointment. However it's ability to
survive the winter seems to be a redeeming feature.

Unfortunately, any of your over-wintered carrots you want to eat, you
will have to eat soon. Carrots are biennial so they will be going to
seed this year.
On the plus side of the ledger, they are an heirloom variety and you
should be able to harvest true to type seeds for planting next year.
One caveat to this though, if you have Queen Anne's Lace (wild carrot)
growing nearby they will readily cross pollinate.

Ross.

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating some of
them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should just leave them
alone for a few months and hope they grow to a reasonable size. My
carrots have always been stunted, usually just an inch long, never more
than three inches, maybe giving them two seasons to grow is what they
need to reach a normal size.

No, they won't get bigger. What will happen is that they'll start to put
out little rootlets and become tough, as they prepare to make seeds this
year. The good news is that, since carrots grow so well throughout the
winter where you live, you can plan to have year-round carrots, even if they
are small. Plant fewer seeds, but more regularly (every three weeks or so),
and you'll have a steady supply.
--S.

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:01:26 -0600, Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating some
of them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should just leave
them alone for a few months and hope they grow to a reasonable size. My
carrots have always been stunted, usually just an inch long, never more
than three inches, maybe giving them two seasons to grow is what they
need to reach a normal size.

No, they won't get bigger. What will happen is that they'll start to
put out little rootlets and become tough, as they prepare to make seeds
this year. The good news is that, since carrots grow so well throughout
the winter where you live, you can plan to have year-round carrots, even
if they are small. Plant fewer seeds, but more regularly (every three
weeks or so), and you'll have a steady supply.
--S.

That's a good idea, I'll do a monthly seed planting. I'm going to try
parsnips this year, is the same thing true for them?

In article ,
General Schvantzkoph wrote:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:01:26 -0600, Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating some
of them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should just leave
them alone for a few months and hope they grow to a reasonable size. My
carrots have always been stunted, usually just an inch long, never more
than three inches, maybe giving them two seasons to grow is what they
need to reach a normal size.

No, they won't get bigger. What will happen is that they'll start to
put out little rootlets and become tough, as they prepare to make seeds
this year. The good news is that, since carrots grow so well throughout
the winter where you live, you can plan to have year-round carrots, even
if they are small. Plant fewer seeds, but more regularly (every three
weeks or so), and you'll have a steady supply.
--S.

That's a good idea, I'll do a monthly seed planting. I'm going to try
parsnips this year, is the same thing true for them?

Yes.
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

In article ,
says...
Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating some of
them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should just leave them
alone for a few months and hope they grow to a reasonable size. My
carrots have always been stunted, usually just an inch long, never more
than three inches, maybe giving them two seasons to grow is what they
need to reach a normal size.


Try sprinkling some ground-up Viagra on them.


The carrot variety is Danvers. I'm in
Massachusetts so I assumed that Danvers which is a New England carrot
would do best but it's been a disappointment. However it's ability to
survive the winter seems to be a redeeming feature.


Seriously, though, is your soil very dense, maybe difficult for
them to grow downward? Or perhaps they feel an incentive to
grown down, due to too much moisture near the surface?


--
Get Credit Where Credit Is Due
http://www.cardreport.com/
Credit Tools, Reference, and Forum

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:41:33 -0700, Billy wrote:

In article ,
General Schvantzkoph wrote:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:01:26 -0600, Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating
some of them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should
just leave them alone for a few months and hope they grow to a
reasonable size. My carrots have always been stunted, usually just
an inch long, never more than three inches, maybe giving them two
seasons to grow is what they need to reach a normal size.

No, they won't get bigger. What will happen is that they'll start to
put out little rootlets and become tough, as they prepare to make
seeds this year. The good news is that, since carrots grow so well
throughout the winter where you live, you can plan to have year-round
carrots, even if they are small. Plant fewer seeds, but more
regularly (every three weeks or so), and you'll have a steady supply.
--S.

That's a good idea, I'll do a monthly seed planting. I'm going to try
parsnips this year, is the same thing true for them?

Yes.

The ground is dense. I think I'll work in some peat moss this year.

In article ,
General Schvantzkoph wrote:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:41:33 -0700, Billy wrote:

In article ,
General Schvantzkoph wrote:

On Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:01:26 -0600, Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating
some of them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should
just leave them alone for a few months and hope they grow to a
reasonable size. My carrots have always been stunted, usually just
an inch long, never more than three inches, maybe giving them two
seasons to grow is what they need to reach a normal size.

No, they won't get bigger. What will happen is that they'll start to
put out little rootlets and become tough, as they prepare to make
seeds this year. The good news is that, since carrots grow so well
throughout the winter where you live, you can plan to have year-round
carrots, even if they are small. Plant fewer seeds, but more
regularly (every three weeks or so), and you'll have a steady supply.
--S.

That's a good idea, I'll do a monthly seed planting. I'm going to try
parsnips this year, is the same thing true for them?

Yes.

The ground is dense. I think I'll work in some peat moss this year.

A technique that I'll try this year is to use a dibble made from a
shovel handle, or some such, or even a crowbar, to make a 9" deep hole,
and fill it with potting soil for planting carrots/parsnips. If you have
parsnips, now is the time to eat them. The cold makes them sweeter.
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
Is this unusual?, my garden is full of carrots. I've been eating some of
them for the last few weeks but I'm wondering if I should just leave them
alone for a few months and hope they grow to a reasonable size. My
carrots have always been stunted, usually just an inch long, never more
than three inches, maybe giving them two seasons to grow is what they
need to reach a normal size.

No, they won't get bigger. What will happen is that they'll start to
put out little rootlets and become tough, as they prepare to make seeds
this year. The good news is that, since carrots grow so well throughout
the winter where you live, you can plan to have year-round carrots, even
if they are small. Plant fewer seeds, but more regularly (every three
weeks or so), and you'll have a steady supply.

I just harvested my crop that I planted about this time last year. Temps
had been down in the teens for a week this winter.

They were an odd lot, one was completely round, none more that a few
inches. Still crisp, and fabulous in a pot roast. Nice carrot flavor.

I'll try not to do that again this year. I have a "wishing well" and
some potting soil for this years patch.

Jeff



--S.