If Robin saw the above carrot, he would say, “holy carrot, Batman!” In my previous carrot disaster article, I asked my readers what the heck is going on. Although the carrot on my previous post just looked like a bunch of roots, this carrot looks like a bunch of regular carrots! Talk about a bang for your buck.
I sow my carrots inside and then transplant them to the garden. Carrot seeds are so small that I have had rotten luck directly sowing them.
So what did my readers tell me?
Farmer’s Daughter told me that
“Life is too good for your carrots. I would guess that there are too many nutrients, which is what causes them to split. You can remedy that by not amending the soil, like not adding in compost or manure before you plant them, and also by mixing in sand, which will help them to grow straighter, too.”
Another reader, Terry replied,
“Your carrots look like they are suffering because you are transplanting them. The carrot itself is branching like crazy and transplanting a carrot promotes the branching you see there. Although your carrots may seem to be doing better when you start them, once you move them into your garden they start branching and continue to do so. Try starting carrots from seed in your garden to avoid this……. yeah – not what you wanted to hear….. Oh – yes – as Farmer’s Daughter mentioned – do not amend the soil – unless it is to correct for acidity.”
Even my friend, Karen aka of Best of Mother Earth said
“I had a three year similar carrot project once and found that peat moss made for a terrific loose soil mixture …i added peat after year one and two and by year three i had straight carrots.”
Here are my questions:
- Can I leave the carrots in until I need them?
- Will they continue to grow like a bunch?
- Do you have any sage carrot advice?
- Has anything like this happened to you.
Let me tell you at a party when I pull one of those babies out, it really is a conversation piece.
Now that Fall is approaching, I am ready to plant my Fall garden. I am absolutely going to heed everyone’s advice. As I indicated before, I am a little fearful to direct sow carrots since I have not been very successful in the past. Organic Gardening, which is one of my favorite magazines, provides an easy tip on how to make your own seed tape, which will insure that my carrots will be off to a good start. Have you tried this method?
Wish me luck. To straighter, single digit carrots?
Farmer's Daughter says
I have a couple answers for your questions. I agree, carrots don’t transplant well. I’ve always been successful direct seeding them, as long as I thin them out to about 1 1/2″ to 2″ apart.
I wouldn’t leave the carrots that have grown in your garden all summer in the ground, as they’ll continue to grow during the growing season and will get big, tough, and tasteless. I pulled all mine and froze the extras. You could can them, too.
However, if you’re planting some now for a fall crop, you can leave them in the ground until you need them. The shorter, colder days (if you live in a climate like mine… New England) will keep them from growing, just like being in cold storage. Additionally, some of those complex carbs stored during the growing season will convert back into simple sugars and the carrots will taste sweeter. I pulled carrots out of my garden until December last year, and I have a friend in Maine who pulls them as needed all winter long.
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Green Talk says
Farmer’s Daughter, they are so big right now. How large should their diameter be before I pull them? If they are tough, any ideas on how to make them sweet again? Cook them?
Renewable Ray says
I can sympathize, we are so excited in the spring time when we are sprinkling seeds since we want to do a “good” job.
Great picture!
.-= Renewable Ray´s last blog ..Energy Expert Tinkers Up An Ultra Green Home =-.
Norm Steele says
Anything that damages a carrot’s taproot will cause branching. I raise carrots in 15″ wide raised beds using paper towel seed tapes. I use gelatin to glue the seeds to the paper towel at 1-1/2″ intervals. The raised beds are 2 X 6s and the prepared soil which extends to a depth of 12″ contains compost and 15% perlite; 15% vermiculite. No fertilizer is used. The carrots love this set-up, but unfortunately, the moles also love it. They tunnel through in their never ending pursuit of earthworms all the while damaging taproots and causing the carrots to branch. I have tried several strategies to control the moles but so far have been unsuccessful.
Green Talk says
Norm, how about putting chicken wire on the bottom of your beds so they can’t get through? I really did not think I was damaging my carrots since I was plopping them into the soil from their little seed starter container. I tried the glue/paper idea with my carrots but the paper just dried out too quickly. Nothing grew. (Sign) Anna
kimberlee says
I just laughed my head off at that carrot!! I can’t wait to show my carrot-loving daughter this picure. We grew some for the first time in a big barrel. One of those plastic barrels pickles and donut frosting come in. The donut shop sells them for $1. I knew I’d need one for harvesting…never thought to grow carrots in it. Well, carrots are not as easy as I thought. Maybe 2 good ones, and a few tiny ones and I had to replant seeds at first bc something kept digging into the barrel, I assume a squirrel. The last little carrot she harvested was forked. We got a kick out of it.
Next time, if there is one, I will use sand.
Anna, I love your blog! You’re an amusing writer.
Anna@Green Talk says
Kimberlee, was your forked carrot from planting seed. Remember, I transplant them because I just can’t get the seeds to grow in dirt.
Thanks for the compliment. I amuse myself. My kids don’t think I am funny. I am glad that I have one fan that thinks I am! My garden is my source of amusement because I can’t make these stories up. You should read my rabbit post. I guarantee you will get a kick out it. (Oh, and there is the slug one too. All true stories…)