I can’t tell you how many times I tried to grow carrots back when I first started gardening. They never made, most years they never even germinated.
Pap never did grow carrots that I can remember. But once Matt and I started making a garden ourselves I really wanted to grow them.
Over the years I’ve read about tricks to make sure your carrots germinate and grow well. One of the most common is to start the seeds under cardboard or an old board.
Somehow I never managed to try either of those and finally I gave up on carrots for good and totally quit fooling with them.
Last winter as I was looking through my seed stash I found a couple of packets of carrot seeds, but quickly passed them up thinking I’d save them just in case but knew there was no need for me to try growing them myself.
Not long after that I either read an article or watched a video that advised planting carrots very early in the spring. Since I’d never tried that I thought I would.
I planted a short row of carrots in early March and was thrilled when I first noticed them coming up. I’ve been watching them with rapt attention as they grew taller and taller.
It was only this week that I finally decided to see if the beautiful tops had actually grown anything. I was tickled to death to find that they did.
Their not the prettiest nor biggest carrots you ever saw, but they sure are the first ones I’ve ever managed to grow.
Last night’s video: Finding Magic in the Gardens of Appalachia.
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Hi,
Wow, Tipper, the carrots are absolutely beautiful. I have never tried to grow them but now I think I will. I have pieces of cardboard that I can start them under. thanks for the advice on how to start them from seed.
My broom corn is really growing. I used chicken manure from Aunt Hazel’s chicken house, lime, and potting mix in my raised beds. I was happily surprised at their growth.
I also used this mixture on my tomatoes plus some epsom salts like you suggested. My tomatoes are coming along very nice. I had a ripe one the other day. when I went to pick it my poodle, Blondie beat me to it. She loves tomatoes and picks them off the vine when she can reach them.
Blackberries are getting ripe here too. We are a bit later than you but we still have the same yummy berries. i think about Monday or Tuesday we will be able to get a few for a blackberry cobbler (yes, with vanilla ice cream).
Take it easy,
Kathy
YAY!!!! They look beautiful, and so does that okra in the basket with them!
When my son was about 6 yrs old, his grandmother gave him carrot seeds. He planted them in his sandbox & I knew he would be so disappointed when they didn’t come up. However, they did come up but the carrots were tiny— about 2 inches in length, but he was so proud of them.
Tipper, you were talking about magic in gardens & also magic in the mountains, streams & hollers in your video. For 61 yrs I have been going to Western North Carolina for 2 week trips. I have always called the mountains Spiritual because I find Spiritual peace there. I always felt like I belonged there-should have moved there when I was young. I traced my ancestors to Flat Rock NC. They were Dutch (on my dad’s side). Original name was Van Kuykendall but later shortened to Kuykendall. My Mom is Cherokee & French. You & Matt make the cutest & sweetest couple!
Congrats on your first batch of carrots. The best way that I have found to grow carrots is in raised box beds with at least 12 inches of black, loamy, organic compost. In the late fall I would cover the beds with about 18 inches of straw, and the carrots were left in the ground over winter. One could go out in the winter and pull back the straw and have garden carrots in winter. Thanx for sharing.
We tried to grow carrots once many years ago. We got a few, and we were told we didn’t have the right soil, whatever kind that was.
With 9 kids to feed, my Pa had a garden until he was about 60. He grew the usual vegetables including sweet corn and beets and even had a good-sized strawberry patch. He also grew carrots. I was 3 or 4 and spent afternoons in the garden with him. He also grew carrots. I remember him pulling and giving me tiny, sweet carrots to eat that he had thinned from the row. I like them so much that I pulled and ate most of them before he saw what I was doing.
Have Matt build you a raised planter box at least 16″ deep. Fill it with loose soil and compost. Sift the soil to be sure it is soft and pliable. Plant your carrots in that box next year. You should get nice long carrots in loose soil.
Tipper, thank you for all the garden videos. I enjoy your garden vicariously, especially since you and Matt do all the work! :,>
Forgot to mention bears! The story of Matt running into them feeding chickens and near your steps and the new neighbor, Mr. Furry, makes me want to suggest that you get a couple of bear dogs to sleep outside at night. Is the black bear population increasing in your area? I was told once that hunting keeps the population down on Cherokee land partly because they have no enforced hunting season and partly because they drive them off the reservation. Don’t think that you are too far away because black bears are known to travel great distances.
Robert-there’ve been bear in this area since I was a girl, but I do believe their population has increased. Likely do to less bear hunting and also they have more food from folks who feed them either knowingly or unknowingly.
Much like you, Tipper, I had been unable to grow carrots. Finally, I read where it was a good idea to plant radish seeds with the carrot seeds. because carrot plantings were rather fragile and sometimes had trouble struggling through the soil. It went on to say radishes were easy to grow and had no struggle through less than ideal soil. Made sense to me since I had always had radishes, but the fragile carrot tops never seemed to peek through. I tried it and it worked after I planted both in same row in the early spring. Not certain if it is a good idea, because plants don’t generally like being disrupted. But, I had carrots for the first time once I had pulled up the radishes, so it did work. No more carrots planted since I cut down on my garden, but the garden carrots do seem more tasty than store bought.
As a child, one of my fondest memories of the garden was when daddy said the carrots were ready. Couldn’t get to that dirt fast enough, lol. It was so much fun to pull them up and see who had the best one. Was like winning a prize at the fair. Enjoyed the video. Your garden is for sure, magical. I also found those Outshine frozen pops. They are delicious. My favorites are the grape and coconut, although the peach is really good too. Have a blessed day everyone!
Your carrots look great! This is my second year trying carrots. Last year they were very very small but tasty. This year I pulled one last month but it was way tiny so I left the rest and hoping they have grown. I hope mine turn out as big and pretty as yours are. Shoot I’d be happy if they were even half that size. I just want me some good home grown carrots from my own garden this year.
They are just the right size! I’m sure they were tender & juicy.
Happy for you to finally have some homegrown carrots . We gave up on them
Years ago . We have been blessed with green beans this year and thankful the deer haven’t got into the garden yet . I have canned a lot of beans , gave green beans to our children and neighbors . Phillip always plants and takes care of the garden , I wish I was still able to , but I really enjoy breaking those pretty green beans and canning them to enjoy in the winter . Tipper , you are so talented , I don’t always comment but I enjoy reading your post so much .
We once had a 3 year old neighbor that loved carrots. She was constantly following me when I was outside. She and I planted a row of carrots at the edge of my garden. I showed her how to harvest them. She ate the entire row one at a time. She rinsed them at my outside faucet and always left the water running.
I usually grow them in a raised bed but this year I put a big square pot on my deck and just tossed in a bunch of seeds. I am pulling out one or two a day and that lets the others grow bigger. No matter how small they’re worth it because the taste makes me want to never have a grocery store carrot again.
My carrot story is kinda the reverse of yours. The first several times I grew them I had way too many germinate and I would ha e to thin repeatedly to give the keepers room to grow. The everything turned around; poor germination, big skips alternating with clumps too dense, replanting failing altogether. It has been several years now since I have gotten complete rows. I used to think carrots were easy to grow. Not anymore.
I wonder if carrot seed needs a certain amount of chilling? If it helps, I’m sure seed companies don’t bother. The combination of the idea of planting early but germination at 80° F soil temperature seems conflicting unless the early is needed chilling. Somebody has the answer.
I have left carrots in the garden through the winter, partly because I though the cold would make them sweeter. They survive fine but get very rough-shaped, often splitting and sending out lots of side roots.
My parents never raised carrots. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall ever eating carrots when I was growing up. When I started raising my own garden, I decided to plant ‘unusual’ stuff, and carrots were at the top of the list. With no knowledge of how to plant them, I decided to try them in a mound sort of like a tater ridge. They were planted in May on the same day I planted beans and corn. All I remember is the first season I grew them turned out some whoppers worthy of a state fair entry.
Good job of not giving up on the carrots! Really enjoyed the video of you and the Deer hunter in the garden. The harvest was beautiful. My favorite part was when y’all were eating your popsicles and talking. The Deerhunter has a great sense of humor. Take care and God bless ❤️
That’s great! How do they taste? I’ve often wondered what determines the taste. When I was little, I remember eating carrots that sometimes tasted “strong”. They were bought from the grocery store. Now, carrots from the store tast mild and sweet. Is it the type, or the growing conditions that determine the taste, I wonder. I think the ones you grew look beautiful!
Rita-they are sweet 🙂 I’ve noticed the taste difference about carrots too.
Yay! That is wonder. I remember Dad planted carrots a few times, but was never get big they skinny. He didn’t do much. He always put out his strawberry patch then potatoes, greenbeans of all kind. We love October Ben’s but can never find them. Till one day I was looking them up across Cranberry beans. They are suppose to be the same. We didn’t put out a garden just a Tomato patch and Bell peppers. We do love going to the farmers market here. I sure enjoy watch your channel. I hope you all continue to be blessed with your garden.
I enjoyed last night garden trip, I always love those and you said the garden was magical when Matt was in it and I remember an episode where Matt said you were to pretty to do some kind of work I can’t remember now what it was y’all are just so sweet together which made me wonder how did y’all meet I know you’ve said y’all were from different counties, you might have already told this story and I missed it, but I’ve watched every CA episode at least twice some more that that. I rewatch slit if cooking episodes. And this’d carrots I bet will be good, your rattlesnake beans are amazing, so full!
Been watching your UT videos and am so envious that you are harvesting already. Our growing season is a little behind yours, here in Berks County though, so it will be a little bit yet until our stuff ripens. One thing we can grow is sweet corn. Our garden is in full sun. As I see our corn getting bigger I am anxious to go pick some ears and have them right away. If you lived closer I’d say stop by and pick yourself a few ears.
We never tried carrots. So maybe next year. Everything always tastes better when it’s from your own good earth.
I was there when you pulled up those carrots, they were beautiful! How did they taste? Were they sweet? I know everything grown in a garden is better than you can buy at the grocery, that’s why I’m asking!
We have carrots this year as well! I’ve been able to grow them through the years, but this year has been the best they’ve ever been. Last year late in the fall I made what I called a carrot patch that is 3 foot x 3 foot or so. I pulled the dirt back and planted the seeds just barely under the dirt and kept it well watered. Within a couple of weeks I had carrots growing. The main reason I started them late in the season I had read that they would survive the winter and grow the next spring. Lo and behold, it worked! Plus I also knew that by doing that the carrots would flower and produce seed. So we have enjoyed the harvest and I will have seed for next years crop. I also planted more carrots around the edge of the patch this past spring and that seed batch is growing as well.
Look like pretty carrots to me, Tipper! They’ll be even prettier cooked with a pot roast. I had never heard of the board trick until watching yt. Also, recently heard that the air temps need to be about 80 degrees for germination. I grow lots of carrots, but never knew either of those tips. One year I had something go wrong and most of them were slime in the center all the length of the carrot – some sort of bacterial rot? Never happened again. I do like to put them in well-worked over soil, never a new patch of ground. I love them canned, but they are my least favorite thing to can. All that scrubbin’ & peelin’. When my great uncle was little, his mother told him to go out & weed the garden. So to be a stinker, he pulled all the carrots while ‘weeding’. His reflection on that: “She never asked ME to weed again”. He really hated being a plow boy and vowed to never live on a farm & he didn’t – he went in the army during Korea & then worked for the phone co. He was a pest as a little kid & did mischievous things to get out of work or to hinder his siblings. My grandad talked about tying Chuck to a tree so the rest of them could get their work done. My uncle thought the carrot story was hilarious, even at 90, but I can only imagine the heartache of my great grandmother at losing her year’s worth of carrots. He probably got thrashed, but didn’t share that part.
That’s awesome Miss Tipper! Glad you finally got your carrots to grow! It really is very exciting to grab the carrot tops and give them a pull and very rewarding to find the fruit of your labor dangling on the other end of those tops as you pull them out of the soil, to us it’s kinda like a kid finding a prize lol
We’ve had pretty good success growing them in our raised beds as well as our vertical green stalk planters. Hope you enjoy your harvest. ☀️☀️
I have never tried for some of the same reasons you didn’t…ground to dense, to many rocks, etc and so on…you have now given me the ump to try them next spring. Loved listening to you and Matt…rocking, eating your icicles and just chatting in general. I have not eaten an icicle in probably 50 years til I saw you two enjoy them…love the pineapple and coconut.
Have a Blessed one.
Yay!!!! Congrats Tipper! They’re gorgeous carrots!
To me, carrots are like tomatoes – when homegrown they taste so much better than any store variety you could ever find. I am so happy you were finally able to grow them!
Donna. : )