What am I doing wrong?!

TravellingAbuela

Last year I attempted growing carrots and beetroot in tubs (from seed). Although I got leaves above the soil, there was nothing beneath the soil! Except some spindly roots from the leaves!

Not to be thwarted, I thought I would try again this year. Despite feeding and watering regularly I still have leaves above the soil and nothing beneath! What am I doing wrong?!

katholicos

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

Last year I attempted growing carrots and beetroot in tubs (from seed). Although I got leaves above the soil, there was nothing beneath the soil! Except some spindly roots from the leaves!

Not to be thwarted, I thought I would try again this year. Despite feeding and watering regularly I still have leaves above the soil and nothing beneath! What am I doing wrong?!

I'm not much help but i can keep you company because my carrots have been poor and my beets are pretty poor also. This has also happened with some of my cabbages, sweded, radish etc. I don't know why it is but lots seems to be happening above the soil but there's very little going on below the surface. I shall watch the thread with interest, hopefully some o our gardening experts will respons to your post .

wssla00

Travelling, what do your leaves look like? It may just be that you haven't left them in long enough- they need a really long growing time- and i'm so impatient I don't like waiting but it could just be that they need much longer?

I'm not too good at growing beets - mainly because every time they germinate my greenhouse blows down and they end up on the floor! But they need a long time to mature. The leaves on carrots change to like spriggy leaves then they need even longer than that. The also don't like to have their roots disturbed so only sew where you want them.

I would maybe give them more time! They take ages!!

Lotus-eater

Carrots can take time, beetroot generally don't take that long and they don't need that much space either. But neither need feeding, so stop that and you might have a chance of them bulking up.

TravellingAbuela

Thanks to you both for your help. Perhaps it is because I am too impatient and expect them to grow as fast as salad leaves!! I shall leave them alone, with no more feeding, and see what happens!

Primrose

Beetroots take a whole growing season for the bulbs to develop so you might just be being a little impatient. But if bulbs don't form, you can still cook and eat the leaves like spinach. Carrots too take several months to form.

lolarentt

Just to confirm the other replies, you need to give them longer. I checked carrots and beetrot sown 10th May yesterday and they're not big enough yet - some of the carrots are approaching 'small,baby' size but most not even that far advanced. Beetroot are around 2 - 3 cm size. My courgettes on the other hand are beginning to take over the planet!

TravellingAbuela

Seeing as I am such an impatient gardener I may have a go at courgettes next time! The problem is neither of us are very keen on them!

Lotus-eater

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

I may have a go at courgettes next time! The problem is neither of us are very keen on them!

Why?

I bet it's down to the cooking, or the type you've eaten before. Grow the type I advise* and cook them gently so they are still nice and firm and I'll almost guarantee that you will like them.

*Verde de Italia (realseeds)

lolarentt

I didn't like radishes, but they're so easy and quick to grow I've forced myself and got used to them. That'll never happen with brussel sprouts though!

lolarentt

...and if you need any courgette recipe suggestions necessity means they can be THE most verstile vegetable: raw, salads, dips, curries, stir fries, ratatouille variants, stuffed, roast, grated and made up into falafel type balls, thai type recipes & so on...and given away to friends and neighbours!

(..barbecued on skewers, griddled in slices, left on the plant to turn into soft-skinned marrows....)