Kitchen Garden Forum

I've just woken up and realised that i've done something really, really stupid.

In an old tin bath i've planted about 80 garlic bulbs. I then had the bright idea of growing late carrots in there as well, hoping to fool the carrot root fly.

How the hell am I going to pull the garlic without knacking up the carrots as well?

Stupendously thick or what?

lizzie you must not be so hard on yourself, i'm sure we have all done things like that, you do something and then think, i can't believe i have just done that.
Admittedly nothing quite as silly as that.
Also i was wondering how you now have a bath if your growing veg in it.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

Only last week Lizzie I planted some parsley in the 2 empty pots on the patio and then remembered that was where I had sown the next batch of spring onions.....

I planted a pot of curly leaf parsley, or thought I did until it came up as broccoli Those seed packets look so similar

Regarding your garlic though, how much have you planted? As it's in a bath, I presume the soil is potting compost or similar and thus pretty loose, so you should be able to pull the garlic through gently with little disturbance to the carrots. You may have to pull a carrot or two as well but it shouldn't be too bad, should it?

I've planted rows of Tagetes between my carrot this year and when I'm weeding I keep brushing the Tagetes so the stink is enough to make my eyes water and will hopefully fool those little carrot fly blighters. Go on, someone tell me that Tagetes and carrots don't get on.

Chantal - I can't find anything to say that carrots and tagetes don't like each other so I think you're OK.

To quote 'Carrots love Tomatoes & Roses love Garlic' by Louise Riotte.

"Carrots are good to grow with tomatoes, also leaf lettuce, chives, onions, leeks, radishes, rosemary, and sage. They have a pronounced dislike for dill. Carrots themselves contain an exudate beneficial to the growth of peas.
Marigolds (Tagetes) are very beneficial in discouraging nematodes that atttack potatoes, strawberries, roses, and various bulbs. Sulphur-containing substances called thiophenes are produced in the roots and kill the pests when released in the soil. They also help deter weeds and may be planted as a crop against invasions of ground elder, bindweed, and ground ivy."

Herby, I now dunk myself in the water butt. Being only 5'2" it's a perfect fit

The soil in the tin bath is potting compost but it's got some sharp sand in too and, with all the rain, it's quite sticky. Still, it should dry out.

The problem is that the bulbs are getting quite chunky now and i've sown the carrots between the bulbs.

What is worse is that I sowed the carrots last week. It only occured to me in the middle of the night what i'd done.

I am a dozy tart

Hello Lizzie - you may be okay if you sowed the carrots thinly enough(?). We did a similar thing this season just with the carrots in a chicken pellets containers. The idea was to use the thinnings as baby carrots, while the others matured on. Nice early carrots. Well, we got nice early baby carrots, but so dense we had pull them out in big clumps! Almost needed a crowbar and absolutely no room for any maturing at all!

Thanks Belinda, I'm not totally daft then.

Lizzie, if you only sowed those carrots last week, I should get another packet and sow some more elsewhere so if you do mess everything up you'll still have some.

Good luck with the dentist Chuck.

Have got some between the onions too but they're not germinating yet.

I grew them in tubs last year and they were scrummy as baby carrots. Baked them in foil with a little water, butter, honey and cumin seeds.

Yummy

I'll try that one. My current favourite for little carrots is cooked in a pan with a little orange juice and butter, covered in a cartouche (posh for a lid of greaseproof paper), then add finely chopped lemon balm to serve.

Get this on the Recipe section you horrors, we'll never find them again on here!

Sorry boss

I should think so too, you should know better Tigger!

I'd better make sure I behave myself or you'll be out for revenge...

Sorry Miss

Won't do it again.

Promise you won't put me in detention. Please

OK, forgiven; especially as you've already posted your recipe in the right bit.