Bored Filling Weekend

With the hard cold period behind us, I managed to get the long carrots drums bored and filled. I can't say it's my favorite part growing long carrots, as being an office bod, I find myself using muscles I don't normally use.

The method I choose is to core with a pipe, removing the sand leaving a hole and then replacing with the mix. Some shower prefer to bore or drill with a purpose made borer, with the maximum diameter at the top and tapering as it goes down. I don't believe there is a wrong or right way but it depends what suits the individual.

I also made up my stump carrot mix, bored and filled, ready to sow. I made up a template with 2 3/4"holes, 6" apart. I then laid the template on the bed of sand and cored each hole. Once bored, I tipped the bag of mix onto the template and pushed the mix in the holes. I got his method from the NVS DVD of Graeme Watson method. I is a very fast and clean way to fill the holes.


This year I am going to try Ian Simpson's mix. I didn't have a great deal of luck last year, but I think this was mainly due to the length of time I had them growing. I believe 22-24 weeks is ideal but I know of some who managed to grow them in less. I guess it depends on weather conditions and where you are in the country.

Hopefully I will have sown all by the end of next weekend. Some people chit their seeds by dampening on paper towel, then sowing when they see the seed sprout. It's a matter of preference but I prefer not to. I'm natural a heavy handed person and I',m afraid that I will damage to shoot when sowing.