[Ma and Pa Snip]

Each year my daughter and I have our own private competition.

having beaten her for the last two years on largest Onion and largest Tomato she has decided that this year the competition is for longest carrot.

One rule, it must be standard carrot colour, no fancy purples or yellows.  (not that i think any fancy colour ones grow very long)

Soooo, question is, what can anyone suggest that might help me win the hat trick.
Best likely variety ?
Any tips on going for extreme length ?

Good people I am in your hands, fortunately I haven't told her about this site yet   

[m1ckz]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwww  thats so mean  lol

[DD.]

St. Valery is the variety to go for.

Have a look at this:

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/record.html

[Ma and Pa Snip]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwww  thats so mean  lol

  Alls fair in family competitiveness

St. Valery is the variety to go for.

Have a look at this:

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/record.html

Thanks DD, thats made my mind up quickly.
Can't be bothered with faffing around like that.

No offence to anyone but I can't see the point of growing an orange piece of string over 18 months that's probably as edible as baling twine.

I'll stick with seeing how big I can get some Sugarsnax this year again this year I think. 

Ma's record, at 14 inches,  is miniscule by comparison to 19ft but it was edible and didn't take 18 months.

[DD.]

I'm not talking about faffing around for 18 months to get a piece of string, but St. Valery ARE very often the choice of exhibitors.

You did ask, but seem to have already made your mind up!

[Ma and Pa Snip]

I'm not talking about faffing around for 18 months to get a piece of string, but St. Valery ARE very often the choice of exhibitors.

You did ask, but seem to have already made your mind up!

Whoaa,, hold on there........ whilst I extricate you from my throat  I did say thank you DD, I appreciated your posting the link and it was what made me say I thought I would stick with Sugarsnax.
All I was saying in my reply was I'm not looking to go to such lengths, either in size or effort.

 If I come across any St Valery seeds, and I can't say as either of us recall having seen any in the normal retail outlets we visit,  I shall no doubt give them a try now you have drawn them to my attention.
Nothing ventured nothing learned.

[DD.]

I actually have 25g of them on order from Moles seeds.

This is the smallest amount I could order and will be upwards of 20,000 seed. (Still only cost a couple of squid).

I'll be only too pleased to send you some when they arrive as this amount will obviously do me for a few years!

Per Moles website:

A well established maincrop variety, with good storage ability. The long tapered roots have strong tops and good texture. Popular for showing. Sow March- August, harvest June-October.

[Spana]

I'm having a go this year at winning the best carrots in the local show but using my usual variety which is early nantes2.  

I've  dug a deep trench and filling it with sifted mole hill soil and sand.   I try and collect a bucketful each day.  Its taking for ever so I might shorten the trench   I hope it will give me nice long and clean carrots.

How are you going to grow yours?

[Ma and Pa Snip]

I actually have 25g of them on order from Moles seeds.

This is the smallest amount I could order and will be upwards of 20,000 seed. (Still only cost a couple of squid).

I'll be only too pleased to send you some when they arrive as this amount will obviously do me for a few years!

Per Moles website:

A well established maincrop variety, with good storage ability. The long tapered roots have strong tops and good texture. Popular for showing. Sow March- August, harvest June-October.

Thanks again DD.  I have just looked up the Moles seeds website, had never heard of them before, and added it to my 'favourites' list.  Very useful site to know about.

I'm having a go this year at winning the best carrots in the local show but using my usual variety which is early nantes2.  

I've  dug a deep trench and filling it with sifted mole hill soil and sand.   I try and collect a bucketful each day.  Its taking for ever so I might shorten the trench   I hope it will give me nice long and clean carrots.

How are you going to grow yours?

Apart from those we plant in the raised beds we also put some in a number of 2ft high tubs we have.

 I was told that carrots are not great lovers of being grown in just  standard commercial compost, don't know if thats true or not, so in the tubs we mix sieved topsoil with gritty sand and well broken down sieved compost off one of our own heaps.
In roughly a ratio of 40% topsoil, 40% home made compost and 20% gritty sand

For edible crop purposes it seems to work quite well, only time I made a faux pas was when I tried to grow some carrots around the base of some tomatoes in the tubs, having forgotten that I had dumped a good helping of well rotted manure in the tubs  before I had planted up the Toms.
Carrots came out in some quite interesting shapes.  

We dont have a mole problem in the immediate area, I have a feeling the land owner where we walk the dogs might take objection if I start nicking the soil from the thousands of mole hills in his/her field. Nice fine soil though and I would imagine useful if you can get it.

 

[Spana]

My grandson tried growing carrots in standard bought compost last year and got nothing

Mole hill soil is lovely stuff.  Always looks so much better than the rubbish on top Just collecting it is a pain in the arms

[Aunt Sally]

 If I come across any St Valery seeds, and I can't say as either of us recall having seen any in the normal retail outlets we visit,  I shall no doubt give them a try now you have drawn them to my attention.

£1.49 Free next day delivery

http://www.nextday-seeds.co.uk/acatalog/carrot_seeds_uk_vegetable_seed_thompson_and_morgan.html

[Ma and Pa Snip]

Yet another site I didnt know about, added to favourites

TY Aunt Sally

[DD.]

Not sure about that one. Look at the home page. They are selling 2008 collections and have a link for "New for 2010".

The T & M reference for those seeds does not exist in the current T & M catalogue and I can't find St Valery listed either on T & M's site.

[azubah]

Try flakkee from Van Hage.

They are big and long and edible despite their size.

[Ma and Pa Snip]

Not sure about that one. Look at the home page. They are selling 2008 collections and have a link for "New for 2010".

The T & M reference for those seeds does not exist in the current T & M catalogue and I can't find St Valery listed either on T & M's site.

Hmmmmm, must admit I didn't look that closely until you mentioned the above.

I had assumed it to be a site Aunt Sally knew of through personal experience.

Have to say that now you have made me look more closely there does seem to be some odd parts to what we can see.

And one thing that always makes me dubious,  no phone number or address details that I can find.

Hmmmmm.