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?

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?

Howard Neil

"Howard Neil" hneil@REMOVE TO REPLY.co.uk wrote in message
...
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?

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?

I was taught many years ago that you don't transplant carrots or anything
else with a long tap root. Now whether this is still seen to be correct I
don't know

Ophelia

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.

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?

No. I sow mine in small cells in the greenhouse and when they have at least
three leaves I transplant them into the open ground. Well, I say open but
they're protected from the hens ...

I use Flyaway and don't find them hard to cultivate.

I've been growing them in the greenhouse through the winter, there are still
about a dozen to harvest.

I was terrified of carrot fly until I found the resistant strains - which do
seem to work.

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?

Mary

"jane" wrote in message
...


Anyone know how big a carrot is when the fly attacks? I'd say when the
roots begin to swell, but I've never seen it mentioned...

As a girl I used to be given the job of thinning the carrots for my dad. He
used to tell me to be very very gentle with the foliage as squashing it
releases a scent that attracts the carrot fly, he had an open 'manure heap'
and I used to have to dig a hole in it with a trowl and bury the thinnings.I
was also only allowed to do the thinning in the late evening. We did the
same with parsely as it would seem the scent of this crushed attracted the
fly also. Old dads tale??...dunno, but it seemed to work.

Shan

jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...
No. I sow mine in small cells in the greenhouse and when they have at
least
three leaves I transplant them into the open ground. Well, I say open but
they're protected from the hens ...

Thanks for the replies. The answer from Mary is the way I was considering
and this gives me the impetus to try it myself. After all, the carrots were
not germinating when sown normally and it is worth a few seeds to
experiment.

Howard Neil

shannie wrote in message ...
As a girl I used to be given the job of thinning the carrots for my
dad. He
used to tell me to be very very gentle with the foliage as squashing it
releases a scent that attracts the carrot fly, he had an open 'manure
heap'
and I used to have to dig a hole in it with a trowl and bury the
thinnings.I
was also only allowed to do the thinning in the late evening. We did
the
same with parsely as it would seem the scent of this crushed attracted
the
fly also. Old dads tale??...dunno, but it seemed to work.

Shan
No, not an old wives tale but based on fact. thinning them leaves the
ground disturbed and as the smell of the crushed plants attracts the
carrot fly they then find a way to the roots. watering after thinning
does help, as does a barrier round the row, often a wall of fleece about
2 ft high, the carrot fly goes over it, but can't drop down quick enough
to find the row. Carrot fly are not active late on, so again that works.
Growing French marigolds close also confuses the carrot fly as it gives
of a scent that masks the carrot smell.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 2 Jun 2003 16:38:59 +0100, "welshuser"
wrote:

Second year running my carrots have not come up...the year before that
they
were brilliant. I have rich dark soil and have been keeping the patch
damp,
what could be the problem.

Same here. I never have much success with carrots.
Is it possible that they germinate and something eats the tops?
Having an allotment I cannot easily check them daily, so not sure what
comes through. About 5 last time I looked! That won't see me through
the winter!!

Pam in Bristol



thanks everybody, interesting responses. Yeah I sowed them about 4 weeks ago
and I thought they would have come up by now. Might wait another 2 weeks
before putting in a second sowing and writing off the first. Also, I have
watered them a few times with the hosepipe so the 'capping' theory sounds
very plausable. Will try again in a few weeks if none of them come up...lol,
and keep everybody informed of course

thanks a lot peepz.

On Mon, 2 Jun 2003 23:16:45 +0100, "Howard Neil" hneil@REMOVE TO
REPLY.co.uk wrote:

~ Carrots can take a long time to germinate. We waited ages for ours to
~ show this year, then when the weather turned warmer in the last few
~ days, they all started to show. Give yours a little more time before you
~ give up on them.
~ --
~ Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.
~
~Thanks for the thought but when I say I have given up this year, I mean I
~have not sown any at all. Last year I sowed four different varieties from
~two different seed producers. One carrot germinated but stayed very small.
~Otherwise, nothing.

I had all of six last year! Out of *four* packets. I asked at the national
veg soc stall at the BBC GW show what was going on and the old chap manning
it said it was mainly conditions of last spring and he had heard of a LOT
of folk with this problem. I got a bit bloody-minded this year and sowed a
pot inside of Amsterdam forcing in January (!) just so I had some... (just
mature now - sweet,straight and no carrot fly!!

This year I did what the old chap had suggested - trod the rows down after
planting and together with our slightly better spring I have tiny plants
again. But to reinforce the other advice given by John Pearce, I sowed a
row of Flyaway into a cm of compost, covering them up with a mix of compost
and my quite-light soil. They came up like rockets, and have the added
bonus that there are fewer weeds in that row. And the ones I do have are
easier to pull out!
I've now got Autumn King pelleted, Early Nantes and Flyaway. I am expecting
the sacrifice-crop Nantes to be munched in preference to the Flyaway,
though may do the old net curtain trick and cover them all soon.

Anyone know how big a carrot is when the fly attacks? I'd say when the
roots begin to swell, but I've never seen it mentioned...

~
~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).
~
~Howard Neil
~
Good luck!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

Andy Spragg wrote:

You are not alone. I've only had three or four come up. Mind you,
they're doing better than my peas - not a single one!? How can you go
wrong with peas, for God's sake? I did the whole thing as per
instructions - prepared the soil carefully, made the V-shaped trench,
gave it a good watering, plonked the peas in, sat back and waited ...
and waited ... are they especially fussy about sowing depth? I think I
may have planted them a /little/ deep, but other than that I am
flummoxed.

Andy
--

It doesn't sound from my, somewhat limited, experience that you've done
anything wrong. Maybe mice or birds got to the seeds before they had a
chance to germinate?

Started my first ever veg plot this year, and nearly all of my peas have
come up. Fantastic moment last night when I picked one of the immature
pods and ate it while looking at my garden. Delicious! Slightly sad I
know, but it's the first thing I've ever eaten that I've grown myself,
so I think I'll excuse myself!

In article ,
says...


"Pam Moore" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 2 Jun 2003 16:38:59 +0100, "welshuser"
wrote:

Second year running my carrots have not come up...the year before that
they
were brilliant. I have rich dark soil and have been keeping the patch
damp,
what could be the problem.

Same here. I never have much success with carrots.
Is it possible that they germinate and something eats the tops?
Having an allotment I cannot easily check them daily, so not sure what
comes through. About 5 last time I looked! That won't see me through
the winter!!

Pam in Bristol



thanks everybody, interesting responses. Yeah I sowed them about 4 weeks ago
and I thought they would have come up by now. Might wait another 2 weeks
before putting in a second sowing and writing off the first. Also, I have
watered them a few times with the hosepipe so the 'capping' theory sounds
very plausable. Will try again in a few weeks if none of them come up...lol,
and keep everybody informed of course

thanks a lot peepz.




On heavy clay, I found the solution is to spread an inch of potting compost sow
the seeds, cover lightly and water. No risk of capping. Carrots require warmth
to germinate so early on I sow small poatches and cover with a cloche. So far
has worked for the last ten years. If you have cats you may need to cover the
compost with netting once they have germinated otherwise it gets dug up.
--
Jonathan Ward
Remove the 'X' when replying

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?

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?

Howard Neil

"Howard Neil" hneil@REMOVE TO REPLY.co.uk wrote in message
...
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?

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?

I was taught many years ago that you don't transplant carrots or anything
else with a long tap root. Now whether this is still seen to be correct I
don't know

Ophelia

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.

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?

No. I sow mine in small cells in the greenhouse and when they have at least
three leaves I transplant them into the open ground. Well, I say open but
they're protected from the hens ...

I use Flyaway and don't find them hard to cultivate.

I've been growing them in the greenhouse through the winter, there are still
about a dozen to harvest.

I was terrified of carrot fly until I found the resistant strains - which do
seem to work.

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?

Mary