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Vegetables
willo
Posts: 24
in Fruit & veg
Hi All
I am a complete novice gardener and would like to grow carrots and potatoes. I have two raised beds ready for planting. I have just turned the soil over and noticed quite a few worms in one bed and very few in another. Are worms good for veg (I guess not but excuse my ignorance). What would be the best way to sow the seeds (potatoes in the worm one, carrots in the other or visa versa) and can anyone give me any tips on the soil needed and what types of carrots or potatoes seeds to buy.
Thank you in advance
0
Posts
Worms are good for the soil, they aerate it and also help to improve it's structure by dragging organic matter (manure/leaf mould etc) from the surface down into the soil where it will add to the nutrients. So they are good for vegetables - in fact they are absolutely necessary to successful gardening.
When growing carrots in containers I found that Chantenay were a reliable variety and very tasty.
As for potatoes - most people will have bought their seed potatoes by now and there may not be much choice in the garden centres - go along and see what they have - I suggest that you get an Early or Second Early variety rather than a Maincrop variety.
Seed potatoes are small potatoes which will have little shoots growing from them. Treat them gently and be careful not to knock the shoots off.
There's a good video here showing how to plant them http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_potatoes1.shtml
Good luck and come back with more questions if I've not explained it clearly
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi willo, you'll have to be quick with buying your tattles as a lot of garden centres stop selling about now. There were only a few left in the garden centre I went to today. Suggest main crop and get them in anytime from now or over the next couple of weeks. Try and get some that have chitted. Put them in about a hand widths deep and cover with a little soil. As the see the green foliage come through cover with more soil to encourage more growth.
You can sow carrot seeds direct if it's warm where you are. Suggest planting some onion or garlic alongside to discourage carrot fly, if you can get hold of any as quite late to plant onion and garlic now....unless you try spring onion by seed.
I'm sure there are lots of tips to add, but these are the basics that I follow and always have a bumper crop of both. Good luck!
Agree with most of what Tootles has said
The reason I said get Earlies or Second Earlies is because maincrop potatoes tend to be much bigger plants, and you're growing in a raised bed which will not have as much depth as a maincrop potato may need.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Another tip, dont manure the ground for your carrots, they will be distorted and forked and hairy, but make sure the ground is well dug and soft so the roots can push down into soft ground,
Thank you all for your response. I'll take all on board and hopefully get something grown or at least attempted. Off to garden centre. Thanks again