What did you do in the garden today?

[igorsMistress]

carrots I get in my garden are like your worm carrots, lol.

Could be overcrowded. They need lots of consistent water, soft soil and weed them a lot.

 

[Sally PB]

Today is supposed to be the nicest (mild, dry) day of the week, so damn the sore muscles, full steam ahead!

I have more raking to do (leaves, thatch), lots of weeding, and who knows what else. One side of my garden fence looks drunk. If you look down the row of posts, they weave back and forth. I might sink some more posts and try to straighten the line a bit. There will always be a bit of a kink in the line, because there is a boulder beside the garden. One benefit of doing this is the garden will be wider at one end than it is now.

Could be overcrowded. They need lots of consistent water, soft soil and weed them a lot.

Yeah, I found that out... carrots do NOT like competition. Even "friendly" competition from their own kind.

 

[Acre4Me]

Carrots: like the sun, and have a larger personal space than expected. When you sow the seed, try really hard to spread them out. The seeds are so tiny, it is hard to do, but the thinning is more tedious. You can buy pelleted carrot seeds, usually online orders. They cost a bit more, but much easier to sow. When you thin them, I find it is much easier to do when they have an obvious carrot foliage. I often plant mine with the tomatoes or beans. That way I can ignore them easier since they seem to not grow for forever. But, tomatoes can get large and beans can get bushy, so plant on the sunny side of those beds.

This year, my spouse wants to plant them by them selves…lots and lots of carrots!!! Hmmm… I’m not convinced I want only a bed of carrots. We have many carrot varieties this year! Nantes half long are always pretty good producers, they don’t get really long, but not that short either. A Nantes type carrot is more like a finger, with a blunt end, and the shoulders are similar in width to the rest of the carrot. But, it’s always fun to try new varieties.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I think my carrots don't look like garden porn pictures because I don't thin them the way you are supposed to. Last year I left some carrots in the ground for nearly 6 months. The tops were huge...bushy...at least 18" tall. When I finally got around to pulling them, the carrots were maybe 6 inches long at best and as fat as my thumb. Disappointing.... But they sure did taste good and the buns enjoyed the tops!

 

[chickengr]

I'm also in zone 6a & have lettuce out under a hoop of plastic & onion plants. Along with garlic & shallots that were planted last fall & I've uncovered the strawberries. I have a bed warming with a plexiglass cover so I can plant some beans early. There is lots to do in the garden this time of year!

Another busy day yesterday. The garden fence is now finished & everything is wood chipped. We finished cutting down the remnants of the big tree that came down & patched the run netting where it was. Got the dirt in the herb bed. I stopped by the garden store & got some grass seed for the hosta bed in the middle of the front yard that I tore out. A little early for seed yet. But of course I grabbed some rutabaga seed while I was there, lol.

I need to get the coop cleaned out - too many birds in there because of HPAI lockdown. I started a new bin of compost & will let the middle bin cook for the summer.

I lost 2 quarts of broth that didn't seal. Anyone have any ideas why they didn't seal? I wiped them down real good with vinegar. All the pints sealed fine. Jars seemed fine, new Ball lids & 1 in headspace. Just wondering if I'm doing anything wrong pressure canning as I'm new at it. I wonder if it would help to can for longer than 25 mins?

some lids are faulty. happened to me a few times as well.

 

[chickengr]

Could be overcrowded. They need lots of consistent water, soft soil and weed them a lot.

and some shade as well, lol. maybe I should try to plant carrots in containers in soft soil. I tried to pull a spring onion and broke it. I planted it in the softest soil I have and it has been raining lately. soon I will be digging them to get them out.

 

[Wolfie2]

Supposed to be stormy today with high winds. Not sure my "temporary" greenhouse could take that kinda wind anymore. This has been the 3rd winter for it and I've already had to patch some of the tubing and the fabric is coming apart. Anyway, it's time to take it off as I don't expect anymore freezing temps this year.
Probably need to get busy on the permanent structure! Shoulda done it when the lumber prices were a lot lower!

 

[chickengr]

Carrots: like the sun, and have a larger personal space than expected. When you sow the seed, try really hard to spread them out. The seeds are so tiny, it is hard to do, but the thinning is more tedious. You can buy pelleted carrot seeds, usually online orders. They cost a bit more, but much easier to sow. When you thin them, I find it is much easier to do when they have an obvious carrot foliage. I often plant mine with the tomatoes or beans. That way I can ignore them easier since they seem to not grow for forever. But, tomatoes can get large and beans can get bushy, so plant on the sunny side of those beds.

This year, my spouse wants to plant them by them selves…lots and lots of carrots!!! Hmmm… I’m not convinced I want only a bed of carrots. We have many carrot varieties this year! Nantes half long are always pretty good producers, they don’t get really long, but not that short either. A Nantes type carrot is more like a finger, with a blunt end, and the shoulders are similar in width to the rest of the carrot. But, it’s always fun to try new varieties.

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I don't start carrots from seeds but seedlings. they have enough space but soil is not good for them or any root vegetables.

 

[Acre4Me]

I don't start carrots from seeds but seedlings. they have enough space but soil is not good for them or any root vegetables.

How to start from seedlings? I thought all root veg tend to suffer if transplanted. Misshapen or smaller roots.

 

[chickengr]

How to start from seedlings? I thought all root veg tend to suffer if transplanted. Misshapen or smaller roots.

I buy seedlings. they are tiny, like thread. it is cheaper than seeds. some roots that happen to find better soil grow well.

btw, I transplant beetroots as well. as they sort of jump out of soil I get nice, big beetroots.