How About Carrots

[Liberty7]

I'm going to make my own carrot 'tapes' this year which I read about -- strips of newspaper; put dabs of water/flour mixture at proper spacing; and, putting a seed on each dab.

I didn't grow many carrots last year, but they did turn out very well. This year, I'm going to grow a large area of carrots which I cut up, blanche and put in vacuum-freezer bags.

Zone 4b

 

[me&thegals]

That is so cool! Why didn't I think of that?

 

[homesteadmom]

I like to weed for therapy too. Plus then I feed them to our cows & the ram to supplement the hay(less money for hay then). So therapy & frugality all in one!!

 

[Tallman]

I'm going to make my own carrot 'tapes' this year which I read about -- strips of newspaper; put dabs of water/flour mixture at proper spacing; and, putting a seed on each dab.

I didn't grow many carrots last year, but they did turn out very well. This year, I'm going to grow a large area of carrots which I cut up, blanche and put in vacuum-freezer bags.

Zone 4b

Liberty7, I must have read the same article about the making of tapes for carrots. I'm going to try it this year. I just hope that I can get the grand kids convinced that it's fun so I don't have to do any of it!

 

[Sylvie]

I tried landscaping cloth for weed control around my carrots.
DH plowed a new portion of the lawn the year before and the weeds were sprouting everywhere. I carefully cut 2"x2" square holes every 2" and laid it over the tilled row bed. I planted the carrots in each square and watered well, then covered with boards until germinated.
I removed the boards and the cloth began to blow away in wind so I had to put rocks and bricks on the cloth to anchor. It worked well for about a month until I found that I couldn't till near the carrots or I'd catch the cloth so it was hand cultivation and weeding anyhow.
In October I noticed that I was losing carrots, looked under the cloth and found the soil riddled with tunnels. My carrots were being eaten from underneath the cloth.
I won't try that again.

 

[Tallman]

I tried landscaping cloth for weed control around my carrots.
DH plowed a new portion of the lawn the year before and the weeds were sprouting everywhere. I carefully cut 2"x2" square holes every 2" and laid it over the tilled row bed. I planted the carrots in each square and watered well, then covered with boards until germinated.
I removed the boards and the cloth began to blow away in wind so I had to put rocks and bricks on the cloth to anchor. It worked well for about a month until I found that I couldn't till near the carrots or I'd catch the cloth so it was hand cultivation and weeding anyhow.
In October I noticed that I was losing carrots, looked under the cloth and found the soil riddled with tunnels. My carrots were being eaten from underneath the cloth.
I won't try that again.

Thanks Sylvie - good to know. Hope you have better luck this year.

 

[setter4]

I'm going to make my own carrot 'tapes' this year which I read about -- strips of newspaper; put dabs of water/flour mixture at proper spacing; and, putting a seed on each dab.

I didn't grow many carrots last year, but they did turn out very well. This year, I'm going to grow a large area of carrots which I cut up, blanche and put in vacuum-freezer bags.

Zone 4b

Liberty7, I must have read the same article about the making of tapes for carrots. I'm going to try it this year. I just hope that I can get the grand kids convinced that it's fun so I don't have to do any of it!

Does it matter if you put the carrot seeds on the top or the bottome when you put it in the garden?
I'm thinking the GD would love this.
I used beet tape last year and it worked great!

 

[GPN]

Have ya evver eaten, raised, or seen PURPLE carrots. I had seeds last year and never grew from me. Might have been where I planted them hehehehe momma flower bed!


I am 28 and still live with momma and daddy!! GPN

 

[me&thegals]

Absolutely! Mine are from Seed Savers Exchange and called Dragon carrots. The best I have ever had. I will never willingly have a garden without them again. Another way to hook kids into gardening--really funky, cool-colored things. And a way to open other people's eyes to the fact that the offerings in the grocery store are representing about 1/10,000th of the varities actually offered by nature

 

[Tallman]

I'm going to make my own carrot 'tapes' this year which I read about -- strips of newspaper; put dabs of water/flour mixture at proper spacing; and, putting a seed on each dab.

I didn't grow many carrots last year, but they did turn out very well. This year, I'm going to grow a large area of carrots which I cut up, blanche and put in vacuum-freezer bags.

Zone 4b

Liberty7, I must have read the same article about the making of tapes for carrots. I'm going to try it this year. I just hope that I can get the grand kids convinced that it's fun so I don't have to do any of it!

Does it matter if you put the carrot seeds on the top or the bottome when you put it in the garden?
I'm thinking the GD would love this.
I used beet tape last year and it worked great!

The article that I read did not say. I am guessing that it doesn't matter.

The article did say that you should be sure to let the paste dry and then roll the tapes up with the seed side inside, and put in a plastic zip lock bag. Wrap up a tablespoon or two of salt or powdered milk in a paper towel, tape it up so it can't leak and put it in the zip lock to prevent moisture.

When you plant, roll out the tapes, spray with water then cover with soil and water again. Keep damp until they sprout. As I mentioned before, I cover my rows with 1 X 6s for about 10 days until they sprout. The article did not say if the tape should have the seeds up or down. Since the newspaper will decompose I doubt if it matters; however, I am thinking that if the seeds are down it might aid in the sprouting process.