No Dig Carrots, easier than you thought

00:00 Introduction
01:38 Interplanting lettuce with carrots, how to sow seeds
02:20 Spacing of carrot rows
02:52 Pest, carrot root fly, cover with mesh
05:11 Harvesting carrots

Grow straight carrots! Sow direct rather than in modules. However, carrot seeds are tiny, and early growth can quickly disappear after night-time grazing by slugs or rabbits, even woodlice. Success comes from sowing in beds with no pest habitat nearby, and perhaps with a cover against rabbits. Fleece, for example, can protect early spring sowings from rabbits, as well as increasing the speed of carrot growth.

The soil/compost surface of a no dig bed can be imperfect! For example, I never sieve compost for beds, and sow into a surface with many lumps the size of marbles. 

This is better than a fine soil surface which can easily be compacted by rain, a process called ‘capping’. The result is a hard layer at the surface, which prevents the emergence of germinating leaves.

Video filmed in September and edited in April by my son edward. Because of the timing we have an emphasis on autumn and winter carrots. Then in spring the process is similar, with just a small difference that varieties such as early Nantes and Amsterdam Forcing grow really fast from early sowing.

MORE FROM CHARLES

[amandajlemen]

I know you may not see this, but I wanted to post it you. You have truly changed my life for the better. I live in the state of VA in the US, which is zone 7b. The ground though, is red clay, like the kind you can literally go make pottery from. I got my love of gardening, and most of my knowledge about it, from my grandmother, but she was a tiller. That's just "what you do here, " because the clay is so hard to work in. I tilled for years, and every year the production got worse. I haven't been able to grow a single tomato in my garden for over 4 years now. This past fall, I discovered your channel and started some no dig beds, and this is the first year I've had success in almost half a decade. And in relation to this video....you just don't grow carrots here except in a raised bed, but I just thinned some of the ones I planted in my no dig bed and they are doing beautiful so far! I am thankful in a way for the failure I had for so many years, if it hadn't been so harsh, I may have never looked for a different way and found your channel. And when I say it's changed my life, it's not an exaggeration, I have chronic illnesses and having healthy food, as well as the exercise and inspiration from my garden, has improved my health as well. So thank you, I hope you know how many lives you touch by sharing your knowledge. You are truly a treasure to this world

[lunakat]

So I’ve been watching all weekend🤣
But I gotta say, As a little girl I was raised on our neighbor’s farmland and the owner, he like was a grandfather to me. I took my first baby steps to him and after that I was with him every day when he was in his gardens. Unfortunately he passed away when I was 7 and so finding you Charles is like finding him and my childhood again. This channel is very therapeutic. It’ll definitely kick me into gear to start gardening (or being in the garden lol) which was my first love as a kiddo. Thank you!

[KarenTookTheKids]

I've made my first few no dig beds the past week and was also fortunate enough to get a small plot in the local allotment. This channel has been my gardening bible and was the one that initially got me interested in gardening in the first place. Thank you Charles for sharing this incredible amount of knowledge, it's invaluable to so many people 👍

[ringailetervydiene]

This is all I need to unwind after long work week. Your voice is so calming. Until weather warms up and my garden starts growing theese videos are the next best thing

[PassportToPimlico]

For those of us growing on a smaller scale, carrots grown in tubs are a good way to avoid carrot fly as they fly very close to the ground. I have also read that the smell of marigolds also deters them.

[MrsHandyRU]

Thank you Charles. We tried no-dig first time in 2020 because of you...and first time we had a successful garden! God bless you in every way.

[SpicyMoustache]

I was waiting for this kind of video, I fail a lot to grow carrots. Thank you 😊

[charliehoos]

I planted carrots in August and pulled into February, replanted March for summer harvest. Very sweet when grown in colder weather

[ohio_gardener]

I love being able to go out to the garden and pull some carrots & bunching onions for dinner. No digging, just pull them out, brush the off, snap the tops off the carrots, and take them to the house for dinner.

[elisab]

Just over a week ago I thought "Charles doesn't have a video on carrots!"....and bam! here it is! Thank you😊

[tanarehbein]

Just my two cents worth of advice: you look really good in this video, well rested and clean shaven. But of course you always sound good and wise.

[catwoman]

I once bought a bunch of carrots which still had all their leaves on. They went soft very quickly, whereas the ones which don't have leaves on last far longer. Now I understand why. I'm going to give it another go growing my own - I've never been successful in the past.

[nadapavlekovic]

Hi my dear teacher from Croatia! You gave me the wind in my back even though I don’t have a piece of land. My balconies are full for the second season. I have to add compost and water more often, but I enjoy it! When the covid came, I had my own garden. Last summer, my granddaughter took out young carrots on the balcony herself and ate. We both enjoyed it. Fall and winter, balconies full and this Easter I didn’t have to buy anything. I am currently waiting for the low temperatures to pass so I could very well plant some more seedlings. The seedlings are all mine, nothing bought. I only bought strawberry seedlings for my granddaughter. Here, in the center of the city, I enjoy the garden on the balconies (until I buy a piece of land). I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart🙏, Nada 😊🌱🍀

[strifamne]

Hi Charles. I'll start by saying what a gazillion people have already said. You're an inspiration :) So glad I found your channel. Your clear explanations, well-shot video, the little exited jiggle you do with your arms sometimes :), I thought to myself "He has the look and mannerisms of a really good teacher/lecturer".
I have an L-shaped concrete backyard with a raised-brick corner with soil in 3 sections. Areas of sunlight changing during the day. My plan is to use the soil beds in the corner, buckets, raised planters and pots on shelves to get max use and grow some nice veg and herbs. Can't wait til next year when things start getting established (hopefully).
Your vids on seeding, potting, soil...everthing has been a god-send.
My perfect life would be you as neighbour on one side and Jim from 'Home Grown Veg' on the other ^^
Thank You and keep the vids coming. All the best :D

[crpth]

Charles here goes an easy tip, to pick the carrots.
Press & Pull!
Press them in(to the soil) and pulls them straight up.
It's quick and easy. No tools needed. I never lost a single carrot picking them this way!
Thank you so much, for all I learned with you!
Cheers

[GlutenFreePlantaste]

I'm growing carrots for the first time this year... thanks for the tip about covering them to prevent root flies.

[SaintCoemgen]

For years I struggled to plant carrots, parsnip and parsley. Such uneven germination.
Then I turned my garden into no dig (moving from mostly deep straw mulching), and most of the problems went away.
Well, most of the problems. Two issues remained:

1) I need to remember to keep the seeds moist no matter what method is used.

2) And to learn how to stop putting down too many seeds in a no dig bed. Because I still am used to the old method where most seeds would not germinate, But every seed seems to germinate in my no dig So now have to thin an abundance of root vegetables sprouts, where before I was wondering what to do with all the space between the few that did sprout --- which is a much happier place to be actually.

Hope this helps.

[gardengirl]

SO SMART how the carrots are sown with lettuce!

[susanbloor]

I’ve just been on the comments section of the digital section of The Times and am pleased to see how people are reporting their success with No Dig. It’s spreading, along with the compost !

[MUSTASCHO]

Wow! I was reading about soil fertility and fungi today, and the sceptic in me began to wonder if Charles actually had any proof that mycorrizal fungi were associating with his plants. Those carrots are all the proof I need! Very impressed. 🍄🌾👍🏽