Page 27 - ALG Issue 2 2019

Carrot Master Class
Many gardens struggle to get good germination of carrots each spring. So, I thought it might be a good idea to offer some helpful tips and advice on growing this tasty crop.
1. Wait until the soil has warmed up to a minimum of 7°C before you start sowing seed.
2. If on heavy soil, take out a drill 10cm deep and fill with seed sowing compost and firm down. On light soils you can sow direct into the soil.
3. Draw out a shallow drill 2cm deep, in rows spaced 30-35cm apart, then water the base of each drill so the moisture is where the seed needs it.
4. Sow the seed thinly along the drill and lightly cover with more compost or soil.
5. Don’t be tempted to keep watering overhead, as this can cap the soil, preventing the seedlings from emerging.
6. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, thin to 5-7cm apart. Thinning is best done in the evening when cool. Water along
the row immediately after thinning to help deter the smell from attracting carrot fly.
7. Always grow carrots under Enviromesh from sowing through to harvesting, as this will ensure roots are kept clean and carrot fly free.
8. Sow seeds in succession starting in April (soil conditions permitting) with an early variety like Romance F1, followed
by another sowing in May and a final sowing in mid-June, for these I use Eskimo F1, but the choice is yours. From the Kings Seeds range, this year I will be trying some New Carrot Aron F1. Sowing at different times will provide you with fresh carrots over a longer period.
9. If short of space, or for an extra early crop, sow a few seeds in a deep pot filled with seed sowing compost.
10. Pots can be started off in a cool greenhouse, then stood out on a sunny patio, and can be tipped out once mature and ready to use. Ideal varieties are the round carrot Paris Market, or the very sweet carrot Sugarsnax 54 F1.
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 27