The carrots: they are growing rapidly, but I clearly planted too many. How long should I wait before thinning them out?
The lettuce: is huge! Can I let it keep growing, or will it go bad if I leave it unpicked? I will pluck a few for a salad today, but will the rest be fine while I'm in Arkansas?
The basil: is flowering. Is that good or bad?
Thin the carrots now. The sooner the better. Give them double carrot size room to grow between or you will end up with dozens of very thin orange roots.
ReplyDeleteLettuce can keep growing, but it is tastier when it is small. I think you can plant another batch for this season if it doesn't get too hot. If the lettuce goes to seed it will not taste good.
You should clip the basil flowers off (you can use them like basil) and you will have to continue to do this. It should get bushy with foliage, but will continue to try to send out flower shoots. Basil is like that sometimes.
Follow-up question: can I replant the carrots I pick out? I have some room in the garden yet...
ReplyDeleteYou can try, but really only if you dig them up and then very carefully detangle them from each other. It would be better to plant more seeds (with greater spacing this time), and then you might get a double crop of carrots for the year.
ReplyDeleteIf you have room, and you like basil/pesto, you might try that. It seems your current basil has made its decision to be seedy (ha!) this year.
Ditto Chris: thin now. Also, I thought lettuce came back? I would eat it when it's ready because yes, it turns BITTER if it's left for too long. We've had lettuce come back from the year before even, which was kind of fun. xo
ReplyDeleteThe basil work is often daily, and you have to be careful with cilantro too. If you let them fully bloom they will go to seed and die.
ReplyDelete