Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: dmg on January 15, 2013, 17:57
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I have been growing carrots in pots, but I want to grow a lot more of them this season.
I have qute heavy clay that drains well with relatively few stones through it. I aim to put sharp sand and compost through the plot when growing space allows throughout the year.
In the meantime what varieties can I plant? I have
carrot ams force 3, autum king 2, baby type, charlemange, healthmaster f1, nantes 5 and
carrot parceba
Thanks
dmg
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The usual recommended carrots for heavy soils are the types that are sort of V shaped, like autumn king and Danvers. You can grow the others but they may not lengthen much since they must fight their way through heavier soil. It takes a few years for sand-added clay soil to lighten. The little baby types will grow but they won't store for you.
If at all possible, why not either set up a raised bed filled with better soil mix or trench out and fill a ground bed with better soil just for the carrots? A 4'x8' bed would yield a lot of carrots.
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I recently bookmarked this guide because it shows which carrots you can use to be able to harvest all year round which is really handy.
http://www.vegetableSeeds.net/category_s/36.htm
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Autumn King and Early Nantes grow ok in our clay - though I prefer to grow them in raised beds with a compost mix.
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I recently bookmarked this guide because it shows which carrots you can use to be able to harvest all year round which is really handy.
http://www.vegetableSeeds.net/category_s/36.htm
Autumn King and Flakee will certainly overwinter in the ground until March if the tops are covered with soil or spent compost. I only give up eating mine when they start growing out.
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Autumn King for me........ nearly always have good results.
I also tried "Resistafly" (http://www.vegetableseeds.net/Carrot_Resistafly_F1_p/car06a.htm) with fairly promising results although I've not used the seed company for which I have given the link.