Impassable......

....the enviromesh netting that is. The Sweet Candle foliage is almost bursting out of the frame and there is not a sign of pest or disease within. I have about 60 plants in this frame and 24 in a smaller one which I am growing specifically for Malvern. Sweet Candle takes about 20+ weeks to develop the stump end profile that judges like so has to be sown late March/early April if you want it for the September shows. I've kept these beds fairly moist during the recent heatwave which is different to the way you treat your long carrots of course. The consensus is that if you keep the Sweet Candle beds too dry you get enormously long stump carrots which look a bit odd. 8-10" is ideal.

One problem with stumps is that as the stump end forms later in the season, it can force the carrot upwards and expose the shoulder. Now, I'm all for a well-exposed shoulder on a good looking lady but on a show carrot it spells disaster as the top of the carrot will turn green and cause the judges bollocks to explode in his trousers. It's a real no-no, so you have to keep a close eye on them and pull some sand over the shoulders as soon as you see this happening. As soon as you water or it rains this sand may well be washed off so you have to keep doing it.