[Benandbill]

I know carrots get planted straight out and don't have to be sown, but can someone tell me what the thinning out process is?
My understanding of it is that you put loads of seeds down because so many of them don't take.  When some do they might grow in clumps, so the thinning out is digging these clumps up and planting them in an evenly spaced row.  Am I right about this? 

[DD.]

You have to be very, VERY careful if you go down the road of planting out carrots. They hate root disturbance.

Thinning out is when you sow direct into the ground and then just pull out unwanted seedlings to leave a more evenly spaced row. These thinnings are more prone to suffering from root disturbance than those grown in, say, paper pots.

I don't do it. I try to sow thinly in the first place and find that in my soil the carrots will gently push each other to one side as they grow.

[Benandbill]

Thanks Digger Dave.  Maybe then, putting a handful of seeds in each paper pot and spacing the pots out evenly with a gap between the pots is the way to go?  Then they might crowd each other in the pot though, and also, there could be quite a bit of wastage.  Yep, I can see it's going to take quite a bit of thought.  I'll probably end up feeding them to the birds 

[DD.]

Is your ground not suited to carrots? i.e. stoney, heavy clay....

[Kristen]

I am known for doing a lot of "Faff" with my vegetables - almost everything raised in pots and planted out - I did carrots in paper pots for planting out once. Too much faff even for me.

However, I do grow them in pots - about 12" diameter.  Filled with 50:50 old multi-purpose compost left over from last year and sharp horticultural sand.

[Kimberley04]

Kristen - what type of carrot do you grow in pots, and how many do you raise in a 12" pot ?

[Kristen]

Now you're asking!

I sprinkle some seed on sparingly - but they always come up too thick. The kids say they like the really titchy ones, but we rarely get any really large ones as a consequence.

I grow all sorts of varieties - same as I would outside I suppose?  I am growing Early Nantes [or it might be Amsterdam Forcing] now (sown a few weeks back, and left in the kitchen until they germinated, and now in the unheated conservatory), and I grow Autumn King later in the year.

Each Autumn I plan to sow some pots to overwinter of Nantes Frubund, but two years in a row I have forgotten

[mumofstig]

Kristen, I put reminders on my mobile so I don't forget things like this.
A bit sad, but effective 

[Kristen]

I have a database I wrote to remind me ... but I ignore after about mid Summer because "everything" is sown by then.  I forgot ordering my Garlic as a consequence last Autumn

I spouse I shall have to add a Nag Module to it

[Benandbill]

Is your ground not suited to carrots? i.e. stoney, heavy clay....

That might well be the case DD, very stony ground.  Not sure about the clay though.  Some of gave gooier mud than others..  Maybe that's the clayier soil?