How to Grow Carrots
Well don’t ask me. This is what my carrots looked like this year: riddled with tracks from the disgusting, putrid, foul, menacing carrot rust fly. Those little buggers can sniff out a carrot with superhero powers so I planted carefully and didn’t have to thin them (thinning releases the smell and attracts the flies), but the females still found my carrot patch, layed eggs and a week later the larva fed on the hidden roots. Bummer.
Clearly I’m not doing well at all in the carrot department but there is a wonderful set of posts by Abby Palmer at Green Slate who has written 2 helpful carrot posts: 18 Carrot Gold: The Secret of my Carrot Success and A Carrot For All Seasons . I’m going to give them another shot this year so I’ll be following her advice to the letter. The only exception is that Abby suggests using seed tape but my beloved red and purple carrots only come in seeds packets so I’m sticking with old school loose seeds. The carrots this year are in a new location and will have a row cover to keep those vile, hated, stupid flies out. Any other suggestions are appreciated and thanks, Abby, for your wisdom.
Me: 0 ; Carrot Rust Fly: 1
Tags: carrot, carrot rust fly, pests
April 17 2010 12:05 pm | Gardening and Growing Food and Projects
Genevieve on 17 Apr 2010 at 12:29 pm #
Oh my gosh, Stevie, you are cracking me up here.
Don’t ask me how to grow carrots either – my damn chickens scratched up all of mine! I think before I’m ready to go check out the carrot posts from Abby I need to check into a “how to build a fence” post!!
Stevie on 17 Apr 2010 at 12:33 pm #
Ha ha – Gen – that’s funny! My neighbour’s dog likes to dig up and eat her carrots. I guess they are a fan favourite.
Abby Palmer on 17 Apr 2010 at 1:05 pm #
Ohhh, Stevie! What a shame! Such beautiful colours in those carrots – I’m sure they would’ve tasted delicious!
Thanks so much for putting in good word about my carrot posts – I hope some of the suggestions will help combat that stinkin’ fly.
Ding, ding! Next round: Stevie: victorious; Fly: nowhere to be seen.
Stevie on 17 Apr 2010 at 3:33 pm #
You’re welcome, Abby.
I did contemplate eating the carrots by just cutting off the edges – but as I got in there I couldn’t stomach it so they went into the bin. It was sad. I said a few words. I’m moving on now.
gardenboxes (Bob Cortez) on 18 Apr 2010 at 11:34 am #
Twitter Comment
RT @Garden_Therapy: New post: How to Grow Carrots [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Bren on 19 Apr 2010 at 7:30 am #
Hey Stevie – your carrots are amazing! I would love to bite into that dark one. I have a pack of those colorful carrot seeds that I am going to try and get into my zone 5b garden today!
WOnderful to make the garden connection with you on twitter and your blog!
LOVE IT – Happy Spring!
2sweetnsaxy on 19 Apr 2010 at 3:53 pm #
I commend you on trying. I’ve yet to try to grow anything edible. That dark carrot looks fascinating.
Debbie on 19 Apr 2010 at 3:55 pm #
I make my own seed tapes and mats. This lady has a great tutorial on haw to make them. I have tried it and it works great, no more thinning and you really save seed.
It actually takes less time to make the mat than to thin and I can make them at my kitchen table and don’t kill my back and knees bending over. Here is the link and good luck.
http://annieskitchengarden.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-22-2009-home-made-seed-mat.html
Stevie on 19 Apr 2010 at 4:07 pm #
Thanks for all the support everyone! I guess you all know the pain you feel when someone gets your precious veg before you do.
Bren – you would NOT want to eat those carrots. Not only were the critters still in there, but the buggers change the flavour of the carrots too. Grrr.
Debbie – THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I’m so grateful for the link.
Dan on 20 Apr 2010 at 6:13 pm #
I’ve had those carrot flies before, little buggers. I hope they left you some of the crop. You can make your own seed tape with white glue and toilet paper, here is the link: http://annieskitchengarden.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-22-2009-home-made-seed-mat.html
Dan on 20 Apr 2010 at 6:14 pm #
Well I should read first, Debbie beat me to it :-)
Anja on 06 May 2010 at 4:28 pm #
This site has some suggestions of some good companion plants to try to keep the flies away: http://www.basic-info-4-organic-fertilizers.com/companionplants.html
Thanks for the heads-up, I am planning to try carrots this year!
Ron McDonald on 03 Jun 2010 at 3:48 am #
I’m trying some of those herloom purple carrots this year myself, and some yellow ones. Damn! hope I don’t end up with those flies!
This post looks to be pretty informative thanks to all the comments. I’ll follow them in the morning while sipping a cup of tea.
Thanks
Stevie on 03 Jun 2010 at 9:50 am #
Ron, you’re welcome. I found it very helpful too. This year I have some nematodes, a floating row cover, and a new spot for the carrots. Wish me luck (and best of luck to you too).