I’ve received a few comments/emails lately, asking just wtf I think I’m doing planting carrots, onions and tomatoes right now.
*sigh*
Listen people…planting guides are just that: GUIDES. They are not bibles, they’re not edicts handed down from on high, and they’re not immutable law. They’re the average results from the average varieties grown the average way….none of which you are required to adhere to.
We grow carrots and onions nearly year round here, despite the “recommendations” of the planting guide. We do it in small crops, in raised beds, we use drip irrigation that waters from below (which avoids most fungal issues), and we generally grow the smaller varieties that better suit our space limitations.
Honestly, only October through March?? Carrots and onions need at least some heat to grow, and those seeds we started in November did indeed sprout, but they didn’t start really growing until last month. Yes, July/August/September here in Florida are going to be bad times for fungus-susceptible plants as it rains pretty much every day, but your April planted carrots are going to be harvested by then. I can tell you from direct personal experience that our container and raised bed grown carrots had zero fungal issues last year. Maybe it is the improved air circulation around the containers/raised beds, eh? There’s a factor that’s not going to be included in your planting guides.
Scallions, shallots, bunching onions….we grow these all year. I’m actually trying some long day onions this year (started in January) even though technically we Southerners don’t have long enough days for them to bulb, but after Googling around and reading reports of success from others, I’m damned well trying them.
And why would you not TRY? The only thing it costs you are seeds and time. Experimenting with varieties/methods is one of the great joys of this whole gardening thing.
Here’s something else I’m not supposed to be succeeding at…growing Tall Bearded Irises that actually bloom!
Not only is it blooming, but that’s the FOURTH time it has done so in the past two months.
on 
on Apr 21st, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Tell ‘em girl! I get the same crap……..and then they say “How did you get that to grow?” Just try!! Florida weather is fickle sometimes, but for the most part is pretty darn great!
on Apr 21st, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Thank you! I am just getting started gardening this year, and I was worrying about not getting my carrots in sooner. I was worried that I got started too late, and that it would fail horribly. I just planted my peas, but the tomatoes and peppers have been going for about a month, and I am starting to see blossoms forming.
on Apr 21st, 2009 at 4:50 pm
The iris — WOW! Excellent post.
on Apr 21st, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Just one more question…how deep were your containers/beds for the carrots and onion? Because, I am totally planting those now thanks to you.
on Apr 21st, 2009 at 8:24 pm
@Jenn:
We have a variety of containers in use, all at least 8 inches deep. The smaller carrot varieties go in the 8″ deep pots (the Kinkos, which only get about 4″ long, and/or the Little Fingers), the bigger varieties go in the raised beds, and we make sure to work the soil nice and loose as far down as we can reach. The roots will split if they run into any obstructions. This is the very best tool for working soil deep: Potato Fork There are less expensive ones at your local hardware store I’m sure.
For the onions, this is the first year we’re growing the bulbing onions, we worked the beds just as deep as for carrots though, just to be sure. Bunching onions are very shallow but they have enormous root systems, I’ve had to cut them out of containers before.
I just rechecked last year’s garden journal…we were sowing carrots as late as late August, harvesting them in November.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 9:36 am
One year, we didn’t plant until almost June 1. We had food by mid-July and were still harvesting until nearly Thanksgiving.
That was when I realized that planting guides are great starting points, but it’s more fun to experiment. And, as you say, you start learning what works for your region, climate, and yard.
And, I think you should FedEx us some carrots.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 am
@Caitlin:
Exactement!
Oh HELLLLS no.
Must grow varieties: Kinko, Purple Dragon, Hercules. Wonderful flavor in those. I did use some of the Belgian whites in a ham/bean soup on Sunday…they added some great flavor without that awful cooked carrot sweetness.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 10:02 am
Since you are in FL too, would you drop by and see if you know this plant?
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
And here I was all these years assuming that everything that sorta LOOKED like a pitchfork WAS a pitchfork. Wikipedia was helpful with the additional fork distinctions.
on Apr 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 pm
@Jim: I had no idea either. Now we just call it The Best Tool Ever, use it for turning compost, loosening soil for planting, carrying crap to the composter, etc. etc.
on Apr 23rd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Can’t find Kinko’s carrot seeds anywhere – do they do by another name?
on Apr 23rd, 2009 at 9:51 am
@Jenn:
There you go.