Finally got round to preparing a small vegetable patch in the garden today. This is a first, I sowed seeds of carrots, lettuce, and radish, (well, from humble beginnings) I will keep you up to date with the progress. Here are a few tips for growing carrots. For best results they prefer a light soil which has been improved with lots of well-rotted organic material fully dug into the soil. Carrots grown on heavy soil, or where organic material is not well-rotted, will become misshapen and grow forked. Stones in the soil will have the same bad effect. Prepare the bed two weeks or so before planting, forking in a handful of bone-meal for each square metre (yard). Ensure that the soil is dug to a spades depth and is of a crumbly texture.Early carrot varieties do best in full sun, especially if they are to be harvested when young. Main crop varieties do best with some shade especially in mid-summer. Using a trowel, dig out narrow drills 2cm (3/4inch) deep and 12cm (8inches) apart. Carrot seed is fine – the easiest way to sow is to empty some seed from the packet into the palm of your left hand and and take small pinches of seed with your right hand fingers, dropping a couple of seeds every 2.5cm (1 inch) along the narrow drills. Sow the seed thinly to avoid too much thinning out later. Cover the seeds with fine soil very gently firming it down. Water with a fine spray if the conditions are dry. The seedlings should start to appear 15 to 20 days later. Sow from mid april till early july.
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