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Having a nightmare with my carrots!

tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
in Fruit & veg
Hi

I thought Id give a whole veg bed over to carrots. However, Ive made about 3 sowings and only 4 or 5 carrots have actually germinated! The seeds I bought were new, so I suspect slugs have been at them(?)

Anyway, becuase of this I now have an almost empty bed. Its already well into the growing season, so I wonder what I could sow? Maybe kolrabi? I want something high yield but doesnt take up much space, so I dont want cabbage/squash etc...

Any suggestion gratefully received!

Thanks



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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Swiss chard  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • scrogginscroggin Posts: 437
    Pak choi, Chinese cabbage, spring onions. Nurseries should have french bean plants. All quick maturing.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    edited July 2022
    mizuna, mibuna, oriental greens generally, actually - another vote here for Swiss chard. It's not too late for open heart cabbage, or 'spring greens' (grow them close together, so you get lots of quite small ones).

    Carrots. Tricky things to grow
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    As always, depends a lot on what weather we are likely to get over the next few months but you may get away with Beetroot if you like them reasonably small.  Salad greens are quick producers particularly the various mustards,  Land cress, Rocket, etc.  
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Leeks? Maybe .
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    All suggestions great but we have done this in the polytunnel and outdoors over the months. Carrots outdoors...nil, polytunnel  some, pak choi out doors nil...polytunnel good, leeks outdoors (only sown indoors and then transplanted out) good.  On GQT they talked about failure of carrots and parsnips for "us" growers and said that commercial growers sow F1 hyrids so this seems these are the seeds that we shoud be sowing even though we wont to go with "old" seeds.
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    It's hard to know what to suggest you might sow or plant without knowing what you like to eat - maybe give us some clues?
  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
    Thanks guys.

    I thought carrots were quite easy to grow. Sow the seeds and chuck a cover over them to stop carrot fly. I didnt have any problems last year.

    I currently have leeks, onions and beans growing. 

    I dont much like leafy veg (kale, chard etc) and also the flea beetles savage them. I had success with sprouts last year, although Im looking for something easier to maintain/has less pests. This year Im bending my mind to other parts of the garden, so looking for veg which are low maintenance.  

  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
    Ah yes, I also have french beans growing.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    edited July 2022
    Try beetroot then, perhaps. As philippa said, if you pick them quite small (when they are sweeter anyway) they'll do OK. I find them easier than carrots, which I have only ever succeeded in growing in pots. Everything in the world wants to eat your carrots, I find. I usually 'station sow' beetroot, and gradually pick the larger ones in each bunch, leaving the others to grow on - you can get quite a long harvest that way.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
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