I went to Google to check-up on something and came across this rather pleasant website:
http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/cultivation2.html
I feel that it is well worth a read.
JB.
Growing Carrots
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
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Chantal
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What a brilliant site 
however, call me thick but I don't understand this bit
" Carrots are normally grown straight in the ground and then thinned in stages to obtain the correct distance apart. Never plant in cold or weedy soil as carrots are difficult to weed once established.
Carrots are cool-weather vegetables, so start sowing about two weeks before the last expected frost in your area. "
Surely if it's two weeks before the last frost then the ground will be cold?
however, call me thick but I don't understand this bit
" Carrots are normally grown straight in the ground and then thinned in stages to obtain the correct distance apart. Never plant in cold or weedy soil as carrots are difficult to weed once established.
Carrots are cool-weather vegetables, so start sowing about two weeks before the last expected frost in your area. "
Surely if it's two weeks before the last frost then the ground will be cold?
Chantal
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
The remark is probably relevant to a particular U.S.zone. The zone idea is not really relevant over here, according to their criteria we mostly come in zone 7 but even in UK it is foolish to generalise.
I would say in UK not before February at the earliest, best get a soil thermometer if in doubt.Alternatively watch for annual weed growth, they know when the soil is fit.
Without a polytunnel use some sort of cloche to pre -warm the soil. Personally I am trying to use techniques to minimise or totally avoid thinning.
Allan
I would say in UK not before February at the earliest, best get a soil thermometer if in doubt.Alternatively watch for annual weed growth, they know when the soil is fit.
Without a polytunnel use some sort of cloche to pre -warm the soil. Personally I am trying to use techniques to minimise or totally avoid thinning.
Allan
Hi Chantal,
Carrots a comparatively cold germinators 40F (4.4C)
so the soil does not have to warm up too much before sowing. Mine are covered with fleece or anti white fly netting their entire life so a light frost or two have never done any harm.
For your information Allan the British Isles are mainly Zone 8 with some South and Western coastal
areas Zone 9 with one very small patch in the Highlands of Scotland Zone 7. Say what you will the zones are fairly accurate as the zones represent a range of temperature. There are always exceptions, where say, frost pockets exist but taking the overall averages they are fine.
Your growing area and my growing area are only 50 miles apart yet I know that even Hereford 25 miles away is at least two weeks earlier than here and you probably more advanced than that but this is still within the constraints of the Zone.
I described a way of growing Carrots on this Forum this year which would give you a no thinning when young but allows for selective thinning which would suit your purpose of selling bunches in the green.
Early Nantes 2 Pelleted seeds, sown at the right time, would allow you to sow with a high degree of accuracy to achieve what you are after.
JB.
Carrots a comparatively cold germinators 40F (4.4C)
so the soil does not have to warm up too much before sowing. Mine are covered with fleece or anti white fly netting their entire life so a light frost or two have never done any harm.
For your information Allan the British Isles are mainly Zone 8 with some South and Western coastal
areas Zone 9 with one very small patch in the Highlands of Scotland Zone 7. Say what you will the zones are fairly accurate as the zones represent a range of temperature. There are always exceptions, where say, frost pockets exist but taking the overall averages they are fine.
Your growing area and my growing area are only 50 miles apart yet I know that even Hereford 25 miles away is at least two weeks earlier than here and you probably more advanced than that but this is still within the constraints of the Zone.
I described a way of growing Carrots on this Forum this year which would give you a no thinning when young but allows for selective thinning which would suit your purpose of selling bunches in the green.
Early Nantes 2 Pelleted seeds, sown at the right time, would allow you to sow with a high degree of accuracy to achieve what you are after.
JB.
Say what you will even in the USA which is where the website originates you can have two zones with the same zone number and entirely different climate characteristics e.g coastal areas which never get frosts and central upland areas which are frozen all winter but in the summer become sub-tropical. In contrast we don't get the same patterns here, there is nowhere in UK that is more than 50 miles from the sea and we are bathed in the Gulf stream for much of the year. Therefore one must not take a website from a specific part of the U.S. as being totally correct for our circumstances without reservations.
To my surprise the method of calculating climatic zones is not universal e.g. US and Canada have different systems, I have not yet found the relationship here with that in the U.S.
I note your advice on carrots but I have my own system for my own requirements which I do not intend to repeat here and have no intention of changing to any other without very good reason.
Regarding thinning it is still thinning at any time and if I can grow without doing any at all it suits my purposes but I don't expect others to copy me if they don't want to.
There is always more than one method of growing anything successfully, surely you must be fully aware of this by now.
Allan
To my surprise the method of calculating climatic zones is not universal e.g. US and Canada have different systems, I have not yet found the relationship here with that in the U.S.
I note your advice on carrots but I have my own system for my own requirements which I do not intend to repeat here and have no intention of changing to any other without very good reason.
Regarding thinning it is still thinning at any time and if I can grow without doing any at all it suits my purposes but I don't expect others to copy me if they don't want to.
There is always more than one method of growing anything successfully, surely you must be fully aware of this by now.
Allan
JB, I tried your method of growing carrots by dropping a few seeds into planting stations a few inches apart rather than trying to sow thin rows and found that it worked really well. We ate the thinings as baby carrots and left one in each station to grow on. The net result being a big clamp of full size juicy carrots for use over the winter rather than my usual sad collection.
Allan,
The relationship between UK/Europe and USA zones are quite simple they are all base on the average temperatures for the Zone. Now I appreciate that is not as accurate enough for your requirement but they are only an indication of the Flora that will grow in a given Zone. This way comparisons can be made.
If you need specific temperature charts for a given area then it is something that you must do for yourself as it is not possible to source these from anywhere as they do not exist.
Because you do not understand them is no reason to knock the system that appears to work for most of the Universe. So Canada may correlate their Zones in a different way but if you read what is said it is not exactly rocket science to make your own comparisons.
As for growing Carrots, you have in the past told us all that you make good money from bunches of Carrots with the tops on (in the green) and your sentence regarding that is to say the least confusing.
You do not intend to share your obviously superior method with us all which is really against the total ethos of the forum. Using pelleted seed on wider spaces would give you what you are after but that would obviously be far too simple for your superior growing skills.
JB.
The relationship between UK/Europe and USA zones are quite simple they are all base on the average temperatures for the Zone. Now I appreciate that is not as accurate enough for your requirement but they are only an indication of the Flora that will grow in a given Zone. This way comparisons can be made.
If you need specific temperature charts for a given area then it is something that you must do for yourself as it is not possible to source these from anywhere as they do not exist.
Because you do not understand them is no reason to knock the system that appears to work for most of the Universe. So Canada may correlate their Zones in a different way but if you read what is said it is not exactly rocket science to make your own comparisons.
As for growing Carrots, you have in the past told us all that you make good money from bunches of Carrots with the tops on (in the green) and your sentence regarding that is to say the least confusing.
You do not intend to share your obviously superior method with us all which is really against the total ethos of the forum. Using pelleted seed on wider spaces would give you what you are after but that would obviously be far too simple for your superior growing skills.
JB.
JB If I say anything to you you go out of way to contradict it. If I don't describe my methods that is wrong. i.e. it's always no win with you.
I will tell you how much I need your advice. After the disaster with the famous pelleted seeds I put my transpants in. No thinning required. Today I sampled the end ones. Perfectly shaped, typically 6 inches of usable carrots with a further tail of at least 2 iches, not bad considering that soil had only the shallowest of cultivation, certainly nothing like 6 inches. It seems that a newcomer like me to the mysteries of the Autumn King doesn't need your guidance. Next spring I shall be enjoying the autumn sown F1 carrots var. Rocket and Primo from my polytunnel once again. No need to thin them.
Allan
I will tell you how much I need your advice. After the disaster with the famous pelleted seeds I put my transpants in. No thinning required. Today I sampled the end ones. Perfectly shaped, typically 6 inches of usable carrots with a further tail of at least 2 iches, not bad considering that soil had only the shallowest of cultivation, certainly nothing like 6 inches. It seems that a newcomer like me to the mysteries of the Autumn King doesn't need your guidance. Next spring I shall be enjoying the autumn sown F1 carrots var. Rocket and Primo from my polytunnel once again. No need to thin them.
Allan
As I said already the most obvious way to know if the soil is warm enough to sow carrots is to use a soil thermometer. The other way as I said is to watch the weeds, they know when it is right to grow, that is what gives them a headstart over man's attempts to get it right.
No need for all this zone stuff, just that I was urging caution over interpretation of instructions aimed specifically at U.S. gardeners and for all I know a specific State or County. They have a network of County horticultural advisers who dish out loads of info aimed specifically at their local clients, not at us over here.
Regarding pelleted seeds, I did at least give them a try, result almost total failure, admittedly not in the circumstances that you work, but what would be the point of trying them again when I have another proven way and a free choice of method. If you would like to use up the remaining stock you are very welcome to them but I have used up about half the packet.
Allan
No need for all this zone stuff, just that I was urging caution over interpretation of instructions aimed specifically at U.S. gardeners and for all I know a specific State or County. They have a network of County horticultural advisers who dish out loads of info aimed specifically at their local clients, not at us over here.
Regarding pelleted seeds, I did at least give them a try, result almost total failure, admittedly not in the circumstances that you work, but what would be the point of trying them again when I have another proven way and a free choice of method. If you would like to use up the remaining stock you are very welcome to them but I have used up about half the packet.
Allan
Allan and Johnboy you're both experienced and knowledgeable people, and I've benefited from the advice you've given me in the past, so thank you (and to Tigger, Chantal and oldherbeceous too!).
I'm so sorry you disagree with each other in these terms in the public forum. Newbies like me are looking for encouragement and advice, and these wars of words between you make this forum difficult to enjoy. KG forum is well known in the cyber/gardening community for its aggressive atmosphere, taken from exchanges like these.
Differences of opinion inevitable. They are well handled in other forums (and by other people in KG). How do you think newbies will react to this sort of exchange? Or to the moderator who allows it? I'm sorry to be so blunt, but enough is enough!
I'm so sorry you disagree with each other in these terms in the public forum. Newbies like me are looking for encouragement and advice, and these wars of words between you make this forum difficult to enjoy. KG forum is well known in the cyber/gardening community for its aggressive atmosphere, taken from exchanges like these.
Differences of opinion inevitable. They are well handled in other forums (and by other people in KG). How do you think newbies will react to this sort of exchange? Or to the moderator who allows it? I'm sorry to be so blunt, but enough is enough!
Belinda wrote:Well said Sprout!
I do agree with Belinda and Sprout. As a newbie I also find the rancour rather off-putting. Can I shyly suggest that perhaps unpleasant comments could be put in personal messages to each other rather than in the public forum?
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Chantal
- KG Regular
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- Location: Rugby, Warwickshire
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Perhaps it's time everyone had a re-read of Mr PH's posting on forum etiquette.
viewtopic.php?t=1233&highlight=etiquette
viewtopic.php?t=1233&highlight=etiquette
Chantal
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
Chantal,
I am perfectly aware of the ruling so perhaps next time the incorrect information gets put on the forum I will just let you get on with it.
I consider that I set out as trying to help contributors to this forum which they obviously do not appreciate.
If you want the wrong information them why should I ever try to help any of you.
I have tried to assist people on this forum for over 4 years and I know that in very many instances I have succeeded.
All I can say is sod the lot of you if that is how you feel and if I get banned so be it. It will be your loss not mine.
JB.
I am perfectly aware of the ruling so perhaps next time the incorrect information gets put on the forum I will just let you get on with it.
I consider that I set out as trying to help contributors to this forum which they obviously do not appreciate.
If you want the wrong information them why should I ever try to help any of you.
I have tried to assist people on this forum for over 4 years and I know that in very many instances I have succeeded.
All I can say is sod the lot of you if that is how you feel and if I get banned so be it. It will be your loss not mine.
JB.
I am a very newby - joined in today. I have been reading KG forum for some months now and have found it exceedingly informative and entertaining. I don't think it is aggressive. Strong feelings are exchanged but this shows how passionate people are about gardening. I have been impressed by everyone's desire to help and share their expertise and also their mistakes. It would be a great loss if this exchange led to the loss of experienced advice.