Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Stevens706 on September 29, 2006, 12:12

Title: How long can vegetables stay in the ground?
Post by: Stevens706 on September 29, 2006, 12:12
Can anyone let me know how long can I leave veg such as carrots and beetroot in the ground (these are bi-annual plants), I hope to leave them as long as possible and just pick as required.

Thanks a lot for any advice
Title: How long can vegetables stay in the ground?
Post by: milkman on September 29, 2006, 13:20
I left my carrots in the ground over last winter until I'd used them all up - I covered them in a very thick layer of straw with fleece on top of that and they were just fine.  

Parsnips are very hardy and can be left out with very minimal protection unless the ground looks like completely freezing over in which case you may want to take precautions to ensure you can still prize them out of the ground.
Title: How long can vegetables stay in the ground?
Post by: hermon on September 29, 2006, 17:13
for the carrots i prosume you would leave the greenery on them when covering them wouldn't this die if its covered?
Title: How long can vegetables stay in the ground?
Post by: milkman on September 30, 2006, 18:19
Yep I just left them growing as they are now - I think there was still enough light getting through not to rot the greenery off.
Title: How long can vegetables stay in the ground?
Post by: shaun on September 30, 2006, 20:37
have a look at this
http://www.selfsufficientish.com/clamp.htm
ive never tried this though
Title: How long can vegetables stay in the ground?
Post by: Nugget on September 30, 2006, 23:49
i know a man who digs is spud, puts them in a tin, buried them and digs the tin up at Christmas, and they are very nice :)
Title: Leave stuff in the ground
Post by: Oliver on October 01, 2006, 10:43
Quote from: "milkman"
I left my carrots in the ground over last winter until I'd used them all up - I covered them in a very thick layer of straw with fleece on top of that and they were just fine.  ...

They leave their carrots and beetroot in the ground and just pick them as they need them till they are all gone, or nor worth picking any more.

They plant several kinds of spuds and eat them through the season, but the Pink Fir Apple are left in thr ground till ?February and just dug up as required. The longer they stay in the ground the nutter they taste (and the bigger they get). Some do get clobbered by slugs, but not enough to worry about.

she has always wanted to make a clump for spuds and carrots but has never had the bottle to do it. The clump site has spurred her on to have a go. thanks for that, shaun!

Oliver