Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: sclarke624 on June 18, 2008, 22:06

Title: Carrots
Post by: sclarke624 on June 18, 2008, 22:06
Having grown carrots last year and having pulled a very small one this year I have noticed they don't taste as nice as the ones I buy in the shops i.e.Tesco (sorry scare word).  Planted Chantenay Red Cored 2 (2 is what it said in title, I did'nt just plant two), Healthmaster F1 Hybrid (didn't like them at all didn't do them this year),  Carrot Karnavit (don't know if Karnavit is dutch for carrot or that is make, got them from liddles).

So anyone recommend carrots like they do in tesco (there's that scare word again).  Guess they are sweeter in the shop.  I have got some Parmex which are stumpy carrots for containers but gonna do them next year.

Thanks
Title: Carrots
Post by: DD. on June 18, 2008, 22:08
Well I'm thoroughly gob-smacked, especially with the Chantenay Red Core. :shock:

I stick to 'safe', traditional varieties like Early Nantes & Autumn King.
Title: Carrots
Post by: GrannieAnnie on June 18, 2008, 22:41
I like Early Nantes and Autumn King too, although this year I have some Paris Market little stumpy carrots that I'm trying too, they are what Aggy gave me!!!

Can't imagine why an own grown would taste worse than a not so fresh T***o carrot!  Mind you, saying that, one year I had a few carrots that tasted a bit bitter, but I don't know why and it only happened the once!
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: gobs on June 19, 2008, 10:05
Quote from: "sclarke624"
Having grown carrots last year and having pulled a very small one this year I have noticed they don't taste as nice as the ones I buy in the shops


You better wait for maturity, refer to seed packet, as flavour develops, no point in pulling very young carrots. Otherwise, it might have to do with your growing medium.

Experiment with varieties, Kinbi is one nice sweet carrot, try small cored ones as the core doesn't contain sugars.

All sorts of stress can affect flavour, as it makes the plant to produce defence chemicals, like water stress, insect activity, etc.
Title: Carrots
Post by: sclarke624 on June 19, 2008, 13:33
Thats interesting Gobs Thanks.  I am heavy handed with the water and impatient so probbly pulled early.  But I am going to try early Nantes next year as they seem ver popular.
Title: Carrots
Post by: senrab_nhoj on June 19, 2008, 14:23
supermarkets select 'sweeter' varieties too, with the effect that a first tasting they are not as 'nice' ....


..its like starting your drinking life on sweet cider and settling on theakstons old peculiar  ;)