Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Carrots grown in outside beds are far less likely to overwinter well in the ground
and need to be lifted for storage, whereas carrots taken young are tastier and
more tender than mature roots, but don't store well over the winter. However, if
they're grown in the tunnel, they are much better protected from pests and can
usually overwinter in the ground with ease, allowing a year-round harvest.
Preparation
Carrots do well in a variety of conditions but for good root development they
need deeply prepared, free-draining soil that is free from stones or lumps of com-
pacted earth. No manure or compost should have been added since the previous
May, as too much nitrogen makes the roots fork. If you are gardening on very
heavy soil, dig in plenty of leafmould well before planting, or consider making a
raised bed where you can dig in a little sand.
Sowing
Carrots are best sown thinly, direct in drills 1.5-2cm deep. The soil should be kept
moist until the seedlings have their first true leaves. The seeds are small, so they
can be mixed with sand to help you to see where you've already sown. This cuts
down on later thinning.
Like beets, carrots can germinate at cool temperatures and so can be planted in
the tunnel as early as February. Roughly half of them should sprout at only 5°C,
while at 10°C almost all of them should come up. Germination is typically slow
and can be helped by covering the bed with fleece until the first seedlings
appear. If a few radish seeds are sown along the drill, they will germinate first
and mark the position of the row for you.
For continuous harvesting throughout the year, begin sowing in February. As a
guideline, allow 30cm of carrots per person at any one sowing. As soon as the
seedlings have their first true leaves make the next sowing, and so on until
August, when you should make a last large sowing to stand over the winter.
Growing
Keep carrots well watered at all times or the harvest will be much smaller. Thin
to 5cm apart, preferably on a dull day to reduce the risk of attracting carrot flies.
These are rarely a problem in the tunnel, whereas in an outside bed they can be
a real pest. If they are a severe problem in your garden, thin and harvest carrots
in the evening after closing the tunnel doors.
Harvesting and storage
August sowings will stand over the winter and can be used as they are needed;
bear in mind that there will be no more carrots until the February sowings are
ready in early May, so make your August planting large enough to last until then.
Some of the plants may try to bolt (pick them as soon as you see a thick central
stem appearing), but the others will be fine in the ground until they are needed.
 
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