This year trying to plant carrots have been a challenge. First, I made several "mats" using Granny's tutorial and planted it out. It worked - somewhat. Maybe because I put them out too early they were very slow germinating. Later in May I noticed something odd all over my garden beds - volunteer carrots sprouting where they don't belong. Very odd. I don't remember planting any in extra beds, certainly not in with my greens or in tomato bed. Then it dawned on me - last year I left several overwintered carrots go to bloom to get seeds. Well, I gathered them when they were dry and carried the rest to the back of the garden and just tossed them over the fence. So my entire path where I walked must have been "seeded" by left over on stalks. Oy vey. I don't even know what I have growing anymore. I guess I'll find out if they grow big enough to pick. One of them was Purple Dragon and another was Nantes. You can see two pictures - one is volunteer spot, and second "clean" is the one actually planted by me.
I love volunteers. This year my volunteer lettuce helped save me when the cutworms destroyed a lot of my seedlings. I had some coming up in the paths and just use those as my transplants. Of course carrots are harder since you can't move them.
ReplyDeleteI love volunteers too as they usually better than what I plant. This year it's dill, carrots and cilantro.
DeleteIsn't it funny - you try to sow some seeds using such care & fuss over them like crazy - then they don't come up or do so grudgingly. Then you toss the same seeds over a fence & POW - Instant germination! I guess mother nature really does know best!
ReplyDeleteI think all my volunteers have been doing better than anything I planted this year. Maybe I should just leave seeds to overwinter in the garden and self-seed from now on :)
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