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Tiny Carrots

jensmith25jensmith25 Posts: 5
in Fruit & veg
I used to grow a lot of fruit and veg but haven't done for a number of years.  This year I decided to get back into it but it's been a very disappointing year with poor results.  
I have grown carrots in my greenhouse before, in the same tall veg bags and had lovely long carrots so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas to what went wrong this year.  

They were sown in late March having been pre-germinated on damp kitchen towel (along with parsnip seeds that have grown okay) and again in succession during April.  I grew them in Haxnicks vegetable sacks - the older dark green plastic ones so plenty tall enough.  Compost was more difficult due to lockdown but I had some older multipurpose for the first lot and I got Professional compost from YouGarden for the others.  

They were in the greenhouse the whole time.  Watered regularly etc but they just didn't grow as they should have.  The ones below were the edible ones.  Some were just a root.  And that's after "growing" for 6-7 months!

My thoughts are the compost or being too hot?

None of my veg grew quickly.  Spring Onions took way longer than the 3 months they were supposed to take and were not very big at 4 months when we ate them.  They did go outside once transplanted.

What did I do wrong?  Any ideas?  Should I have used a soil based compost and/or grown them outside?  I have grown them before though with no problems in the greenhouse.

They are on a sheet of kitchen towel so no more than 2-3" long.



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Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Was it a short variety,  or maybe they did get too warm as it was a warm spring. I set seed inside in March and planted out in April ( mine were speedo variety) at the same time planted seed direct. Actually the seed did better than the transplanted ones, but it did give a longer season picking, and this weekend picked the last of them, all a good 6" long, which was better than last years crop. So it might not have been anything you did wrong @jensmith25
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    They look healthy.. could they have been a nante or half-long variety?  Could be a number of factors.  I've had mixed luck with carrots from year to year.. and now only grow a short row for my boys - who complain they taste too 'carroty'.  
    Utah, USA.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Carrots don't like being transplanted. I sow them directly into the ground. Early sowings can be covered with a cloche but from late spring they don't need any protection. 

    I once knew someone who grew them for showing. He grew them in pots of compost and sand but not in a greenhouse. I expect yours were too hot. Did they have enough water?
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • jensmith25jensmith25 Posts: 5
    Thanks both.  I should have said in my post that they were Nantes and Autumn King so neither are particularly short varieties and the Nantes should have grown faster.  They were both listed as 6" long carrots.  Some were literally like seedlings still after 6 months.  

    All my seedlings were leggy, which may not have helped.  They just seemed to get to a stage and then stop growing and I've no idea why.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They would have been better outside. A greenhouse isn't necessary for carrots.
    @Busy-Lizzie is right too - they don't like being transplanted. Sow direct in poorer soil  then thin out. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • jensmith25jensmith25 Posts: 5
    edited October 2020
    Thanks @Busy-Lizzie and @Fairygirl - Yes, watered them enough I think.  They weren't transplanted as such.  Just the seed pre-germinated and then planted in.  I did some direct as well.  None faired any better.  

    Unfortunately it's a small garden and our soil isn't suitable for growing carrots as it's very heavy clay.  I have one raised bed but it has the rhubarb in and would be too shady for veg.  

    I guess I'll try again with them in the bags but outside next year.  
  • cornellycornelly Posts: 970
    Only veg i grow in containers are tomatoes, everything else goes out into the garden, always believed containers were a potch.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Heavy clay here too - so containers for them for me @jensmith25. Clay is usually quite rich too - which also isn't so good for them.
    I think it's the greenhouse that's been the main problem  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • jensmith25jensmith25 Posts: 5
    Thanks @Fairygirl
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I too have heavy clay soil, so have raised beds for veg. My area is limited too so try to get as much as possible out. Next year I'm only sowing direct, and hope the early sowing can take the wet/cold we usually get.
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