I think my carrots...

[OldGuy43]

My little secret, it is easier to claim success with any harvest, whatsoever.

Steve

edited so as not to fully admit to being the bumbler that i am in the carrot patch.

Congratulations on your success, Lesa. Hope you didn't plant any pole beans. That giant can be a real pain (or so I read).

Anyhoo, back in the days when I was involved in auto racing, and we didn't have a very successful weekend there was always some smart--- who would ask, "How did you do this weekend?" My response was, "Better than those who didn't show up and race!"

The same could be said for gardening, or for that matter any other endeavor. You did better than all those who didn't even try.

"Tis better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all."

 

[journey11]

Nice haul, Lesa! Are you going to try to consume all those squash yourself or do you have them designated for certain folks on your Christmas list? It's amazing how prolific the butternuts are. Also, what variety were your carrots? I plant the nantes since my soil is so hard. I never thought to weigh one. 3 lbs sound huge!

 

[RustyDHart]

Wow lesa....Mutant Ninja Carrots......Great job! I can't keep the deer and Groundhogs away from the carrots and kale when I plant.....Thank God they don't care too much for Dahlias..... Keep up the good work! Any photos?

 

[catjac1975]

I think the variety of carrot matters a lot for different soils. They need to be well weeded and thinned early. I find that green sand added to the soil is good for root crops if you are having trouble with them forming properly.

Please DO tell us how you did it. I have never had any luck with carrots. All I get is scrawny 3" toothpicks that take forever to grow. I quit trying several years ago. OK girlfriend, you owe us some pics!!!!

 

[vfem]

Congrats on that surprise! I would love to see pictures of those puppies!!!!

I'm awful disappointed w/ the carrots here this year. I tried those darn cosmic carrots and out of 50 seeds only 3 sprouted at all (I think a few more did but never did more the sprout and quit). They look to big pretty big, just haven't picked them yet.

Some of my favorite things did not produce well this year, kinda bummed. Luckily things grew unexpectedly and those few things were awesome!!! So I guess things average each other out.

 

[lesa]

I actually do have a pic for you "doubters", but I am too tired to try and figure posting them right now! We did several things that I think guaranteed our carrot success... First all my veggie rows are raised- so the carrots have lovely, loose soil to grow. Secondly, Dh made it his personal goal to abolish each and every weed that tried to take hold in the carrot row. Normally, I am impatient when I plant the seeds and have way too many, in too small a space- they need lots of thinning. This time I very carefully placed each seed an inch from the other- no thinning required...The seeds I planted were from Lake Valley Organics- Danvers Half Long. Described as sweet, medium length roots- Good lord I would hate to see the extra long ones!

 

[thistlebloom]

Awww, Lesa, it's not so much that we're doubters, we just want to see your behemoth carrots.

See, if we tease you a little, it's almost for sure that you'll be motivated to show us pictures!

 

[catjac1975]

Yea, we just love photos.

 

[journey11]

We will live vicariously through your pics, Lesa!

My daughter has been watching a lot of Bugs Bunny here lately and every time I turn around, she is pulling carrots out of the garden and saying "what's up doc". What would she do with one of your giant carrots, I can just imagine. She'd probably turn orange.

I am going to make seed tapes with my tiny seeds this year and plant in neat rows. Thinning takes too much time in the busy summer, but making the tapes will give both me and the 5-yr-old some constructive busy-work for winter. I don't have the presence of mind to knit anymore, but surely I can handle gluing on seeds! We glue so much paper and beads and stuff anymore anyway, should make for good eye-hand coordination practice.

 

[desertlady]

last summer, My garden did very well with all the rain we had, My garden gone wild!, by the time winter came I found few giant carrots I didnt pick ! This summer. I got one carrot that grew so tall , over 4 feet , it got flowers on it! pretty white flowers that looks like califlowers! I let it grow for a while thinking I will have a record carrot size. I pulled it out the other day and my carrot was only 2 inches long !!:/