[hubballi]

Yet again I have done all the right things and somehow my Autumn King carrots have been pathetic. I sowed them late summer as Monty Don advised and even now the foliage (what has actually grown) is tiny with what looks like no roots.I can't dig down because soil is frozen.

Is that it ? Will they not grow anymore ? 

[mumofstig]

No and mine are the same -
If you'd watched the programme when Monty lifted his, you'd have seen that his were the same 

He and I both blame the weather 

[digger1]

I put in 1 packet of Autumn king I had more carrots than I wanted so I supplied 18 homes with 6 nice size carrots each.

[Growster...]

Sorry to admit, Hubbers, but we sowed a packet of Autumn King in September, and netted them against any late carrot fly, and they're the best crop we've had for years!

We still think the netting made a warmer environment too, but please don't think this is a smug comment, it really is a relief for us that this year, we have some carrots instead of a load of expensive compost! I'm sorry your's have not gone well; next year, they'll be much better of course!

[mumofstig]

Huh! *grump grump*

thinking about it - mine were 'viromeshed last year, but not this   so you may have hit on the reason why mine failed  

[shoozie]

we sowed a packet of Autumn King in September, and netted them against any late carrot fly, and they're the best crop we've had for years!

We still think the netting made a warmer environment too

Growster, I had to do a double take here - do you mean September just passed and harvesting just weeks
later?  Ours go in mid spring and don't get to any size til August    Have only been successful with a late sowing of early nantes.

Been a decent year for carrots though.

[hubballi]

I planted some small variety in a container with fresh compost. 8 months later they were still thin and wispy. Hardly worth pulling. Looked after all the while I had them.

[Yorkie]

I planted mine in a container three times.

The slugs ate them.

[Growster...]

we sowed a packet of Autumn King in September, and netted them against any late carrot fly, and they're the best crop we've had for years!

We still think the netting made a warmer environment too

Growster, I had to do a double take here - do you mean September just passed and harvesting just weeks
later?  Ours go in mid spring and don't get to any size til August    Have only been successful with a late sowing of early nantes.

Shooz, I think I mistook the date here, I'm soooo sorry!

Looking at my diary - if you can call a scrawl of impenetrable gibberish in an excercise book a diary - I think (know) they went in in July - the 23rd to be precise...:0(

Oh, bum, I really thought I'd cracked them...

Sooo sorry again; Monty has a lot to answer for!


edit to clarify quote

[shoozie]

Late July is still good going Growster 

I planted some small variety in a container with fresh compost. 8 months later they were still thin and wispy. Hardly worth pulling.

Out of interest, what was the variety?  That's a disappointment, I'd be disappointed too - we've usually had good enough results in pots using the compost from the year befores potato bags topped up with grow more - not big but fine for salads.  Usually Nantes, though have used those packaged from the suttons Speedy (I think) range  (what variety I don't know). Not especially speedy, but a tasty carrot and reliable in pots and troughs

[hubballi]

They were Amsterdam. They had great foliage but hardly anything down under, even for the finger variety. Again, it doesn't make sense but as always these kind of weird things happen to me. I can't think of a single thing I have done wrong. Of course I would be the first to admit if I had. The same with rocket. Supposed to be easy but when sowed in new compost in a container the growth cames up small, thin and wispy. I didn't get a single salad harvest from them.

[hubballi]

Oh, and ditto for radish and beetroot. Not a single one to harvest, radish being impossible for me 

[moose]

Like Growster I sowed my Autumn King in mid July and have had a great crop, pulled the last ones last weekend. At the end of August I had a spare bed and lots of seed which I broadcast over the area. I'll get a few little finger size but most are not going to be worth having. Green manure!

[Annen]

They were Amsterdam. They had great foliage but hardly anything down under, even for the finger variety.

My Amsterdam were very small this year too, not even finger sized.  I'd never grown them before so wasn't sure if that was normal. The chantenay I grew at the same time (spring) were small but then they are supposed to be.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Because we seem to get carrot fly every time in the open, I sowed Autumn King late July in the tunnel. They've been absolutely superb. Pulled the last dozen today