In My Seed Box for 2027 - Carrots

  

If packs of seeds are kept in ideal conditions, then the life expectancy for Carrot seeds is 3 to 5 years. Most seed companies give you the year packed and the sow by date which is normally 2-3 years. Dobies - only give the packed year ending date and I have set a 2-year sow by like most other companies.

2023 was supposed to be the year of the carrot, but because of the tumour the magic didn't happen. I still plan to grow the Bugs Bunny Carrots in the blue barrel of sand, but that didn't happen in 2025 or 2026, but it's going to happen in 2027   

Prices per pack at the year purchased / packed.

Review Of Seed Stocks in Packets Sow By 2024

Autumn King 2             - 1100 Seeds - £1.99 - Suttons           - Packed YE 2021

Carisma                                                    49p - Lidl                - Packed YE 2022

Snowman F1               -   350 Seeds - £2.59  - D.T.Brown     - Packed YE 2021

Carrot Cascade F1      -   500 Seeds - £2.99  - Dobies           - Packed YE 2021

Review Of Seed Stocks in Packets Sow By 2025

Autumn King 2           - 1100 Seeds - £1.99 - Suttons             - Packed YE 2021  

Ibiza F1                        - 400 Seeds - £2.99  - Dobies            - Packed YE 2021

Mercurio F1                  - 300 Seeds - £2.99  - Dobies            - Packed YE 2021

Mercurio F1                  - 500 Seeds - £2.69  - D.T.Brown       - Packed YE 2022

Nerac F1                      - 350 Seeds - £2.55 - Mr Fothergill's  - Packed YE 2022

Ranbow Mix F1           -   200 Seeds - £2.99 - Unwins            - Packed YE 2022

Royal Chantenay 3     - 1000 Seeds -   75p^  - wilko              - Packed YE 2022      

Resistafly F1               - 1000 Seeds - £1.00^ - wilko              - Packed YE 2022

^ Purchased in the wilko 50% end of season sale   

Review Of Seed Stocks in Packets Sow By 2026

Black Nebula                  -   300 Seeds - £2.99 - Sutton       - Packed YE 2024

Burpees Short N Sweet - 1000 Seeds - £2.49 - Sutton        - Packed YE 2024

Volcano F1                     -   300 Seeds - £2.49 - Dobies       - Packed YE 2023

  

Alphabetical Listing of Carrots I have grown 

                                            Sowing            Harvest

Amsterdam 2 (Solo)          - Jan – July         Apr - Oct

Amsterdam 3                     - Jan – July         Apr - Oct

Autumn King 2                   - Mar – Jul         Jun - Nov

Cascade F1                       - Feb – Jul          Jun - Nov

Charisma F1                      - Mar - Aug         Jul - Oct 

Chartenay Red Cored        - Mar – Jun        May – Oct

Chartenay Red Cored 3     - Apr – July        Jun – Nov
Early Scarlet Horn              - Feb – Jun        May - Sep

Early Nantes 2                   - Jan – July        Jul - Dec

Early Nantes 2 Frubund     - Feb – Oct        Apr - Nov

Early Nantes 5                   - Mar – Jul         May – Oct

Flyaway                             - May – Jun        Aug - Oct

Ibiza F1                             - Mar - Jun          Jun - Oct 

Jitka F1                              - Mar – Jul         Jun - Nov

Mercurio F1                       - Feb - April        Jun - Sept

Nandor F1*                        - Mar – Jul         Jun - Oct

Nairobi                               - Jan – Jun         Jul - Nov

Nantes 2 – Frubund           - Feb – Oct         Apr - Nov

Nantes 5                             - Mar – Jul         May - Oct

Nerac F1                             - Mar – Jul         Jun - Dec

Nigel F1 Hybrid                  - Mar – Jun         Jul - Dec

Paris Market - Atlas*          - Mar – July        Jun - Oct

Rainbow                             - Apr – Jun         Jul - Oct - Thompson & Morgan

Rainbow Mix                      - Mar – Jun           Jun – Sep - Marshalls

Romance F1                       Feb – May          Jun - Sep

Rondo

Royal Chantenay 3           - Mar – Jun           Jun – Oct

Silvano F1                         - Apr – May          Sep - Mar

Snowman F1                     - Mar - Aug           Jun - Oct 

St Valery                           - Mar – Jul           Jun – Nov

Sugarsnaps 54 F1             - Mar – Jul            Jun - Nov - Mr Fothergills

Sugarsnaps 54 F1             - Apr – Jun            Aug - Mar - Unwins

*  Short ideal for starting in loo rolls

Sow Date Listing for Varieties that have historically been in My Seed Box

                                        Sowing

Amsterdam 2 (Solo)         - Jan

Amsterdam 3                    - Jan

Early Nantes 2                   -Jan

Early Nantes 2 Frubund   - Feb

Romance F1                    - Feb

Mercurio F1                      - Feb

Autumn King 2                 - Mar

Chartenay Red Cored      - Mar

Early Nantes 5                 - Mar

Ibiza F1                            - Mar

Jitka F1                            - Mar

Nandor F1                        - Mar

Nerac F1                          - Mar

Nigel F1 Hybrid                - Mar

Paris Market – Atlas         - Mar

Rainbow Mix                    - Mar - Marshalls

Royal Chantenay 3          - Mar

Snowman F1                   - Mar

St Valery                          - Mar

Sugarsnaps 54 F1           - Mar

Rainbow                           - Apr - Thompson & Morgan

Sugarsnaps 54 F1            - Apr
Chartenay Red Cored 3   - Apr - kings Seeds

Flyaway                            - May

Germination 10 - 21 days

Rows  250 - 300 apart

An interesting thread re the different sowing times for Sugarsnaps 54 F1 and Varieties that will over winter on the Grow Your Own Grapevine Carrot Confusion

Other cold tolerant varieties are Eskimo (T&M) and Marion (Marshalls),

In My Seed Box For 2027 - Index

In My Seed Box For 2027 - Cabbages & Spring Greens

      

In the past I have tried to find different varieties that had different sow grow and harvest times so that I could try grow and harvest for as long as possible. Plans for 2020 didn't pan out due to shielding my wife against Covid-19, and 2021 was not a lot better, so I made the magic happen in 2022, and I will be looking to repeat that success in 2026. 

Cabbage Seeds if kept in ideal conditions last 4 - 7 years 

Review of Seed Stocks with Sow by date of 2025

Cordoba F1                            - D.T.Brown   -  30 Seeds - £4.59 Packed YE 2023

Collard Hi-Crop F1                 - Dobies        -  25 Seeds - £2.99 - Packed YE 2023        

Review of Seed Stocks with Sow by date of 2026

Marquis F1                             - D.T.Brown   -  30 Seeds - £2.99 - Packed YE Jul/23

Tourmaline F1                        - D.T.Brown   -  50 Seeds - £2.99 - Packed YE Aug/23      

Cordoba F1   

The first clubroot resistant Savoy cabbage with great tasting leaves forming large, heavy heads. 

Also resistant to ringspot and white rust for consistently high-quality crops of large savoy cabbages weighing between 1.5kg-2kg each. 

The leaves are attractive and are of good colour and flavour.

Collard Hi-Crop F1  

Packed with nutrition, this large non-heading cabbage is a versatile, long-season crop. 

Collard 'Hi-Crop' can be used for spring or autumn greens and either harvested as a whole, looseleaf cabbage or picked for cut and come again, removing leaves from the centre as required. 

The large, blue-green, textured leaves are well-flavoured and borne on vigorous plants which are slow to bolt. Maturity: 60 days. Height: 40cm (16”). Spread: 50cm (20”).

           

Marquis F1 Versatile pointed heads which can be harvested as greens or mature heads. Hold well in the ground and stores well once cut.

SOW INDOORS February-April, thinly in trays of compost, 1.5cm/half-in deep. Transplant when plants are about 10cm/4in tall, spacing of 30cm/1ft. 

SOW OUTDOORS March-June. Transplant at 2-4 leaf stage to final growing position. Firm in well. Keep moist.

Harvest June - October 

Tourmaline F1

Attractive savoyed leaves with excellent flavour and winter hardiness. Forms large dense heads with resistance to black rot.

SOW INDOORS February-April, thinly in trays of compost, 1.5cm/half-in deep. Transplant when plants are about 10cm/4in tall, spacing of 60cm/2ft. SOW 

OUTDOORS April-June. Transplant at 2-4 leaf stage to final growing position. Firm in well. Keep moist

Harvest December - March  


Looking at the sowing instructions in particular the spacing and rows, I thought about the planting membrane sheets that I already have and decided to create a new one specifically for the Spring Greens in 2024 which didn't happen because of my cancer and treatment, now I'm getting fitter its on the cards for 2026

So the idea is to give a 300mm exclusion zone around the perimeter so that hopefully it keeps the spring greens away from the netted hoops that will go over the bed. working on the basis of 150mm centres and 300mm between rows, I decided to stagger alternate rows so there is a little more space between plants but they are still dense enough to assist in growing as spring greens.   

I've also bought a pack of Cabbage Durham Early Spring Green Seeds for £1.39 incl. P&P from Premier Seeds Direct for an Autumn sowing.

This variety is a well-known and very reliable compact spring cabbage producing dark green pointed firm heads of medium size, good flavour and texture. Suited for high density growing for spring greens harvesting from Feb onwards and Apr for fully mature heads. Autumn sowing variety.

Cultivation Advice Cabbage Durham Early Spring Greens

• Sow between Mid-July and Sep thinly in trays or directly to seed drills using 2-3 seeds every 12 in.
• Planting depth 1/8 inch. When seedlings are 1 inch tall thin to one plant every 12-18 inches or plant out tray seedlings to growing location.
• Best sown / located in full sun where no cabbage was grown the year before.
• Keep weed free and protect against pests, especially pigeons over-winter.
• Harvest alternative plants from Feb as spring greens and mature heads from early Apr.

In My Seed Box For 2027 - Index

Komatsuna Comred F1

Both tasty and nutricious, this variety, Comred F1, has rich ruby red leaves that contrast beautifully with their green stems: it grows well from late spring to early autumn and makes a lovely addition to salads and sandwiches. Mature leaves can be shredded into a stir fry or steamed.

SOW: can be started in modules from late spring to late summer, or sow thinly where they are to grow.  A good choice for CCA use (CCA is cut-&-come-again). Make several sowings for a supply through to autumn.

GROW: transplant at the 2/3 leaf stage and space at 10cm for small plants, or up to 35cm apart if you want to grow larger plants. Komatsuna can be harvested as a cut and come again (by leaving a short length of stem to resprout), or at any stage from small to large.

Square Foot Gardening (SFG) spacing for Komatsuna Comred F1 depends on the desired harvest size, with 9 to 16 plants per square foot being the standard recommendation.

• Baby Leaf / Dense Harvest: Plant 16 per square foot (spaced 3 inches / 7.5 cm apart) for a dense cut-and-come-again baby leaf crop.
Medium / Small Bunching: Plant 9 per square foot (spaced 4 inches / 10 cm apart) for compact multi-use heads or standard small-plant harvesting.
Full Maturity: Reduce to 4 per square foot (spaced 8 inches / 20 cm apart) if you want large, fully mature single plants

ENJOY: through the summer and, as these are hardy, the late sowings will crop well into the winter.

MoreVeg £1 for 40 seeds 

In My Seed Box For 2027 - Beetroots

 

Because of the cancer and mobility issues, It's been a couple of years since I have been in full pickled Beetroot mode but 2027 will see a return.

Sow By Dates 

There is only a 2-3 year life expectancy on the backs of the packs of seeds, as the germination rates will gradually decline with age, but the reality is that Beetroot seeds kept in good storage can last anything from 6 -10 years which is why I still have Sow By 2020 seeds in my seed box.   

Sow By 2020

Boltardy                   - 275  Seeds - £1.50 -  Johnsons                   - Sow By 10/2020

Detroit 2                  -  300  Seeds - £2.29 - Thompson & Morgan - Sow By 2020

Globe 2                    - 200  Seeds - £0-20 - Carters                       - Sow By 2020

Globe 2                    - 200  Seeds - £0-20 - Carters                       - Sow By 2020

Moneta                    - 150  Seeds - £2.99 - Thompson & Morgan - Sow By 2020

Red Ace F1             - 150  Seeds - £2.69 - Thompson & Morgan - Sow By 12/2020

Sow By 2021

Moneta                   - 150  Seeds - GYO mag - T&M National Trust - Sow by 09/2021

Sow By 2022

Boltardy                   -  275 Seeds - £1.30 - Kings Seeds - Sow By 2022 - Kitchen Garden Mag

Sugar Salad Mix      -  170 Seeds - £2.99 - Marshalls - Sow By 2022

Sugar Salad Mix      -  170 Seeds - £2.99 - Marshalls - Sow By 2022

Sow By 2023

Kornett                    - 150 Seeds - £2.15 - Mr Fothergill's - Sow By 2023

As can be seen I didn't get buy many beetroot seeds in 2021 as there is only on pack with a use by in 2023 and no packs with a sow by 2024. 

Sow By 2025

Rainbow Mix         -  250 Seeds - £1.99  - Suttons - Sow By 2025 Packed 2022

Boltardy                 - 275 Seeds -      75p^ - wilko    - Sow by 2025 Packed Dec 2022 

Boltardy                 - 275 Seeds -      75p^ - wilko    - Sow by 2025 Packed Dec 2022  

Boltardy                 - 275 Seeds -      75p^ - wilko    - Sow by 2025 Packed Dec 2022

^ Wilko seed bought at 50% Reduction in sale. Rather than wait until packs of seeds were going for 10p a pack, with prices that low and then 50% off it was worth stocking up with beetroot seeds I wanted whilst they still had them.   

Sow By 2026

Rote Kugel           - 145 Seeds - £3.49 - Organic Gardening Catalogue - Packed 2023

Golden Eye          - 100 Seeds - £2.99 - Suttons - Packed year ending 2024

               

All Prices shown are at the date purchased

There has been quite an increase in the price of seeds by the bigger greedy companies, however there are many small suppliers that sell reasonable quantities at economic and realistic prices. It always pay to shop around or buy in the end of season sales      

Alphabetical Listing of all the varieties that I have grown in the last few years. 

                                       Sowing            Harvest

Action F1                       Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct

Alto F1                           Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct

Bettollo F1                      Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct

Boltardy                          Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct

Cardeal F1                     Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct

Cylindra                          Apr - Jul             Jul - Oct

Detroit 2                         Apr - Jul             Jun - Oct         

Detroit 6 Rubidus           Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct

Globe 2                          Apr - Jul             Jul - Oct

Kestrel                            Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct     

Kornet                             Apr - Jul             Jul - Oct

Moneta                           Mar - Jul            Jul - Oct

Pablo F1                         Apr - Jul            Jun - Onwards        

Perfect 3                         Apr - Jul            Jun - Oct

Red Ace F1                    Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct                   

Solo                                Mar - Jul            Jun - Oct

Wodan F1                       Apr - Jul            Jun - Onwards     

Boltardy is one of the best beetroots and a gardeners favourite. Good quality, globe shaped , dark-red, well flavoured roots up to 100mm (4") across, and the variety that I normally go for however the Wyevale 50p seed sale is responsible not only for the amount of packs I have in the seed box but also the various varieties. 

Altro is a Hybrid cylindrical beetroot that produces straight roots that stand proud above the soil, but can be earthed up keeping in good condition for longer periods, and will produce more consistent diameter slices for pickling and that is what attracted me to pack when I bought it.  This was also why I bought six packs of Cylindra from Wilko as they are only 25p a pack and were dropped to 10p a pack in the end of season sale. 

Sugar Salad Mix - Marshalls (Red, White and Orange) were grown in the Square Foot Gardening Beds in 2025  

Beetroot Kornett - Mr Fothergill's but the web site says "A previous favourite which is now back!" Very productive, this dependable ‘Detroit’ type is easy to grow and versatile. Roots are sweet and firm and can be lifted as baby beets when young or left to mature. An excellent source of folate and good source of potassium. I'm going to grow these in the square foot garden beds this year. 

Something I have not done before 2023, but will be doing again in 2027 is harvesting the leaves for salads.     

When To Plant 

Beets are fairly frost hardy and can be planted in the garden 30 days before the frost-free date for your area. Although beets grow well during warm weather, the seedlings are established more easily under cool, moist conditions. Start successive plantings at 3 to 4 week intervals until midsummer for a continuous supply of fresh, tender, young beets. Irrigation assures germination and establishment of the later plantings.

Dates based on guidance from Garden Focused based on the last frost date for Sutton Surrey of the last week in April, suggests Beetroots are sown in the 4th week of March. BUT that is assuming sowing directly in the ground, and as I will be starting off the beetroots in the Space Saver garden or allotment Potting Shed Greenhouse I intend to sow a couple of trays earlier in 2026 in say the 1st or 2nd week of March. I may even try some early in the ground under a cloche, it's not as if I don't have enough seeds!

Care

Frequent shallow cultivation is important because beets compete poorly with weeds, especially when small. Because beets have extremely shallow roots, hand weeding and early, frequent and shallow cultivation are the most effective methods of controlling weeds in the rows. Deep cultivation after the weeds are large damages the beet roots. Like most root crops, beets need a fertile soil (especially high in potassium) for vigorous growth. Keep your beet plants uniformly supplied with moisture for best performance.

Harvesting

Beets can be harvested whenever they grow to the desired size. About 60 days are required for beets to reach 1 1/2 inches in diameter, the size often used for cooking, pickling or canning as whole beets. Beets enlarge rapidly to 3 inches with adequate moisture and space. With most varieties, beets larger than 3 inches may become tough and fibrous. Beets may be stored in a polyethylene bag in a refrigerator for several weeks. Beets also may be stored in outdoor pits if the beets are dug before the ground freezes in the fall. Cut off the tops of the beets one inch above the roots. Beets store best at 32°F and 95 percent humidity. Do not allow them to freeze.

In My Seed Box For 2027 - Index