Thursday 18 August 2011

The Year Of The Carrot

I'm so determined to successfully grow carrots this year that I've adopted a few different methods to ensure a positive outcome. You may remember that at the start of the season I sowed some seed for a stumpy round carrot variety in a container. That worked out and the carrots grew well. I've also got some carrots growing in the ground at the allotment. I've never got seed to germinate there before, and they look to be doing well, but you can never tell what's going on below the ground until you pull them so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. Hubby's little project this year has been to utilise an old bath which was left on the plot when we took it over. He's drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage and filled it up with old compost from used containers as well as compost we had left over from last year. As you can see from the photo which was taken before we went away on holiday, the carrots which he decided to grow in there look to be doing ok. We may be lucky and be successful with all our methods of growing carrots this year.

I've got some gorgeous gladioli in a vase on my windowsill at the moment. Hubby's uncle always keeps me in flowers at this time of year and when the gladioli finish, the chrysanthemums start. Gladioli are such long lasting flowers and they're so bright and cheerful. I know they're not everyone's cup of tea but I love them.

I haven't made it down to the allotment since the weekend. I'm still ploughing my way through all the washing and ironing that holidays produce, but I'm hoping to get down there over the next couple of days to get some much needed weeding done.

14 comments:

  1. That's one way of growing clean carrots!

    Looking forward to the subterranean results. I've bben growing mine under nets for the second year, with the best results ever this year. Will post.

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  2. For the first time in years our carrot harvest is a bit of a failure - our and the weathers fault! I'll post more about it later.

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  3. Loving the carrot bath! Looks like a great crop too. I've managed to grow decent carrots for the first time this year.

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  4. I have a grand total of three carrots survive from three plantings! I love this idea, we have an old bath kicking about... hmmmm!

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  5. Those bath grown carrots look good - sounds like you've done well with carrots this year, they should last you well into the autumn/winter. I've had a pretty good carrot year as well!

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  6. Hi Jo...I an just playing a much needed catch up and so I am slowly working my way through blogs and posts. Those carrots look great. I have grown some in a container this year which we have used as baby carrots in salads....I have some in the ground as well...sown at intervals so i am hoping the bottoms turn out as good as the tops and I get a good crop this year. Fingers crossed for both of us!

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  7. The tub of carrots is great! Hope you get a good crop, they look healthy. Hope you had a lovely holiday, Kelli.

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  8. That makes my few carrots in an old washing-up bowl look a bit pathetic! Mine have been very successful though, so I hope yours are too.

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  9. Dear Jo, I hope you had a lovely holiday! Congratulations on your carrot crop this year. Your perseverance paid off. P. x

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  10. There is nothing quite like the taste of a home grown carrot. Good luck with it.

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  11. Fingers crossed that those carrots will be good'uns, as I'm sure they will! I never have much luck growing them. Flighty xx

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  12. The carrots certainly seem to be enjoying their bath :)

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  13. Great idea to have them growing in a bath. They've been my veg nemisis over the last few years but I think I've finally cracked it this year fingers crossed. Good luck wit them!

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  14. That's what my hubby said, Mal. Glad to hear that your carrots have done well, it's great when a trial pays off.

    Sorry to hear that, Sue, your carrots are always so good. It's been a funny year for many things though.

    Glad to hear that your carrots have done well for you, Surburban veg gardener. I'm looking forward to finding out how mine have done.

    This is the first year I've managed to grow carrots, Rosie. Do let us know if you decide to try the bath method.

    The top growth looks good, Rachael, I'm just hoping that the roots are growing as well. Glad to hear your carrots have done well this year.

    It sounds like we've done exactly the same with our carrots this year, Tanya, grown in containers and the ground. Let's hope we both get some good roots.

    Thanks, Kelli, we had a great holiday. I'm hoping that the top growth isn't fooling us in to thinking there's some good carrots under there and that we end up being disappointed. Time will tell.

    Your washing up bowl carrots were great, Mark. It's amazing what can be used to grow things in, I know you're a great advocate for recycling.

    We had a lovely holiday thanks, Pam. I decided early on that I would try my very best this year to get some carrots growing, I hope I'm not disappointed with the results.

    I agree, Don't unplug your hub. Home grown carrots are so much sweeter than shop bought and taste so much more, well, carroty.

    This is the first year I've managed to grow carrots in the ground, Flighty. I have grown them in containers previously though, perhaps you could try that way.

    I'm hoping they come out nice and clean, Mo.

    Thanks, Damo. It feels so good to finally get there when it's taken a few years to achieve. I can't wait to dig them up now.

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