Home grown carrots grated and eaten raw in a salad is so healthy. Also, grated (raw) into my salads are organically grown yams and golden beets which I buy from a local farmer. ...i am 83 years old and very active. I still do a lot of gardening and landscaping etc etc . I attribute my good health to eating nutritious salads which i oft lace with frozen wild-caught salmon ...That was a very informative video about growing carrots. ..Thank you.
I used your second method and drilled into the bed. I added bone meal at the bottom of the hole. When they were ready to harvest the carrots looked lovely. The carrots were the veg that convinced my neighbor to start their own garden. 🥕🌞🌱❤️
I've never had any luck growing carrots. I've done in ground, raised bed, container. I'm thinking it might be the type I'm trying to grow. What kind were those big, beautiful carrots in the video?
I gave up growing carrots because of carrot root fly ruining the crop. But I then thought of growing carrots under thin white horticultural fleece and was amazed at the results. Not only does the the fleece almost completely solve the root fly problem, but the carrots grow better under the fleece (even though they look very cramped) than in the open. I first insert a number of empty wine bottles upside down into the ground within the carrot bed so that the fleece is safely supported about 15-20cm above the ground, and then weigh down the edges of the fleece all around the perimeter with odd bits of iron, so that the fleece can't blow away, and the root fly can't get inside. The carrots plants can then start growing without the fleece touching the young plants, but soon the carrot plants reach the fleece and support it. Watering is possible straight through the fleece, but it has to be uncovered occasionally for weeding. Result: a large crop of excellent carrots with almost no root fly damage. Highly recommended.
@@jenkitching43Hi, yes, I do mean white fleece. Carrot flies are quite small, so they would be able to fly through netting of any kind. Not even a midge can get through fleece. Good luck!
This video was so helpful, carrots are my favorite veg to eat!! I have tried to grow my own so many times stating when I was 10 years old!!!! Now at 40, I've finally got the start of a real garden and I can't wait to combine some of your techniques with others that I have learned, like the treatment of the seed itself before sowing and just see what happens!!!
I love growing carrots. I always use pots because my soil is very rocky. I swear those rocks multiply quicker than rabbits. It is also easier for me due to age and disabilities. It also makes it fun for my grandson.
I've had the most success growing carrots in pots or containers. This year i finally was able to totally fill up my 4'x10' 3foot tall bed and I'm planting carrots in it every 3 weeks and I will have some successful harvests lol. That first bed you did with the sand & compost is sweet. Also I'd love some of those 30L pots with the handles
I have grown carrots for over 60 years but I have noticed the the germination rates has dropped a lot from my usual suppliers Sutons and T&M so this year I have gone to Mole seeds and am trying pelleted seed for the first time - just put in 6 rows 18 ft long yep I love home grown carrots
Ah, the ole pelletized seed. First time I encountered that was a free, bonus seed packet of Kyoto red carrots thrown in with my order. I soaked the "carrot seeds" and dissolved the coating, defeating the whole purpose of pelletizing seed. Total rookie mistake on my part. I did wonder why this variety of carrot had such large seeds … and I found out, eventually.
Phew what a garden!!!! Thankyou fir all those tips, l must say carrots have always been something that l have avoided like the plague, but the color & size of your carrots are very inspiring! So much so that l think l will try again.
I'm growing carrots this year using all 3 methods you described. I've just sowed the seeds yesterday as I find not sowing till May helps to defeat carrot root fly. I have 2 boxes of sand 2 feet square with 16 carrots in each, they are Sweet Candle. Next to them I have another 2 feet square box with a soil and sand mixture, this has 4 rows of Early Nantes 2. The last box is 4 feet long and has multi sowings of Autumn King. I have 2 x 35 litre tubs in the polytunnel with Sweet Candle seed planted 2 inches apart. I learned all these methods watching you and other gardeners on RUclips, keep the videos coming.
@@simplifygardening thanks also from the southern hemisphere. Seasons are completely wrong but still helps me think and plan as proper gardening is a bit new to me. Enjoyed your one on potatoes in bags. I used those small french carrots this year as I have a very low raised garden on clay base. Tasty and a bit of fun, but small. Going to do bags this week as our winter is often mild with barely a frost, so might be a more productive option Diolch a hwyl am nawr.
Hi Tony, i grow my Sweet Candle Carrots similar to your Sharp Sand and Compost method in a 3 x 3 x 2 1/2 foot raised bed, except mine is filled with very finely sieved Compost and the holes with a 2 1/2 inch pipe, then the holes are filled with a bit of Blood, Fish and Bone and then filled to the top with Coco Coir, then 2 seeds in each hole and covered with a plastic bottle until the Carrot grows and then i take off the bottle and wait. I don't have any problems with the Carrot Fly and any non germinated seeds just get replaced as the growing continues. Love those Sweet Candle Carrots. Take Care and Stay Safe, Barry (the Wirral)
nice video 😊I think I’m going to try a combination off the1st method ,sand and compost but in containers. I have old deep feeding bins, that I’m going to use. Won’t have to use as much sand will still be able to move. Thank you for sharing 💙
Tony, you spoke of how many days to maturity, as well as leaving mature carrots in the ground for later harvesting. It'd be useful if you could give some guidance on "Growing Your Own Christmas Vegetables", covering Carrots, Parsnips, Brussels Sprouts and, of course, Potatoes. In particular, getting the timings right and leaving mature vegetables in the ground for Christmas Day. Maybe one of your superb videos for release in June? Many thanks, Rick
Still a brilliant idea but this year we’ll be having tiny Xmas potatoes due to the dreaded late blight. Worst I’ve seen it, tore through my garden, I was out at 1am watching it go, both frightening and amazing how fast it went What’s your tip there Tony? Flamethrowers? 😆
Those three workable techniques are useful. I used to use toilet roll's inner tubes. I'll try the container method next spring. Thanks for sharing Tony
For the sand box method, what do you do once you have harvested the carrots? Do you keep track of the placements of the sieved compost and keep replanting in the same spots, or do you just mix it all together and create new holes in the next growing season?
Hi Tony what do you do the following year,do you plant in the same compost hole or how do you remove the old compost without mixing with the sand,brilliant information by the way thanks.
It's been a while since I have seen one of your videos. It's probably been me being busy, not you, not releasing videos. But either way, it's great to see your video and great info on carrot growth. I can not do all of your tips due to limited space, but I will try to use most of them.
Hey Tony, great video. I love all 3 methods but perhaps will do the tubs this year as well need new raised beds to try the other 2! Had not thought of the swirl method before which sends really logical way of doing it! Must sift my soil as think that’s where I’ve been going wrong and getting random shaped carrots! Storage ideas are also great. Thanks for the tips and hopes to see you next Sunday!
We were lucky enough to find Terry King a couple of years ago, he uses this method aswell. We followed this method last year and it worked amazing !! Highly recommend it !! That being said we do enjoy carrots with "carroter" lol Awesome Tony !! Cheers 🌱👍
Yeah I used it years ago when I used to show carrots but as I haven't showed for a few years Ive not done it as I didn't have the raised beds until I started adding them again
Hi - Love your videos. I recently mixed sharp sand with compost 50:50 to pop up bare root strawberry's and it nearly killed them off :( Asking a local gardener for advice, I was told that sand has loads of salt in it and would be too acidic. Is your sand washed?
Carrots are not as finicky as strawberries, but also the sand is used as a barrier only to direct the carrot. the carrot themselves grow in a compost core so the sand wouldnt affect it
Great timing! I've been looking for a video on growing carrots in containers. How short do you think your carrots need to be when growing in one of those 30L containers?
A very interesting video which has taught me a thing or two. Hi from New Zealand! I grow carrots every, but only seem to have much success with baby carrots, being shorter. I must point out that I only grow in pots and tubs. Chillis, carrots, runner beans, gherkins etc. I did like one point in particular, and that is thinning them out. I grow heaps of radishes, (yeah, I know they are easy!) But, would the thinning out method work on those too? Just cutting off the shoots that I don't want? Once again, thanks for this video. Kia Ora (Thank you in Te Reo Maori). Te Reo = Maori language.
holly smoke! that is super labor intensive for carrots. to build an entire dedicated bed, fill it with sand, tunnel it out. i can't even imagine how many hours one would put in for a crop that can currently be purchased for 0.70c per lb. there must be some more labor efficient ways to grow great carrots.
Great idea. It inspired me. Instead of sand, I'll try socks instead of coring out sand (less experience and labor. Then the bed can be used for other purposes if need be. Thanks for the inspiration!!
I’ve gotta say, I’ve grown some massive carrots in my raised bed using about a 25/25/25/25% mix of topsoil, Pete moss, sand and compost. Fertilizing almost every week with a liquid fish fertlizer
@@simplifygardening I managed to get some massive carrots with it last year in combination with some mericle grow for carrots. Most tasty carrots I’ve ever had
Great video thank you. I was wondering what size of pipe did you uses and also what are those ring? Are they a pipe? If so what size is it and what size are they cut to? Thank you
Question on first method, surely the sand and the compass gets a bit mixed up once you’ve harvested the carrots does that mean every year you have to renew the sharp sand? Thank you
I've been wanting to try the sand box method. How does this work in the second year? Do you use the same cores or do you have to start again from scratch? Or how do you add nutrients to the "spent" compost.
I found the benefits of growing carrots in tubs last year. The badger had taken my carrots at the allotment, so I turned to the tubs in desperation. I ended up bringing the tub home & found out that since I was able to water them gently through the drought, they didn't split when the rain came. This year I chitted the seeds & used 1cm lengths of cardboard tubes to space them evenly over the surface of the tubs. I have 3 tubs of yellow carrots & 2 of Nantes on the way. Unfortunately the slugs got to the 3rd tub of Nantes.
Carrots can also be stored in the garden. The first thing you need to do is remove the foliage do this after the first killing frost, after removing the foliage cover the bed with leaves or straw to about 6" thick. You can harvest what you need throughout the winter.
For the first method with all the sand-I can see that working the first year. What happens to the compost and sand over time, say after a year or two? Doesn’t it tend to mix together? How often do you need to start over and recreate the bed? What do you end up doing with the sand and compost mix?
I can't see why it would matter if it mixed, just keep doing it and soon you will have a perfect growing medium for carrots 🥕 no longer a need to make the holes and plant in sifted compost!
Hey , you talked about snipping off the green leaves of weak germinated seeds is better than off pulling it out as the roots might get damaged! My question is if we just remove the green leaves is it enough,won’t it be regrowing?
Brilliant advice thanks so much. I have luck growing them in deep pots . Any tips on growing swedes as i failed dismally last year but the tops are delicious and still growing even now
Will try this in buckets(what I've got to work with). Sifting the compost down to a quarter inch reminds me of back to edan gardening where you use mulch sifted to that size. Wonder if I can use that if compost is hard to get for me right now with just a little blood and bone meal mixed in?
I plant carrot seeds around the 4th of July and they are perfect size to leave in the ground, cover with leaves or other mulch, let the snow cover them and start harvesting around Christmas. Huge carrots are a waste of time.
It does the end of the bed was sown with Parsnips I will show a couple being lifted in the next walk around video which will prob be my next video. Im just finishing up a big project
😊 I have a question about the 1st method. After the harvest, some of the sand & compost is mixed. Do you have to do anything different the next time you plant?
What kind of sand do you use and u said u put the coco coir in and plant the seed? I would like to try this method. Thank you Tony for the great tips ♥️😊👩🌾
Hi Tony. Loving your channel. Method 1, I was wondering what you do year 2, do you have to remove the compost ? and if so .. do you use the same pipe again to remove it. Question is open to anyone.
I do the freezer method to germinate my carrots and it works 100% of the time. Handful of moist compost on a paper plate. Sprinkle heavily with seed. Into a ziplock bag and into the freezer for 24hrs. Remove, open the ziplock and watch for the signs of the root sprouting, approx 3 days. Then before the green starts to sprout, sprinkle the moist soil onto the growing area, sprinkle with a little more compost to cover and sit back and watch the carrots grow! Easy :0)
With the first method (the deep beds of sand), at the end of the season do you use the drainpipe to remove the compost from each core so that you can use fresh compost cores next year or do you just leave the compost where it is and put next year's cores into the sandy gaps between this year's cores (if you follow my question).
Tony, how will you replenish the compost in your sand bed for the next growing season? I'd also like to know how much moisture you're putting into the sand to stop your shafts collapsing between coring with the tube and pouring in your sieved compost. Thank you. I'll be giving this a try - Rick
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
This bloke is one of the best RUclips Gardening Tutors ever. Respect. 👍
Thank you so much Carl I really appreciate that
Home grown carrots grated and eaten raw in a salad is so healthy. Also, grated (raw) into my salads are organically grown yams and golden beets which I buy from a local farmer. ...i am 83 years old and very active. I still do a lot of gardening and landscaping etc etc . I attribute my good health to eating nutritious salads which i oft lace with frozen wild-caught salmon ...That was a very informative video about growing carrots. ..Thank you.
I couldn't agree more with you. and i think its great your still gardening. just goes to prove the fact
I used your second method and drilled into the bed. I added bone meal at the bottom of the hole. When they were ready to harvest the carrots looked lovely. The carrots were the veg that convinced my neighbor to start their own garden. 🥕🌞🌱❤️
Thats brilliant. the more ppl we can convince to start growing the better
Cool story that you inspired your neighbor with your carrots - way to go!!!!
@@simplifygardening when discussing plan 3 on carrots. Around 10:30 etc. What is the lush green foliage over your shoulder ?
@@TupeloHoney_77 looks like rhubarb
I've never had any luck growing carrots. I've done in ground, raised bed, container. I'm thinking it might be the type I'm trying to grow. What kind were those big, beautiful carrots in the video?
I gave up growing carrots because of carrot root fly ruining the crop. But I then thought of growing carrots under thin white horticultural fleece and was amazed at the results. Not only does the the fleece almost completely solve the root fly problem, but the carrots grow better under the fleece (even though they look very cramped) than in the open. I first insert a number of empty wine bottles upside down into the ground within the carrot bed so that the fleece is safely supported about 15-20cm above the ground, and then weigh down the edges of the fleece all around the perimeter with odd bits of iron, so that the fleece can't blow away, and the root fly can't get inside. The carrots plants can then start growing without the fleece touching the young plants, but soon the carrot plants reach the fleece and support it. Watering is possible straight through the fleece, but it has to be uncovered occasionally for weeding. Result: a large crop of excellent carrots with almost no root fly damage. Highly recommended.
Great tips for the community. thanks
Hi.👋 Can I please check that you mean a fleece (the covering used for frost protection) and not netting? As a new gardener I am not sure.😢
@@jenkitching43Hi, yes, I do mean white fleece. Carrot flies are quite small, so they would be able to fly through netting of any kind. Not even a midge can get through fleece. Good luck!
Best video about growing carrots I've seen yet in over 4 years of watching youtube on how to grow carrots. 👍💯
Wow, thanks! I really appreciate that
I learned more today about growing carrots than I ever knew.
Thanks Tony 🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕
❤Peggy ❤
This video was so helpful, carrots are my favorite veg to eat!! I have tried to grow my own so many times stating when I was 10 years old!!!! Now at 40, I've finally got the start of a real garden and I can't wait to combine some of your techniques with others that I have learned, like the treatment of the seed itself before sowing and just see what happens!!!
Wow, those carrots you're holding there at the end of the video are huge! What variety of carrots are those? Just beautiful 🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕!
I love growing carrots. I always use pots because my soil is very rocky. I swear those rocks multiply quicker than rabbits. It is also easier for me due to age and disabilities. It also makes it fun for my grandson.
We grow rocks very well too!😂
yeah they seem to rise a lot to the surface lately
I've had the most success growing carrots in pots or containers. This year i finally was able to totally fill up my 4'x10' 3foot tall bed and I'm planting carrots in it every 3 weeks and I will have some successful harvests lol. That first bed you did with the sand & compost is sweet. Also I'd love some of those 30L pots with the handles
Yeah all these carrots are popping through already so we are in for a great harvest again this year
I wish you would post a video on this in IG or something. That would be great for my apartment balcony.
I have grown carrots for over 60 years but I have noticed the the germination rates has dropped a lot from my usual suppliers Sutons and T&M so this year I have gone to Mole seeds and am trying pelleted seed for the first time - just put in 6 rows 18 ft long yep I love home grown carrots
Ah, the ole pelletized seed. First time I encountered that was a free, bonus seed packet of Kyoto red carrots thrown in with my order. I soaked the "carrot seeds" and dissolved the coating, defeating the whole purpose of pelletizing seed. Total rookie mistake on my part. I did wonder why this variety of carrot had such large seeds … and I found out, eventually.
Phew what a garden!!!!
Thankyou fir all those tips, l must say carrots have always been something that l have avoided like the plague, but the color & size of your carrots are very inspiring! So much so that l think l will try again.
I'm growing carrots this year using all 3 methods you described. I've just sowed the seeds yesterday as I find not sowing till May helps to defeat carrot root fly. I have 2 boxes of sand 2 feet square with 16 carrots in each, they are Sweet Candle. Next to them I have another 2 feet square box with a soil and sand mixture, this has 4 rows of Early Nantes 2. The last box is 4 feet long and has multi sowings of Autumn King. I have 2 x 35 litre tubs in the polytunnel with Sweet Candle seed planted 2 inches apart. I learned all these methods watching you and other gardeners on RUclips, keep the videos coming.
Be excited to see your results and compare them to mine Im growing the same varieties
That’s given e a lot of comfort because I thought I was really late sowing my carrots this year 😂
A hugely helpful video Tony.
Thanks very much.
Glad it was helpful for you Michael
@@simplifygardening thanks also from the southern hemisphere. Seasons are completely wrong but still helps me think and plan as proper gardening is a bit new to me. Enjoyed your one on potatoes in bags. I used those small french carrots this year as I have a very low raised garden on clay base. Tasty and a bit of fun, but small. Going to do bags this week as our winter is often mild with barely a frost, so might be a more productive option
Diolch a hwyl am nawr.
Thanks, Robson Green
You are 1 very clever man.... Thank you for you info .
Thanks
The plank over the seeds also makes for a dark start -- what they need to spout
Thank you for your wonderful knowledge
What an incredible concept! Thinking outside the norm blows my mind!
Put a cocktail stick through the top of a few garlic cloves and suspend the root base in water for 3 days... I couldnt believe the results.
Its a great way I used it for years when at my other garden
You will also like Terry King then.👍🏻
I love gardening. Carrots are the bane of my life. Im going to watch this because maybe.....
You can do it
Great tipsagain as always Tony these methods are becoming more popular day by day we have all come a long way from the old days mate. Cheers Alan
This was a terrific video. Thank you Tony.
Thank you for sharing this information with us
Glad it was of interest Shelia
Hi Tony, i grow my Sweet Candle Carrots similar to your Sharp Sand and Compost method in a
3 x 3 x 2 1/2 foot raised bed, except mine is filled with very finely sieved Compost and the holes with a 2 1/2 inch pipe, then the holes are filled with a bit of Blood, Fish and Bone and then filled to the top with Coco Coir, then 2 seeds in each hole and covered with a plastic bottle until the Carrot grows and then i take off the bottle and wait. I don't have any problems with the Carrot Fly and any non germinated seeds just get replaced as the growing continues. Love those Sweet Candle Carrots.
Take Care and Stay Safe,
Barry (the Wirral)
Yeah another great medium to use
I used old tea storage boxes for mine
nice video 😊I think I’m going to try a combination off the1st method ,sand and compost but in containers.
I have old deep feeding bins, that I’m going to use. Won’t have to use as much sand will still be able to move. Thank you for sharing 💙
Tony, you spoke of how many days to maturity, as well as leaving mature carrots in the ground for later harvesting. It'd be useful if you could give some guidance on "Growing Your Own Christmas Vegetables", covering Carrots, Parsnips, Brussels Sprouts and, of course, Potatoes. In particular, getting the timings right and leaving mature vegetables in the ground for Christmas Day. Maybe one of your superb videos for release in June? Many thanks, Rick
Rick I will see if I can fit in a video on the topic
Brussel sprouts are SATANS VEGETABLES
That’s a great idea
I second the notion
Still a brilliant idea but this year we’ll be having tiny Xmas potatoes due to the dreaded late blight. Worst I’ve seen it, tore through my garden, I was out at 1am watching it go, both frightening and amazing how fast it went What’s your tip there Tony? Flamethrowers? 😆
Those three workable techniques are useful. I used to use toilet roll's inner tubes. I'll try the container method next spring. Thanks for sharing Tony
Glad it was helpfull Patrick
Very nice and informative video thank you Tony.
Thanks
Thanks Tony as always very helpful
Cheers Liz
Nice presentation Tony.
Thanks Steve
For the sand box method, what do you do once you have harvested the carrots? Do you keep track of the placements of the sieved compost and keep replanting in the same spots, or do you just mix it all together and create new holes in the next growing season?
Brilliant tips to Tony 🥰
thanks sharon
I am ready to get my second lot of carrots in my raised bed. This is great advice, I will take it on board. Cheers.
great information thanks
Your welcome
I like that first method but not buying the sand - might use a pipe to take a tube of 'rough' compost and replace it with 'smooth sieved compost'.
Very informative, he has a few cunning plans, excellent presentation thanks.
Thanks
Hi Tony what do you do the following year,do you plant in the same compost hole or how do you remove the old compost without mixing with the sand,brilliant information by the way thanks.
What a fantastic method of growing. First time I heard of this method. Thanks very much.
You are very welcome
Is the sharp sand the same as builders sharp sand? I get confused about that. Ty.
It's been a while since I have seen one of your videos. It's probably been me being busy, not you, not releasing videos. But either way, it's great to see your video and great info on carrot growth.
I can not do all of your tips due to limited space, but I will try to use most of them.
Hopefully there is something here that can be useful to you, Glad your back viewing again :)
Hey Tony, great video. I love all 3 methods but perhaps will do the tubs this year as well need new raised beds to try the other 2! Had not thought of the swirl method before which sends really logical way of doing it!
Must sift my soil as think that’s where I’ve been going wrong and getting random shaped carrots!
Storage ideas are also great. Thanks for the tips and hopes to see you next Sunday!
We were lucky enough to find Terry King a couple of years ago, he uses this method aswell. We followed this method last year and it worked amazing !! Highly recommend it !! That being said we do enjoy carrots with "carroter" lol
Awesome Tony !!
Cheers 🌱👍
Yeah I used it years ago when I used to show carrots but as I haven't showed for a few years Ive not done it as I didn't have the raised beds until I started adding them again
@@simplifygardening can't wait to the whoppers you pull out in a few months :))))
I mentioned Terry too!🤣👍🏻
I seen this Idea too on another channel called Allotment diaries great channel loads of great ideas 👍
Really ❤❤❤❤
I have a few growing in my compost pile
I don’t know how so I just threw more dirt on
Love the idea of the swirl Tony😊
Glad you like it
Great info ❤. Thumbs up for gardening 👍
Hi - Love your videos. I recently mixed sharp sand with compost 50:50 to pop up bare root strawberry's and it nearly killed them off :( Asking a local gardener for advice, I was told that sand has loads of salt in it and would be too acidic. Is your sand washed?
Carrots are not as finicky as strawberries, but also the sand is used as a barrier only to direct the carrot. the carrot themselves grow in a compost core so the sand wouldnt affect it
HivTony, great video, thanks for sharing and take care 😊
Thanks Christine
love the idea of rings, great video and information
Thank you! Cheers!
Great timing! I've been looking for a video on growing carrots in containers. How short do you think your carrots need to be when growing in one of those 30L containers?
the carrots will grow the length of the container so you should get a good yeild
Nice
A very interesting video which has taught me a thing or two. Hi from New Zealand! I grow carrots every, but only seem to have much success with baby carrots, being shorter. I must point out that I only grow in pots and tubs. Chillis, carrots, runner beans, gherkins etc. I did like one point in particular, and that is thinning them out. I grow heaps of radishes, (yeah, I know they are easy!) But, would the thinning out method work on those too? Just cutting off the shoots that I don't want? Once again, thanks for this video. Kia Ora (Thank you in Te Reo Maori). Te Reo = Maori language.
Wood ash makes a great fertilizer for carrots.Just spread ash on the ground after the carrots emerge & the rain will carry the nutrients down.
Great video Tony. Quick question though...how often do you water them after theyve germinated?
yes sir i too would love to know what variety of carrots that is that you are holding close to the end of the video .. lovely
They are sweet candle
Amazing video, Tony!
Thanks Bud appreciate it
Great video
So how often do you water them during the growing season & add any feed ??
That looks very interesting, but what do you doo with the sand-compost-Mix after the harvest?
Record the old compost out and throw it on the garden. Then fill the core for the next season with new compost
holly smoke! that is super labor intensive for carrots. to build an entire dedicated bed, fill it with sand, tunnel it out. i can't even imagine how many hours one would put in for a crop that can currently be purchased for 0.70c per lb. there must be some more labor efficient ways to grow great carrots.
Tony, this year I’m trying out wicking beds, would it be suitable for carrots and parsnips?
No i wouldnt use wicking beds for root veg, it would likely rot the roots off
Great idea. It inspired me. Instead of sand, I'll try socks instead of coring out sand (less experience and labor. Then the bed can be used for other purposes if need be. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Yeah I wanted a dedicated bed than im not having to spend huge time on it
I’ve gotta say, I’ve grown some massive carrots in my raised bed using about a 25/25/25/25% mix of topsoil, Pete moss, sand and compost. Fertilizing almost every week with a liquid fish fertlizer
Pete Moss is the best name of a permaculture gardener ever lol
Thanks for sharing They do like fish fertilizer
Yeah but its been banned here
@@simplifygardening I managed to get some massive carrots with it last year in combination with some mericle grow for carrots. Most tasty carrots I’ve ever had
Will the sand not be mixed with the compost after some time?
Amazing sharing 🌷🌷
Thanks glad you found it valuable
This was one of your gest videos Tony and brilliant tips and ideas as always Bud.💪👍💯
Thanks mate glad you enjoyed it :)
Just love this, so helpful. What varieties of carrots are in this video?
Sweet candle were the varieties I used
Excellent advice and very well presented
Fantastic!
Great video thank you. I was wondering what size of pipe did you uses and also what are those ring? Are they a pipe? If so what size is it and what size are they cut to?
Thank you
3 inches
Question on first method, surely the sand and the compass gets a bit mixed up once you’ve harvested the carrots does that mean every year you have to renew the sharp sand? Thank you
I've been wanting to try the sand box method. How does this work in the second year? Do you use the same cores or do you have to start again from scratch? Or how do you add nutrients to the "spent" compost.
No just recite but the sand will settle I’ll be doing a update but essentially you recite the old out and add new
Hi Tony. This is my first visit to your channel. Great info. Could you let us know which carrot names you grow. I love those short, fat, sweet, type.
the short fat sweet ones are Nantes, I also grow Sweet candle which are long and short and sweet are good stumpy varieties
No luck with carrots in the ground. I will give the fifteen gallon containers a try. Thank you Mr. Tony.
Let me know how they do for you Ann
I found the benefits of growing carrots in tubs last year. The badger had taken my carrots at the allotment, so I turned to the tubs in desperation. I ended up bringing the tub home & found out that since I was able to water them gently through the drought, they didn't split when the rain came.
This year I chitted the seeds & used 1cm lengths of cardboard tubes to space them evenly over the surface of the tubs. I have 3 tubs of yellow carrots & 2 of Nantes on the way. Unfortunately the slugs got to the 3rd tub of Nantes.
Slugs will take the tops of them very quickly so I'm glad you still got 2 tubs
I have never had success with carrots. Going to try your methods. Thank you.
Let me know how you get on Rene
Carrots can also be stored in the garden. The first thing you need to do is remove the foliage do this after the first killing frost, after removing the foliage cover the bed with leaves or straw to about 6" thick. You can harvest what you need throughout the winter.
Yes in a clamp and its a good way to store
how do I sharpen my sand, I have plenty of sand but I think it might be a little dull
For the first method with all the sand-I can see that working the first year. What happens to the compost and sand over time, say after a year or two? Doesn’t it tend to mix together? How often do you need to start over and recreate the bed? What do you end up doing with the sand and compost mix?
I thought the same thing. I would just mix it.
I'm doing it for the first time this year and I plan to just bore out the compost with the drain pipe and just replace it ready for next year.
I’m going to try this in tubs or containers. The 2nd/3rd year is my concern as well
I can't see why it would matter if it mixed, just keep doing it and soon you will have a perfect growing medium for carrots 🥕 no longer a need to make the holes and plant in sifted compost!
What are those big beautiful green leaves behind you at about the 10 minute mark? A type of kale??
Thats Rubarb
Terrific plan!
What is the variety you are holding in the thumbnail picture??? That is exactly what I am looking for!
Hey , you talked about snipping off the green leaves of weak germinated seeds is better than off pulling it out as the roots might get damaged! My question is if we just remove the green leaves is it enough,won’t it be regrowing?
Yes it’s fine it won’t regrow at that point
Brilliant advice thanks so much. I have luck growing them in deep pots . Any tips on growing swedes as i failed dismally last year but the tops are delicious and still growing even now
Will try this in buckets(what I've got to work with). Sifting the compost down to a quarter inch reminds me of back to edan gardening where you use mulch sifted to that size. Wonder if I can use that if compost is hard to get for me right now with just a little blood and bone meal mixed in?
I dont see why not
once again great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Morning , love your channel . Do you have a video on manure ?
Ive just had a load dropped off but im not sure when and where to use it
I plant carrot seeds around the 4th of July and they are perfect size to leave in the ground, cover with leaves or other mulch, let the snow cover them and start harvesting around Christmas. Huge carrots are a waste of time.
Smaller carrots are good too. but the growing method is more designed for keeping carrots straight
How reusable is the first bed? Would work well with juicing carrots
Valuable information there matey. I'm sure those beds will be a great asset to your growing season too. Danny 🌱
They will be brill matey its nice to finally get them into use
Interesting concept, wondering if they would work with parsnips?
It does the end of the bed was sown with Parsnips I will show a couple being lifted in the next walk around video which will prob be my next video. Im just finishing up a big project
😊 I have a question about the 1st method. After the harvest, some of the sand & compost is mixed. Do you have to do anything different the next time you plant?
Thank you
Your welcome
What kind of sand do you use and u said u put the coco coir in and plant the seed? I would like to try this method. Thank you Tony for the great tips ♥️😊👩🌾
Sharp sand or builders sand
Yeah fill the core with a fine coir or compost
Hi Tony. Loving your channel. Method 1, I was wondering what you do year 2, do you have to remove the compost ? and if so .. do you use the same pipe again to remove it. Question is open to anyone.
Yes just record out the compost and add new. Add the old to a garden bed
I do the freezer method to germinate my carrots and it works 100% of the time.
Handful of moist compost on a paper plate. Sprinkle heavily with seed. Into a ziplock bag and into the freezer for 24hrs.
Remove, open the ziplock and watch for the signs of the root sprouting, approx 3 days. Then before the green starts to sprout, sprinkle the moist soil onto the growing area, sprinkle with a little more compost to cover and sit back and watch the carrots grow! Easy :0)
A great way to chit the seed. ive sown direct this year to speed it up and everything has germinated
With the first method (the deep beds of sand), at the end of the season do you use the drainpipe to remove the compost from each core so that you can use fresh compost cores next year or do you just leave the compost where it is and put next year's cores into the sandy gaps between this year's cores (if you follow my question).
Yes Exactly how its done, just recore and fill back up with new compost
What do you do with sand/compost once you have harvested your carrots? Can you plant something else in the same medium?
You record the compost and and fresh compost for next year. The sand remains
Tony, how will you replenish the compost in your sand bed for the next growing season? I'd also like to know how much moisture you're putting into the sand to stop your shafts collapsing between coring with the tube and pouring in your sieved compost. Thank you. I'll be giving this a try - Rick
just use the pipe and recore it out
@@simplifygardening as simple as that, eh! 👏 🥕🥕🥕 😄
You could make a bed out of cinder blocks and plant carrots in the holes.