Today i have sown some carrot seed given to me by a local farmer who grows them comercialy. They are a blue colour obviously coated with some thing .He tells me that the coating will protect the carrots from first generation carrot fly. Will I need to protect the carrots later on with with mesh, fleece, or earthing up, and if so when is that likley to be.
Regards Brenjon
Carrots
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Hi Brenjon,
Is this pelleted seed or is the blue just a dusting?
My advice is to cover your Carrots from day one with fleece. I also put, and I mean put, slug pellets
about every 4" down either side of the row.
Carrots can be grazed off before you even manage to see them by Keeled Slugs. The little buggers will simply go down the row and can consume a whole row over night.
Being covered with fleece you are very unlikely to cause any harm to any living thing other than a slug.
Is this pelleted seed or is the blue just a dusting?
My advice is to cover your Carrots from day one with fleece. I also put, and I mean put, slug pellets
about every 4" down either side of the row.
Carrots can be grazed off before you even manage to see them by Keeled Slugs. The little buggers will simply go down the row and can consume a whole row over night.
Being covered with fleece you are very unlikely to cause any harm to any living thing other than a slug.
JB.
Hi Johnboy
The seed is covered by a blue glazed product and not just dusted, so I imagine it is pelleted. I have now got some insect protective mesh material that I intend to cover them with, raised 2foot above the bed by alkethene pipe hoops that way I can remove the mesh netting more easily and view their progress. Will this method be alright I appreciate your advice about the slug pellets as I had not thought of that.
Regards Brenjon
The seed is covered by a blue glazed product and not just dusted, so I imagine it is pelleted. I have now got some insect protective mesh material that I intend to cover them with, raised 2foot above the bed by alkethene pipe hoops that way I can remove the mesh netting more easily and view their progress. Will this method be alright I appreciate your advice about the slug pellets as I had not thought of that.
Regards Brenjon
-
Geoff
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5585
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
- Location: Forest of Bowland
- Been thanked: 139 times
I agree with the JB advice (as usual). Carrots are in the ground for quite a while so need weeding so bear that in mind when you design your cover.
I would like to know what this blue treatment is, I have something that sounds the same on my Calabrese seeds - has it an almost metallic blue sheen? It seems to be somewhere between a dusting and full blown pelletisation, like every seed has been dipped in a liquid that has dried on.
I would like to know what this blue treatment is, I have something that sounds the same on my Calabrese seeds - has it an almost metallic blue sheen? It seems to be somewhere between a dusting and full blown pelletisation, like every seed has been dipped in a liquid that has dried on.
Yes it has a metalic like shiny blue sheen.
They are larger than normal carrot seed and I thought i would be able to sow it well spaced out to ovoid thining later. that was not the case when I did it by hand a lot of the seed was grouped together.
Does any one know of any method or implement to sow seed with an even spacing to save time and trouble thining out later on.
Regards Brenjon
They are larger than normal carrot seed and I thought i would be able to sow it well spaced out to ovoid thining later. that was not the case when I did it by hand a lot of the seed was grouped together.
Does any one know of any method or implement to sow seed with an even spacing to save time and trouble thining out later on.
Regards Brenjon
Hi Brenjon and Geoff,
I have been using pelleted seed for the last couple of years and your conclusion is correct. It makes it so much easier to sow and commercially it means less sophisticated seeding arrangements.
I have two varieties Autumn King 2 and Early Nantes 2
and they were fantastic last year when I made use of manure on the Carrot bed and left it there for the worms and weather to take it into the soil over winter then taking off anything that was remaining on the surface prior to sowing. I am running the same experiment this year to make sure that it was not a one day wonder.
As for the Calabrese I do not think that they are pellets but the seed is treated to prevent fungal infection. It is a treatment using Thiram whatever that is. I have Calabrese seed treated especially Marathon F1.
Pelleted seeds mainly have only one seed with the odd exception and you can space them at what you like. I plant at 1" apart and only thin out when there is something meaningful to eat on the end. My final thinning leaves them approx 3" apart. I have some superb eating along the way.
I have been using pelleted seed for the last couple of years and your conclusion is correct. It makes it so much easier to sow and commercially it means less sophisticated seeding arrangements.
I have two varieties Autumn King 2 and Early Nantes 2
and they were fantastic last year when I made use of manure on the Carrot bed and left it there for the worms and weather to take it into the soil over winter then taking off anything that was remaining on the surface prior to sowing. I am running the same experiment this year to make sure that it was not a one day wonder.
As for the Calabrese I do not think that they are pellets but the seed is treated to prevent fungal infection. It is a treatment using Thiram whatever that is. I have Calabrese seed treated especially Marathon F1.
Pelleted seeds mainly have only one seed with the odd exception and you can space them at what you like. I plant at 1" apart and only thin out when there is something meaningful to eat on the end. My final thinning leaves them approx 3" apart. I have some superb eating along the way.
JB.
Hi Johnboy, Geoff, and others
No one as yet has given me the anawer as to how you are able to sow them i inch apart, as when i try to dribble them in the row I often get a cluster of seed coming out of my finger and thumb all at once.
Do you actually put each seed into the row individually (very time consuming) are have you a secret tool or method. Answers please.
Regards Brenjon
No one as yet has given me the anawer as to how you are able to sow them i inch apart, as when i try to dribble them in the row I often get a cluster of seed coming out of my finger and thumb all at once.
Do you actually put each seed into the row individually (very time consuming) are have you a secret tool or method. Answers please.
Regards Brenjon
Hi Brenjon,
I have made sowing aids in the past but not for use when planting direct. I have one which allows me to sow a full seed tray 1" in any direction. It is a piece of plywood with sawn off nails protruding which you simply push into the soil 1/2" deep. You then still have to sow by hand but it give you a good indication and is incredibly neat.
I have similar aids for sowing Peas in domino five's and diamond four's but again you still have to sow by hand but gives a very precise planting especially for when you plant out in the row evrything then gets spaced along the row properly.
For sowing Carrots in the row I fetch out a small
'V' and boring as it may seem again they are sown by hand. This is why I prefer the pelleted seed as it is so much easier to handle with Arthritic hands like mine.
Sowing seeds is boring at the best of times but I'm afraid that that's the down side of growing.
I have made sowing aids in the past but not for use when planting direct. I have one which allows me to sow a full seed tray 1" in any direction. It is a piece of plywood with sawn off nails protruding which you simply push into the soil 1/2" deep. You then still have to sow by hand but it give you a good indication and is incredibly neat.
I have similar aids for sowing Peas in domino five's and diamond four's but again you still have to sow by hand but gives a very precise planting especially for when you plant out in the row evrything then gets spaced along the row properly.
For sowing Carrots in the row I fetch out a small
'V' and boring as it may seem again they are sown by hand. This is why I prefer the pelleted seed as it is so much easier to handle with Arthritic hands like mine.
Sowing seeds is boring at the best of times but I'm afraid that that's the down side of growing.
JB.