Last week Cord and I spent the better part of the day planting carrot roots in his garden for seed. This is the famous Kinko 6" Chantenay carrot - our favorite crunchy delight. We both look forward to the beautiful carrot flowers and the resulting seed.
But it was the day together I'll remember. We both had ideas on how this all should be done - even though Steve Peters had guided us through it, so it came together perfectly, we had a plan. We have so much fun together and both love the mountain no matter what the weather, in fact, we especially love it during a storm and one was rolling in. The feeling of hurry up and get it done before the snow!, was upon us.
Cord had watered the beds the morning before so they were ready to go. We used rakes to clean up lots of mulch around the hay stack and loaded it in the truck. Cord backed the truck up as close to my greenhouse he could and we made a 'bed' in the hay in the back of the truck.
One by one, we cut each already growing Kinko out of my greenhouse, bringing along a rootball and lots of roots.
.
Lifting the carrot.
Beautiful roots!
I had planted the best Kinko's in my little greenhouse in hopes of hurrying up the process. I was excited to try something - but now the ground was thawed and I could get the rest of the Kinko's I'd been holding over in as well.
So we carried them one by one on the shovel head and slipped them into the hay pile nest in the back of the truck to transport to the waiting bed.
Steve had told us they would transplant fine and there was still time to get them outside where they would produce much more seed and be happier in the drier air. It all made sense to me and I was happy to have the room back in my greenhouse. We have 22 Kinko's that have 6" tops already but the remaining 95 are roots. Steve said they would catch-up.
We drove the bed of mulched Kinko's to Cord's garden and quickly unloaded them into the waiting holes. I fetched each clump, careful not to disturb it and Cord planted plant them in.
Kinko 6' - on it's way to transplant.
Replanting already growing Kinko's into waiting holes.
More Kinko roots filled another entire bed at 18" apart and we still have a considerable amount left to go in the next one.
After we had them all in - we mulched - heavily - Ruth Stout would be proud. The greenhouse group is under a hoop and we will be able to harden them off as time goes by.
Ta Da!
Done! What a beautiful day! Unfortunately the snow was weenie - just a barely. Meanwhile they will continue to vernalize - right where they left off.
Planting food for seed is fun and so interesting.
As always - spending the day with Cord - getting to hog him all to myself, is one of my favorite things.
When these carrots are in bloom and everybody asks, "What is that beautiful thing ?", the memory of the fun and the snow and the love will be in my smile as I answer, "Oh those?, those are just carrot flowers."
Just yesterday I watered the next two beds to prep for Golden Beets and the last of the Kinko 6" roots - spring is here!
Pray for snow!
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