Crazy Carrots

boffer on 2/1/2011, 5:37 pm

I always stagger plant my carrots just to be on the safe side. I went to pull carrots for dinner and was surprised by what I saw. Seeds from the same package (Danver half long) that were planted in side by side squares. The carrots on the right were planted in mid-April; the ones on the left in mid-May.

Planted in May

Planted in April

I know carrots like cool weather for their first few weeks of development. But my May and June were anything but hot last year. Lesson learned: plant 'em when it's real cool! I got similar results from the Imperators and Nantes Coreless.

Ceashels on 2/2/2011, 1:25 pm

What a difference! A picture is worth a thousand words.

CarolynPhillips on 2/2/2011, 8:03 pm

and the April carrots grew 4 wks longer than the May carrots--right?

and it took them 9 months to grow that much?

boffer on 2/2/2011, 8:23 pm

CarolynPhillips wrote:and the April carrots grew 4 wks longer than the May carrots--right?
and it took them 9 months to grow that much?

Yes, the May carrots were stunted by warm weather.

LOL, I'm not sure when they quit growing. But I don't have your energy! I leave them in the ground until I need them. I still have a couple squares left that I planted last spring.

All planted on 4/18. Picture taken 7/10
Left to Right
Danver Half Long........Nantes Coreless..........Imperator

I guess they still had more growing to do! Carrots always take me lots longer than than the seed package guestimate.

CarolynPhillips on 2/2/2011, 8:49 pm

I didn't know warm weather would stunt a carrot. Learn something new everyday.
I still have carrots in my beds. I been pulling them out when I want a snack. They been growing since October. I posted a picture around here somewhere. I tend to get lost sometimes.

I know my grandfather left his carrots in the ground for a whole year once and they were humongous. (spring to spring) biggest carrots I ever saw. I would love to do that.

CarolynPhillips on 2/2/2011, 9:00 pm

my carrots on this page

it was really good.

http://squarefoot.creatingforum.com/t4951p45-just-planning-thinking-waiting

CarolynPhillips on 2/2/2011, 9:01 pm

Boffer. I love your TT. How deep is that???looks really deep

boffer on 2/2/2011, 11:16 pm

The boards are 2x6's, so the box is about 11 inches deep. I've grown carrots and parsnips in it for five straight years. I thought about doing potatoes in it this year just so I can say that I rotate crops occasionally!

CarolynPhillips on 2/3/2011, 4:59 pm

boffer wrote:The boards are 2x6's, so the box is about 11 inches deep. I've grown carrots and parsnips in it for five straight years. I thought about doing potatoes in it this year just so I can say that I rotate crops occasionally!

wow, it looks much deeper than that. I would of guessed 24 inches and guessed wrong.
I can't wait to plant in mine. bounce

Have you grown potatoes before? In the TT? How did that work out?

boffer on 2/3/2011, 5:31 pm

Taters were one of the last things I tried in a TT. The closer box is 2x9x6". The rear box is 4x6x12"

This was the first time I tried 'hilling' with straw. I didn't like it, and much prefer compost, soil, or MM.
Since hilling didn't help grow any extras in the deep box, I got about the same numbers from squares in both boxes.
They grew just fine in the 6" as long as I was careful to keep the spuds covered.
I planted about the same number of seed potatoes in the ground where I usually plant, as I did in the TTs. Harvests were about the same.
Potatoes are a low maintenance plant, so I don't mind planting them on the ground.
My wife asked that I don't plant potatoes in MM anymore. She thinks that MM is very 'sticky' on potatoes, and that it is difficult to scrub off. I agree, a little bit, but not so much as to not plant in MM.

CarolynPhillips on 2/3/2011, 6:00 pm

The potatoes made a pretty grow box.

Everyone has always told me to hill them so they would produce up the stem too but the two times I grew them like that, I only got potatoes near the bottom. I don't get them up the stem. The next time I grow them, I will only pull enough soil around them to support the base of the plant and mulch with shredded dry grass clippings. I will actually try this in the concrete block raised bed.

Crazy Carrots

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