Danvers Half Long Carrots...anyone grow these?

I've been growing these carrots in the ground from seed and they are still only about 3 inches and I put the seed in the ground back at the beginning of May. Shouldn't they be much bigger by now? They took about a month to germinate and not many did germinate. There are in full sun (Texas hot heat) and I water them every day so they don't get too dry...are they normally slow growers? The package said that I should have carrots by now...70 days from seed sowing...and they are not even close to being big enough to make carrots. Helllpppp! Thanks, Michelle

It has been a long time but I did grow Danvers half long back in the fifties. Not a bad carrot for heavier soils. We grew the old oxhearts also, which did even better on heavier soils. I suspect your problem is heat. Carrots are a cool weather crop. Back in Virginia we would plant them in mid - late March. Growing season being about the same as beets. It is too hot in Georgia for good carrots, but they can be forced along as a late fall/ winter crop or planted in January/early February as a spring crop. Have the same contraints on English peas, beets, and Irish potatoes but I have to have beets

Thanks Dill. Well phooey. The seed packet only said to plant after last frost. Boohiss. I was hoping for some good carrots. doggonit. My first time farming isn't going too well. My radishes did great...but carrots and tomatoes are no good so far. live and learn right? so they are more of a fall crop hu?

Chelle my planting list says not to try carrots till Oct. 1. Your first frost is same as mine I think Nov 15?

Well, since I can't sleep, I thought I'd hop online. So Saint you are saying that I shouldn't have planted until Oct 1? But how would I get carrots before the frost hits in Nov and kills the plants? I'm confused. DH just got up and wondered what in the world I was doing up. Insomnia! ugh.

carrots like colder weather and lets be honest (at least for me) it never gets THAT cold. *G*

I see. well we do get some pretty good freezes (in the 20's) a couple of times per winter. so the dang carrots like cooler weather. well fine. I feel like all my veggie gardening attempts are in vain this year. but gotta buck up and realize that i need to learn from it and move on. right?

Prachin to the choir sister...*sigh* beans, radishes, garlic, raspberries and 99% of the maters a bust this year..I do have one cuke coming though. Wait till next year we'll take the gardening world by storm! *G*

yes we will!

I've replanted these twice but the rabbits/other small and furries eat them as soon as they sprout. I'm wondering if I could plant them in a whiskey barrell or something tall like that and try a fall/winter crop?
-Juli

Juli,
I read in an article yesterday that carrots are ideal for a large container planting. It was a Southern Living article about growing veggies in Texas...but if it will work here, why not in CA?

I have not pulled up my carrots yet!!! They just are not growing. I have them in the ground and the tops are really big but I pull one out and the carrot is very small. My step mother, who has a very green thumb, can't seem to grow carrots either. So who knows. Maybe too hot here. Saint (araness) said they work better here in the fall. I am going to try and pull one up again today and see what I have.

Update us on how the whiskey barrel goes.

Michelle

That's what my extension said so I'm gonna try it when it cools down a little. Yesterday was only about 90! Yoohoo! I can't wait to put in some radishes, garlic and more herbs.

Chelle was that in this months Southern Living? I'd like to read it if I can find it.

Saint

Hi Saint! Actually, it was a really old Southern Living from Feb 99 and it was not a "real" SL...it was another magazine that is a part of SL...for Texas only (can't remember the name of it now). My sister has been cleaning out all her magazines and I told her to give them to me before she pitches them out. So I've had stacks of magazines to pull out recipes and whatnot.

So I actually pulled up 3 carrots today. One decided to split and grow in two different directions...weird. One was big and fat and looks good for eating and the other was more slender but longer. I just took their heads off and washed them up. They look very different than what a person buys at the store. hahaha. Mud caked on them and weird roots comming out all over them. I'm such a city girl. I still have about 10 out there that still didn't look ready. Sheesh, I seeded them so long ago!!

Michelle

Just you wait we will have tons of stuff next year...course we might have to raid Fool's garden to do it but...

I haven't heard from Fool lately. Have you Saint?

I tasted one of the carrots...yummy. I've promised DH that I'd wait until he got home to eat them. I ate one of my maters for lunch today. yummy!

Even though the carrots took a long time to grow...I think I will grow them next year but will plant them out way earlier. I think I put the seed down end of May? If I do it in March, I bet they will harvest faster.

Did you check on the TX EX website to see if they have a planting list for your zone? And nope haven't heard from him but I bet he's helping out at a shelter or something in Houston.

I'll check out the TX EX website for more info.

DH and I loved the carrots! very tastey.

I may dmail Fool and see what is up. I think he has been traveling a lot for his job?

I just started my carrots and radishes in a container 3 days ago. The radishes have come up. I interplanted them just like the books tell me to. I'm only growing the little ones, French Breakfast and Little Finger, so that I don't have to find a very deep tub. We shall see how this experiment turns out. I also sowed some Tom Thumb lettuce seeds, just 3 to a pot. I can hardly wait.

Those radishes really pop up fast, hu? the carrots seem to take forever to germinate. I think I put the seeds too deep and they had a hard time coming up. Let me know how it goes.

Gotta love those radishes. I always start my kids' gardening experience by letting them sow radish and sunflower seeds. Talk about instant (well, almost) gratification. Great for the little kid in me, too.

Sunflowers also germinate quickly?

Not as quick as radishes, but fast enough. I don't think anything can beat radishes. But, with the right temperature and light, seeds to germinate fast. Beans are also fun and fast.

Hmm. I may have to get some sunflower seeds. They are suppose to be good companion plants with Tomato and other veggies. Don't know why though.

Here in Southern Cal, carrots are cold weather / spring crop and dont budge in the summer ( to hot)...If you plant in mid winter or even fall I believe ( nowish) you will have carrots mid summer. I am thinking Texas would be about the same

The carrots and radishes that I started last week have come up. If all goes well, I should be able to pull some radishes by Halloween and some carrots by Thanksgiving. (keeping my fingers crossed)

Michelle, I noticed that Danvers half-long take about 75 days to mature. Maybe you can try sowing the smaller kinds. The Little Fingers that I sowed came up in 8 days.

sushi, I think you are right. That is what araness (Saint) has told me. I think I will start some now. I have 3 left in the ground and pulled up all the others and they were pretty small and 2 of them were still yellow. But I did get a few nice sized ones. but I think it is the heat they do not like.

Quyen, little fingers hu? Are they pretty tastey? Keep me up to date on when your radishes and carrots are ready.

m

Might want to try Imperator, Davers 126, Red Core, Nantes and Spartan Winner. Not sure at the days to maturity but they are listed in the Texas planting guide.

Excellent!! Thanks Saint.
m

If you plant them in a pot, I wonder how deep it needs to be?
-Juli

Hey Juli, the depth of the pot depends on the variety that you're growing. The Little Fingers that I'm growing will only get to be about 3" so I can get away with 6 - 8 inches deep pots. I'm only making an educated guess here, but I think 12 inches should be good for regular size carrots because they can be grown in Earthboxes and those boxes aren't all that deep.

I do wonder how close together we can space them, though. Let's say that the carrots we want will be 1" in diameter. How much room should they be given to grow? And what would happen if they are planted too close together?

Well I grew up in Danvers and grew the Danvers Half long. I still grow them yearly and let some go to seed for the next year. We consider them a cold crop, just like most root crops here..they don't take kindly to real hot though they do like sun. They need a good draining soil that is kept fluffy and soft, more on the sandy side not packed down or allowed to crust and definitely not clay. Mine always grew 6-8 inches long. Yes water them but no more than necessary. They don't like alot of water. Danvers Half long is fussy, and was grown to be adapted to New England short cool growing seasons. You may want to consider Royal Chantenay Carrots or even something more adapted to your area.

This message was edited Oct 29, 2005 11:28 AM

ooops, we have a lot of clay in our soil here in Austin. Maybe that is one reason why the carrots that did grow were very weird...and only about 4" long. thanks for the chetney suggestion.

oops, sorry Corrected my spelling of the carrot you most likely will find suitable for heavy soil. It's a good variety for container gardening as well... Royal Chantenay. Speaking about container...have you tried a partly shady location and a container. It might work with the Danvers Half if your realy craving a flavorful carrot.

hmmm. no, I haven't tried carrots in a container before. Interesting. what type/size of container would you recommend? I will see about ordering some RC seeds. I love carrots and use them in a lot of my recipes. The ones from the store aren't too bad but I would like to grow my own. My success was very minimal with the Danvers.