Your comments and tips

27 Aug 24, Richard C Vance (USA - Zone 7b climate)

What is a good brand or type of carrot to pl ant for fall in zone 7

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10 Sep 24, Julie (USA - Zone 7b climate)

I like the Nantes half-long carrot. Very sweet overwintered~

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03 Aug 24, (USA - Zone 8a climate)

Thanks Pat for that tip. What are your favorite types of carrots to grow in 8a?

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13 May 24, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 8a Mild Temperate climate)

AS an FYI : in addition to rock free loose sandy soil (and a balance of nutrition) Carrots require, in order of importance: copper (pennies work - just toss some good old copper pennies around the carrots - Canadian and American pennies have copper... I'm not sure about other countries), boron (borax like given to sunflowers - borax boost ==> early-morning watering of 4 litres (1 gal.) of water mixed with 2.5 mL (1⁄2 tsp.) of borax.), magnesium, calcium (eggs shells) and manganese. I find that I generally get enough Magnesium and manganese from my general compost. Careful not to overdue the coffee grinds, in excess they can be toxic.

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24 Mar 24, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)

I have been planting Carrots, Beetroot and Parsley. When the small shoots appear, I suspect they are being eaten by Blue Tongue Lizards. Does anyone know a humane way to deter the lizards. I love them dearly but they are driving me crazy. Cheers Pete.

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25 Mar 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

You need some kind of protective barrier. A frame work with some insect netting maybe.

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18 Feb 24, Pat (USA - Zone 8a climate)

Cover with a board means: place a board on the ground flat over the seeds. Carrot seeds do not need light to germinate. Look under board a couple times a day if possible, until you see first leaves of carrots. When more than 10 % or so appear, remove the board so they can grow normally. PS it works well to plant not a single ROW of carrots, but a band of carrots, maybe 6 to 10 inches wide. Whatever width you can manage to work. To thin. If sown thicket enough, you can pull the little babies to thin and use them in salads.when you have carrots left about 2” apart, leave them to grow to size. As you need carrots, thin further. By the time they mature you should have enough room for them to grow full since. You might leave 2 or 3 in a back corner to continue on to next year, when they should eventually go to seed for you. To save seed, allow them to die and brown, save the tops and further dry seed indoors on an herb rack of mesh that should prevent seeds from coming through. When dry, collect on a piece of paper and allow to dry further. When dry, store in a paper envelope or seed pack.

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25 Jan 24, Bill (Canada - Zone 6b Temperate Warm Summer climate)

Hello: I live in Zone 6B Stoney Creek. I would like to get 2 harvest of carrots this year but not sure when to plant seeds throughout spring, summer or fall. Can you please advise? I was thinking of planting Bolero Nantes carrot seeds. Thanks for your time! Bill

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09 Feb 24, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate)

I thought I might mention: after you harvest your first crop of carrots you probably have enough time to grow a crop of the smaller varieties of radish. Radishes: ******** Germination temperatures: ideal 15c - 25c acceptable 10c - 30c ************ Germination time: 5 -10 days *************** Growing temperatures: ideal 10c -18c intermediate to short day lengths -Growth must be continuous and rapid for good quality. Acceptable grow temps 4c – 24c. Roots of globe varieties tend to elongate and develop poor shape in hot weather when the tops also grow taller and larger than in cool weather. Long days induce flowering or seed stalks (bolting) and with warm weather the seed stalk may develop so rapidly that no edible root is formed *************** Days to harvest: Regular radish reach market size in 21 to 28 days. Chinese radish take 50 to 90 days (or more) to mature. ** A regular radish seed can produce a radish from planting to harvest in about 33 days. This crop also likes short day lengths and cooler temps making it an ideal crop to “squeeze” in late in the season, before the first frost. With a first potential frost date of October 15 – you could direct sow radish seeds like Cherry Belle, or French Breakfast (both with about 21 days to harvest from seedlings) on September 7th and reasonably expect to harvest your radishes before the first frost. You could also sow in trays and then plant them out… if real-estate is an issue, or if you need to get the radishes started before your harvest your carrots (timing) ************* Storage and Conditioning the recommended storage temperature is 0 C with a relative humidity of 95% to 100%. Topped radishes packaged in perforated plastic bags will keep for 3 to 4 weeks. Bunched radishes will keep 1 to 2 weeks. ********** Temperature information was gleaned from: ATLANTIC PROVINCES AGRICULTURE SERVICES and amalgamated with information from individual radish varieties such as Cherry Belle. ****** if you don't harvest your radishes on time they will be pithy/mealy

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01 Feb 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Use a shade cover while germinating the seeds - like shade cloth.

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