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Carrots
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Posted by
saood Saudi Arabia - z10 (
My Page) on
Thu, Mar 6, 14 at 8:52
| I planted carrot seeds in the first week of January when the min temperatures were around 45F. At the moment (i.e. around 2 months from the sowing date) the max temperatures is around 85F. I dont think the carrots are ready as of now and I am not also sure how long will they take. Should I forget and say R.I.P. or is there some rescue left? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Carrots
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| It depends on what you mean by "I dont think the carrots are ready as of now and I am not also sure how long will they take." Do you mean that the carrot roots aren't sizing up or do you mean that the seeds haven't germinated? If it's the former then they probably need more time. But if it's the latter then I'd say the seeds are goners. They should have been up and growing about a month and a half ago. Rodney |
RE: Carrots
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- Posted by saood Saudi - zone 10b/11 (My Page) on
Thu, Mar 6, 14 at 10:08
| Sorry for not specifying. What I meant is that the seeds have germinated and the top growth looks fine. Its just that the roots have not sized up. |
RE: Carrots
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- Posted by ZachS z5 Littleton, CO (My Page) on
Thu, Mar 6, 14 at 10:24
| It could be time, and I'd venture to guess that's what it is. Carrots are kinda slow, some varieties taking 80 days+ at a minimum. It could also be high nitrogen in the soil, which usually means small roots and beautiful, luxurious leaf growth. I'd give them some more time and see what happens. You can still eat small carrots :). |
RE: Carrots
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| Next time, plant them in November in your zone to give them enough time to size up. They will take a couple of weeks longer to mature than the DTM calculated for spring/summer carrots in North America because of the difference in day lengths. |
RE: Carrots
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| Two months isn't long enough to get most carrots up to size. Wait another month. |
RE: Carrots
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| I plant the bulk of my carrots in May and harvest August-October. Even when the variety says 80 days, they always seem to take a lot longer than that in my garden. So I'd let them keep growing (ensure consistent moisture since it's getting hot) and see what you get in another month or two. |
RE: Carrots
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- Posted by saood Saudi - zone 10b/11 (My Page) on
Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 21:38
| Thanks Zach and Kathy. By the end of the current month, temps would have already reached 90F when the hot weather crops like tomato also find it difficult and by the end of April temps would have crossed triple figures. I hope the consistent moisture and shade prove fruitful. |
RE: Carrots
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| Carrots always take much longer to mature than the stated number of days. I don;t live in a climate quite as hot as you but here's the way I do it. Sow seed in August and thin seedlings to 3-4 inches apart sometime in Sept. I harvest starting in Dec but sometimes don;t start until Jan. I can keep them in the ground if I want until the soil warms up alot in April. Carrots are best when they mature in cool or cold soil. But it's best to start the seed when it's still very warm. |
RE: Carrots
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- Posted by saood Saudi - zone 10b/11 (My Page) on
Sat, Mar 8, 14 at 0:23
| I think the next time I will plant carrot in mid to late October for a harvest by February / March. Just wondering, Your zone would have below freezing temps (upto 15F). Does that not harm the carrots? Also if you leave the carrots in ground until April - don't they become woody and inedible? |
RE: Carrots
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| Yes, Sept or Oct would be alot better than starting in Jan. Carrots will generally be fine down to 20F, below that they probably should be covered. I've never covered before this year and my carrots did fine with temps in the teens. As you probably know the eastern US has experienced record cold temps this winter. And I did cover carrots when it got down to 7 or 8F a couple times here. alot of things can cause woodiness in carrots and leaving them in the ground too long is one of them. You don;t want to wait until they are completely mature and reach their max size. I'll harvest most Dec/Jan but I've left some in the ground til early April and were still edible. |
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