Carrots: Third time lucky
It breaks my heart to see the carrots so tiny at the end of June. They should be edible (if small) by now.
This is my third sowing – the first two failed because the soil was too cold. Normally I can get good germination in early April. This year I had to wait until late May.
Goodness, but things are behind this season. In one respect at least, we’re doing well: There’s no shortage of water. Er, definitely no shortage. It’s hammering down 24/7.
I got a letter from our allotment management reminding us that the hosepipe ban still applies: ‘Unfortunately, Veolia Water is unwilling to lift its restriction.’
Unfortunately? Nobody’s too gutted, pal.
In more heartening news: I dug the first new potatoes today. Perfect size, perfect taste, perfect crop: they’ve kept us waiting, but all this rain is 
making beautiful spuds. I’ll be eating them tonight boiled with apple mint and decadently buttered. It’s a small delight, but a perfect one: New potatoes, fresh out of the ground, are one of life’s little treasures.
“Orla”, Kevin. I grow them every year.
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Same here on the carrot front (only third sowing has yet to show). 1st week in July is earliest I would try my spuds, but later this year.
June 22nd, 2012 at 10:22 pm
good stuff soilman, nice to see you so upbeat for a change.your carrots are much better than mine btw as mine are very patchy germination
June 23rd, 2012 at 12:16 pm
New spuds are the best tasting of the year. Shame about the initial carrots but third time lucky!!
June 26th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
my Turkish ex-wife used to put my new spuds in stews.sacrilege.definately grounds for divorce !
charlotte and ratte fresh out of the ground,mint,butter,dash of pepper melt in the mouth !
June 28th, 2012 at 7:25 am
I still have to sow some more carrots…maybe we’ll get an Indian summer and they will do really well.
I can’t believe you are still on a hosepipe ban…as if anyone needs to use it. Ours got lifted last month…I think Anglian water were fed up of people complaining about a hosepipe ban when we were on flood alerts.
Potatoes look good…wonder if I should check mine??
June 29th, 2012 at 8:03 am