270: VegBoxBoy: never gonna be a carrot farmer

My mate rthat knows about this stuff is always telling me that I should do more google friendly post titles. But really, who out there is going to google for spannering growing carrots?

In line with my oft stated aim to attempt to grow my own Veg Box, back in September I planted myself some Carrots. The type I chose allowed such late planting and said they'd be ready in a speedy 12 weeks. Brilliant I thought; my own Christmas carrots. At this stage of the game, this appeared to be quite a cohesive plan.

However, Mrs VegBox ended up doing the Christmas veggies shopping and forget about the my carrots and bought a bumper bag. No worries thought I, I'll leave mine in the ground a bit longer - they'll just grow a bit more. Or maybe not:

The tops of plants wilting = never a good sign.

So, after seeing this, yesterday became the day to reap my harvest. You may notie a slight white tinge to the soil, which is frost. I hadn't quite realised just how hard the digging would be; even though the carrots are obviously right at the top.


What I realised I'd forgotten though as soon I turned the first forkfull over, what that they were chantenay carrots - which was why they were supposed to grow so quickly in the first place.

Here they are. Some tiddlers. Some chantenay giants. All with lots of little bits of stringy root growing from the sides, which was fiddly to remove.

But where I'd really gone wrong, was that through leaving them too long, the green stalky bit at the top had grown down in to the carrot. So not only are these short carrots to start with; but I've got to take a big slice off.


Now, if only I kept some sort of online diary... maybe I might remember such things and be such a forgetful spanner.