[rutters]

Can anyone recommend a good carrot variety for my first carrot attempt? Looking for disease resistance and flavour. If anyone has any spare seeds of this type maybe we could do a swap!

cheers

[Salkeela]

Rothild

I think I got it from Marshalls or was it the Organic Catalogue... hmmm, anyway of the 4 varieties I tried it was way the most flavoursome and it also gave a good sized crop.  

(Nantes 2 was also worth growing, but I found Rainbow rather disappointing.  There was a 4th but I can't remember it now...... )

[gobs]

Now you are most likely to get 600 answers of 601 varieties here.

Most will grow. Important thing is, what you want and like?

I personally tend to grow fast early carrots all year round, mostly. In all shades of colour.

We love early Nantes, Purple haze, Kinbi. Good growers, good flavour.

[Sally A]

Own Grown carrots have no comparison in taste to shop bought, they're juicer, tastier, earthier.

You will be please with any you grow as they are so different in taste.

If you're worried about diseases, and don't have a raised area for them, try flyaway.

Once you know you can grow carrots in your soil, go crazy in year 2 with diff varieties etc.

[Rob the rake]

Depends on your soil type, Rutters.

Short carrots do well in heavy soils, my favourite being Royal Chantenay.

If your soil is lighter then you're spoilt for choice. I grow James' Scarlet Intermediate in plastic dustbins in a sand and soil mix for a bit of variety and find them truly scrumptious!

Don't forget to protect them from the dreaded carrot fly. There'll be plenty of advice on how to do this elsewhere in the forum.

Rob.

[splodger]

i had very good results with autumn king

[Rob the rake]

Arrrr....'tis a banker, that Autumn King. Also Flakkee, big-growing and luvverly!

Rob.

[DeadlyNightshade]

I've been growing carrots for a couple  of years, thankfully the irish soil seems to be destined for that. I've no idea  about the varieties... but I don't seem to have a problem with the carrot fly

This could possibly due to the principle of mixed cultures (sorry, translated from german,  don't know the english word for it bar companion planting maybe): apparently if you plant onions, leeks and/or garlic along with carrots it deters the carrot fly and vice versa some onion plague.

Works for me anyway

[Aidy]

This could possibly due to the principle of mixed cultures (sorry, translated from german,  don't know the english word for it bar companion planting maybe): apparently if you plant onions, leeks and/or garlic along with carrots it deters the carrot fly and vice versa some onion plague.

Works for me anyway

Never worked for me, had to revert to the old baths with enviromesh. Anyways one of my faves is Parmex, cook them whole as baby carrots. Stagger the sowing so you always have them.

[noshed]

I think barriers are the way to go with carrot fly. Onions didn't repel mine much.

[mkhenry]

I you are new to carrot growing give yourself a fighting chance and grow a carrot fly resistant varity.(such as Sytan or Flyaway)  Grow some onions and some rosemary to confuse by hiding the smell. Plus grow under fleece or with a clear 24" barrier around the bed.

If you do all this you should get a fair grop.

[Annie]

After several dismal years I used Autumn king and have not looked back,OK so I also make a drill ,water it,sew seeds and then fill drill with compost and cover with mesh but put together it works.

[gobs]

I'm sorry, Belladonna, but I tend to go with the general consensus here, it's most likely that you do not have carrot flies in your area and so you wouldn't have a problem whether onions or not. Mixed planting does help a lot, but not with carrot fly.

[mkhenry]

Even if you use fleece or a barrier it is still worth mix planting.

A great many people on these forums will tell that even though they did cover the crop they still got carrot fly.
How.  Well if you lift the the cover just to look or water,if the little devils are in the area they will be in like a shot.
The smell is like a magnet and they will hover around looking for a way in.
So deny them the smell and it will help.  

[rutters]

Thanks for the tips..

How about growing them inside a barrel? how high can these blighters get?

cheers