First Carrots of the Season

What a delight to pull and taste the first, oh-so-sweet

First Carrots
of the 2014 Season

carrots of the 2014 growing season.  These carrots were planted inside one of the cold frames very late last fall.  As hoped, the seeds germinated quickly and then did not grow much until early this spring. 

Many of those planted are still too small to harvest, but these two made the grade.  We will definitely plant more "coldframe carrots" next fall in order to get a jump on the growing season.

Carrots Planted

Yes, I know it is scary;
 computer drawing is
 not my forte!

Planted three squares of carrots this afternoon.  The seeds are getting a bit old so I sowed them heavily.  If they germinate, this should give us 36 carrots.  I covered them with a blanket of finely chopped leaves so the seeds won't wash away if it rains.  I've had good success with this method in the past.  In about three weeks, if all goes as planned, we will remove the leaves and see the seedlings poking through the soil.  They will be thinned to one carrot per every three square inches. I will plant carrots every week for the next three weeks and then start up again in late summer/early fall.

 I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the voles won't cross the landscape fabric barrier which we buried one foot deep all the way around the raised bed.