Can carrots be grown in trays and then moved into position when weather improves?

worded

Will I end up with wonky carrots?

CelticRambler

I have had some success growing them in egg boxes and putting the whole "plug" into the soil afterwards. The eggbox disintegrates well before the carrot starts to take shape. But cutting up the boxes was a real pain, so I gave up after a while, ignored the book and just transplant my baby carrots from the "nursery" to the final bed if I need to. But I don't do that much any more either, as my soil is desperately heavy, so it's easier to grow them in a raised bed for which I've made a cover to limit the effect of bad weather.

invicta

Set your seed in compost in an old 3” plastic roof gutter.
When ready, just slide the whole bed of seedlings into their growing space! Thin them out as they grow

worded

invicta wrote: »

Set your seed in compost in an old 3” plastic roof gutter.
When ready, just slide the whole bed of seedlings into their growing space! Thin them out as they grow

That is incredibly clever !

gnf_ireland

Is beginning of April not very early for carrots? I sowed mine in May last year and were absolutely perfect.

The gutter idea is a very good one - used it for other produce in the past !

Carrots are one of those veg that don't like being transplanted to my knowledge

greasepalm

yes my memory of carrots was sow direct,north siders grow big bad veg as seen at a few shows as carrots where grown in barrels and over 3 foot in length top to end of root.it all depends of where you are growing and using the normal standard shape or globe shape for limited depth.

my3cents

worded wrote: »

That is incredibly clever !

Its a well know way of getting an early crop of peas, you can get them started off under glass or polythene before you plant them out.

I doubt it would work well for a tap rooted plant like a carrot.

invicta

my3cents wrote: »

Its a well know way of getting an early crop of peas, you can get them started off under glass or polythene before you plant them out.

I doubt it would work well for a tap rooted plant like a carrot.

It will!
Have done it, just be careful to get them off the shoot before the roots reach the bottom of the compost.
The shorter the length of shoot, the easier it is to remove it from the bed of seedlings

worded

Another way to sew early in situ is to use garden fleece to get them through first frost

But I havnt manger this year as the weather has been so bad so thinking of seedlings indoors now

my3cents

worded wrote: »

Another way to sew early in situ is to use garden fleece to get them through first frost

But I havnt manger this year as the weather has been so bad so thinking of seedlings indoors now

No harm warming the soil first by keeping it covered with, glass (cloches - old fashioned expensive but effective), clear polythene, ground cover sheeting or even a heavy much that you rake off before sowing.

Traditionally areas for veg growing would be very well drained soil with land drains if necessary along with soil improvement on the theory that cold rain made the ground colder so needed draining as quickly as possible.