Lemon-Drop's Gardening Adventure

[Sally PB]

Leeks and carrots do well together!

Google "companion planting" and you will find GOBS of info. It's a very old "trick" for gardeners.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Leeks and carrots do well together!

Google "companion planting" and you will find GOBS of info. It's a very old "trick" for gardeners.

Wow, there is a lot of info!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Just an FYI: In the future, you might want to use a "how much materials" calculator to figure out how much soil/mulch etc to buy - here's an example: https://www.inchcalculator.com/soil-calculator/ Saves you a lot of trips and some cash too, if you can buy materials in bulk (I buy my garden soil in cu yards).

Gardening is a lot of work and it takes several seasons to figure out what works for you and your location, but it's so rewarding when it comes time to harvest.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Just an FYI: In the future, you might want to use a "how much materials" calculator to figure out how much soil/mulch etc to buy - here's an example: https://www.inchcalculator.com/soil-calculator/ Saves you a lot of trips and some cash too, if you can buy materials in bulk (I buy my garden soil in cu yards).

Gardening is a lot of work and it takes several seasons to figure out what works for you and your location, but it's so rewarding when it comes time to harvest.

Thank you! Just found out, according to that great link I need 8 cubic feet of soil for my small 2' by 4' garden bed that I am working on planning... for the carrots and leeks I am planning. I want the soil to be about a foot deep, as the actual bed is 16 inches (so far that I've planned) Anyway, thank you! I also buy soil in cubic feet. At the store I get them from it comes in 3 cubic feet bags for raised bed soil, and 1 cubic feet bags of manure/compost mix. So I will probably get 2 of the 3 cu ft bags and 4 of the 1 cubic feet bags. (I want some extra for the potatoes I'm planting in potato bags)

 

[Sally PB]

Carrots need very loose soil to grow into nice straight carrots. Imagine those teeny little roots pushing down and hitting a small rock... then growing off to the side to get around it.

That's why I can't grow very good looking carrots. Also, the tops of the plant are edible too. I've never munched on them... but the chickens like them.

One more thing... water the carrot seeds Every Single Day, gently. If it doesn't rain, go out and mist them until they sprout. They need moist soil to even think about growing. Dumb carrots.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Carrots need very loose soil to grow into nice straight carrots. Imagine those teeny little roots pushing down and hitting a small rock... then growing off to the side to get around it.

That's why I can't grow very good looking carrots. Also, the tops of the plant are edible too. I've never munched on them... but the chickens like them.

One more thing... water the carrot seeds Every Single Day, gently. If it doesn't rain, go out and mist them until they sprout. They need moist soil to even think about growing. Dumb carrots.

Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Carrots need very loose soil to grow into nice straight carrots. Imagine those teeny little roots pushing down and hitting a small rock... then growing off to the side to get around it.

That's why I can't grow very good looking carrots. Also, the tops of the plant are edible too. I've never munched on them... but the chickens like them.

This is why I get mutant carrots with 2-4 roots split off a single root. I have loose soil but also have pumice or something mixed in for aeration. They're still perfectly edible, just a little funny to look at.

I feed my chickens the carrot tops (with some root attached) and also use the greens as substitute for parsley, as they grow far more readily than parsley. They're a little more bitter than parsley so I wouldn't use a lot, but if all you want is a sprinkle of "something green" on a dish they're perfectly fine for that.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Yesterday I worked on a raised bed for the carrots and leeks. I used 3 boards of 2" by 8" by 8' boards. Each side is two boards high, making it 16"

Quick question, should I seal the boards? I live in the PNW, so it's fairly rainy. Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Quick question, should I seal the boards? I live in the PNW, so it's fairly rainy. Thanks!

I don't treat my boards (in my case they're cedar) - I know they won't last as long that way especially in contact with the wet ground but I guess I'm always a little worried about any risk of chemicals leeching into the soil and such.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I don't treat my boards (in my case they're cedar) - I know they won't last as long that way especially in contact with the wet ground but I guess I'm always a little worried about any risk of chemicals leeching into the soil and such.

Ok, thanks!