Carrots

[plantmarkParticipant]

Charles,
My carrots have been dreadful this year, only fit for the compost heap. They were grown in 6″ deep beds of Green Waste Compost on clay soil. Any thoughts please?

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[charlesModerator]

From what I recall Mark, some of your other veg were excellent in the same conditions.
Carrots like that can be a combination of seed quality/variety and soil quality. Adding a cover of homemade compost will really help, or leaf mould or even old woodchip, something with lots of life.

[plantmarkParticipant]

Thanks Charles, yes in the same area everything else looks great. In fact the carrot foliage looks fantastic. I have tried 2 different varieties with similar results.
Some say that carrots should not be planted in newly fertilised areas but I find that hard to believe? I have never heard you say that.
I should mention that I transplanted them this year after seeing that Which? did a trial by raising carrots in seed trays and transplanting them out. They had good results, so I thought I would give it go.

[beverleyParticipant]

Hi Plantmark,

My carrots this year look very similar to yours! I put it down to the bed that they are in – I think it is quite stony, but perhaps as Charles says, there are other contributing factors.

Nevertheless, I regard this years crops as a major success – especially as I had to sow 3 times to get any carrots at all! Not pretty, but plentiful and great for soup making. Another positive is the low incidence of carrot fly this year.

I did a late sowing in two other beds and will check to see if these are more akin to the classic carrot shape.

Cheers,
Beverley

[charlesModerator]

I know that feeling Beverley. Wish you well on the next harvest.
Mark, yes that makes all the difference that you planted not sowed, a classic result in my experience, forked roots.

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