Homestead mailing list

["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

On 1/5/07, EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:
>
> > I've had knotty tasteless carrots, but mostly my problem has been
> > nearly no carrots.  For example, I'd plant a 4' x 10' bed...  and by the
> date of maturity the > carrots were delicious ...... both of them!
>
> > I haven't found them to be picky about soil condition except that it has
> to be
>
> loose and no stones or hard clods (they will fork). ... it takes forever
> for them to >germinate ....



...in years past... in N-blackest, most beautiful dirt you ever saw. I had
> the most
> beautiful carrot greens, and the biggest, ugliest, hairiest carrots you
> can imagine.  They were tough and not tasty.
>
> > The best orange carrot I've grown has been Touchon, I know Nichols
> > has them ....
>
> I am almost positive that was the variety of the Hairy Carrots. ,,, but no
> flavor, and have I mentioned that those carrots had hair longer than mine?
> ;)


James and Bev,

I'm over here chuckling. You two have provided enough good humor to keep me
grinning for days, but my carrot growing phobia has not decreased one bit.
I've always heard carrots are hard to grow. Sounds like you need to the
fluffiest darn soil--with out too much N (!), make sure it's stays
relatively moist to germinate--and then wait, wait some more, and cross your
darn fingers. And then when both carrots mature, hope they taste like, well,
carrots. Anybody else had success or better luck?

How about growing carrots in a new, small bed (1'x4' or 2'x4') made of a
soil blend that was  half growing mix and half soil? Would that be fluffy
enough or provide too much N? Growing mix is expensive (in my book). Just
wondering how I'm going to attempt carrots. I'm thinking a container garden
experiment filled with this soil blend. A big plastic pot roughly 12-18"
deep by 2-3' in diameter, that might work, but isn't going to produce enough
carrots for a year, but it could for a season. It would be a start and I'd
learn whether or not this could work on a bigger scale. Of course, it sounds
like I'd be lucky if I were to harvest enough for a snack.

Lisa