I have never been successful in growing carrots. They either got carrot
fly, were thin and weedy or were eaten by beasties before I harvested
them. This year, I put some in a plastic tub and have just harvested
around 3 pounds, so am delighted. It may not be much to all you
gardeners who are better than me but to me it is brilliant. Like the
potatoes, I shall put them in the ground next year and hope for the
best. I am very pleased
--
June Hughes

"June Hughes" wrote ...
I have never been successful in growing carrots. They either got carrot
fly, were thin and weedy or were eaten by beasties before I harvested them.
This year, I put some in a plastic tub and have just harvested around 3
pounds, so am delighted. It may not be much to all you gardeners who are
better than me but to me it is brilliant. Like the potatoes, I shall put
them in the ground next year and hope for the best. I am very pleased

Because of the severe Carrot Root Fly problem we have around here we have
now resorted to growing carrots in an old plastic 50gal water tank, and very
successful it is. The only downside is that because of the density of
planting we need to water the tank constantly as the rain seems to just
falls off the mound of leaves onto the ground.
Still using the old "Long Red Surrey" variety from which we have saved seeds
for years and with which we get almost 100% germination even when the seed
is a few years old. I'm convinced it's the process the commercial seeds go
through to make them burr free that damages the germination rate.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

In message , Bob Hobden
writes

"June Hughes" wrote ...
I have never been successful in growing carrots. They either got carrot
fly, were thin and weedy or were eaten by beasties before I harvested them.
This year, I put some in a plastic tub and have just harvested around 3
pounds, so am delighted. It may not be much to all you gardeners who are
better than me but to me it is brilliant. Like the potatoes, I shall put
them in the ground next year and hope for the best. I am very pleased

Because of the severe Carrot Root Fly problem we have around here we have
now resorted to growing carrots in an old plastic 50gal water tank, and very
successful it is. The only downside is that because of the density of
planting we need to water the tank constantly as the rain seems to just
falls off the mound of leaves onto the ground.
Still using the old "Long Red Surrey" variety from which we have saved seeds
for years and with which we get almost 100% germination even when the seed
is a few years old. I'm convinced it's the process the commercial seeds go
through to make them burr free that damages the germination rate.

Thanks Bob. The information is much appreciated and I shall take it to
heart.
--
June Hughes

In message , June Hughes
writes
I have never been successful in growing carrots. They either got
carrot fly, were thin and weedy or were eaten by beasties before I
harvested them. This year, I put some in a plastic tub and have just
harvested around 3 pounds, so am delighted. It may not be much to all
you gardeners who are better than me but to me it is brilliant. Like
the potatoes, I shall put them in the ground next year and hope for the
best. I am very pleased

I grew a few Early Nantes in a tub this year, and they were the
straightest carrots I've grown, though smallish.
The only way I avoided bifurcated and distorted carrots in open ground
was by dibbing a tapering hole and filling it with sand and compost.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

In message , Gordon H
writes
In message , June Hughes
writes
I have never been successful in growing carrots. They either got
carrot fly, were thin and weedy or were eaten by beasties before I
harvested them. This year, I put some in a plastic tub and have just
harvested around 3 pounds, so am delighted. It may not be much to all
you gardeners who are better than me but to me it is brilliant. Like
the potatoes, I shall put them in the ground next year and hope for
the best. I am very pleased

I grew a few Early Nantes in a tub this year, and they were the
straightest carrots I've grown, though smallish.
The only way I avoided bifurcated and distorted carrots in open ground
was by dibbing a tapering hole and filling it with sand and compost.

I haven't done that but shall bear it in mind. Thanks.
--
June Hughes

Gordon H wrote:
In message , June Hughes
writes
I have never been successful in growing carrots. They either got
carrot fly, were thin and weedy or were eaten by beasties before I
harvested them. This year, I put some in a plastic tub and have just
harvested around 3 pounds, so am delighted. It may not be much to all
you gardeners who are better than me but to me it is brilliant. Like
the potatoes, I shall put them in the ground next year and hope for
the best. I am very pleased

I grew a few Early Nantes in a tub this year, and they were the
straightest carrots I've grown, though smallish.
The only way I avoided bifurcated and distorted carrots in open ground
was by dibbing a tapering hole and filling it with sand and compost.

I have always had poor success with carrots. However, this year,
following Geoffrey Smith's suggestion in "Mr. Smith's Vegetable Garden",
I planted a row in a 2" to 3" deep drill filled with builders' sand
(late March). Very successful.

I persisted with some normal soil planting; they seemed to grow slowly,
and to no size and were misshapen. Also these were attacked by carrot
fly; but that may have been due to the proximity of overhanging trees.

Best regards,

Jon C.

--
Jonathan Campbell www.jgcampbell.com BT48, UK.

"Jonathan Campbell" wrote in message
...
Gordon H wrote:
In message , June Hughes
writes
I have never been successful in growing carrots. They either got carrot
fly, were thin and weedy or were eaten by beasties before I harvested
them. This year, I put some in a plastic tub and have just harvested
around 3 pounds, so am delighted. It may not be much to all you
gardeners who are better than me but to me it is brilliant. Like the
potatoes, I shall put them in the ground next year and hope for the
best. I am very pleased

I grew a few Early Nantes in a tub this year, and they were the
straightest carrots I've grown, though smallish.
The only way I avoided bifurcated and distorted carrots in open ground
was by dibbing a tapering hole and filling it with sand and compost.

I have always had poor success with carrots. However, this year, following
Geoffrey Smith's suggestion in "Mr. Smith's Vegetable Garden", I planted a
row in a 2" to 3" deep drill filled with builders' sand (late March). Very
successful.

I persisted with some normal soil planting; they seemed to grow slowly,
and to no size and were misshapen. Also these were attacked by carrot fly;
but that may have been due to the proximity of overhanging trees.


We sow our first carrots in large pots which then stay on top of the compost
bays until harvesting. The main crop were, on the advice on the seed packet,
not sown until late May. They're doing very nicely, no sign of the fly, and
we're just starting to pull them as needed.

I'm wondering whether a similar strategy may work to avoid leek moth next
year.

Steve

"shazzbat" wrote ((SNIP))

I'm wondering whether a similar strategy may work to avoid leek moth next
year.

Not in our experience, but unlike carrots with carrot fly the leeks usually
come through the attack unharmed, except they may be a touch smaller than
normal. We've had Leek Moth for years and the only thing that seems to do
any good if it gets a serious problem** is a good dusting of Derris powder
right into the centre of the plant, oh sorry, can't get Derris any more!!!

** some years it is much worse than others, when we first got it the damage
was serious and right into the heart of the plant, this year just the tips
of the leaves show damage.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

Have you tried sowing summer savoury herbs with the carrots this is supposed
to help with carrot fly
this seemed to help with me
Ann




Hello Bob,

"shazzbat" wrote ((SNIP))

I'm wondering whether a similar strategy may work to avoid leek moth
next year.

Not in our experience, but unlike carrots with carrot fly the leeks
usually come through the attack unharmed, except they may be a touch
smaller than normal. We've had Leek Moth for years and the only thing
that seems to do any good if it gets a serious problem** is a good
dusting of Derris powder right into the centre of the plant, oh sorry,
can't get Derris any more!!!

** some years it is much worse than others, when we first got it the
damage was serious and right into the heart of the plant, this year
just the tips of the leaves show damage.

In message , Jonathan Campbell
writes

I have always had poor success with carrots.

Nor I generally.

However, this year, following Geoffrey Smith's suggestion in "Mr.
Smith's Vegetable Garden", I planted a row in a 2" to 3" deep drill
filled with builders' sand (late March). Very successful.

I persisted with some normal soil planting; they seemed to grow slowly,
and to no size and were misshapen. Also these were attacked by carrot
fly; but that may have been due to the proximity of overhanging trees.
Best regards,
Jon C.

I seem to remember the best way to avoid carrot fly is to plant a later
variety. :-)
--
Gordon H
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