Growing decent looking carrots doesn’t usually present much of a challenge, although I had to go back several years in the photo library to find the cover photo. When I moved to this plot the challenges levels increased to 9. Stony clay soil is not ideal when seeking straight ish carrots.

Last year I thought I’d won the challenge by filling some extra large tubs with top soil and covering with enviromesh. I had inadvertently created the ideal home for moths who munched the carrot tops to sticks. This stunted the carrots – what grew never got beyond thumb size – good for carrot and coriander soup.

This year I’d like to do more with my carrots than make soup. I’m still using the large tubs but replaced the enviromesh with panes of old double glazing. These have been in place for a few weeks to warm the soil.

I levelled out the soil and then added a seived layer of top soil, coir and sand and sowed into that.

One small act of self-sabotage was discovering the seed packs expired 3 years ago and sowing any way. I sowed thickly, surely some will still germinate.

I’ll be buying some fresh seed just in case.