Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Sweet Pea 2 on March 19, 2009, 12:56

Title: Carrots
Post by: Sweet Pea 2 on March 19, 2009, 12:56: I have read that Carrots shouldn't be put in a place where manure has been put on recently. So what do you use instead to enrich the soil? Is shop bought compost OK?
What else is good to put in the same area?
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: lucywil on March 19, 2009, 13:36: i read somewhere that the poorer the soil the better for carrots, they like it really sandy.
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: CHRISDONOHUE on March 19, 2009, 13:41: What they mean is that you should put carrots in soil well-manured soil the year before you sow them. Fresh manure makes them fork in order to reach the better soil created by the manure. If you don't mind forked carrots - after all they taste as good as straight carrots - you can ignore the advice. The growth will be better in well-manured soil than in nutrient-depleted soil. The best soil for carrots is said to be light, sandy soil but they do very well in fairly heavy clay soil.
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: mumofstig on March 19, 2009, 13:49: As you obviously haven't manured your bed..don't panic! ..... add blood fish and bone (or Growmore) to supply the nutrients for this year. Add your manure to the rest of the plot where you are not growing root crops, then the carrots will be ok next year when you rotate them round the plot :)
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: Sweet Pea 2 on March 19, 2009, 14:46: OK I will get some blood fish and bone for that section. I have manured some of my plot but not all of it, just haven't had time. What is the latest you can add manure before you seed it? I mean for non carrot sections.
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: sunshineband on March 19, 2009, 19:03: I've used compost made from ritted down turf, about 6 years old for carrots & parsnips... d'you think they'll need feeding with BF&B or similar? Or will they be OK?
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: MOLUSC on March 19, 2009, 19:20: i have an area about 2.5m by 1.5m put aside for carrots and parsnips.
I have mixed plenty of compost with the soil (2x 75L bags) and added 3 bags of sharp sand (about £1.20 each a bag from wicks)
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: Pep on March 20, 2009, 10:45: Quote from: CHRISDONOHUE on March 19, 2009, 13:41
but they do very well in fairly heavy clay soil.

Thank goodness for that. Our soil is fairly heavy and I set some two weeks ago when it looked like spring was well and truly on its way. I've set varieties bought in UK and out here, as well as onions, which are in the same bed.

Last night we had a minus 2 frost. Do you think I'll lose them?

I'm totally new to veggie growing - does it show? :D :D

Pauline
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: DD. on March 20, 2009, 10:57: I don't add anything to the soil where I'm growing root veg. Here's some of my results...

(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/Untitled-2750x1000.jpg)

(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/DSCF1340-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: mumofstig on March 20, 2009, 11:01: WOW what a whopper of a parsnip :lol:
I'm well impressed ::)
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: DD. on March 20, 2009, 11:19: 16" long, 17" round - 4 lbs 5 ozs!
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: Sharonx on March 20, 2009, 11:37: Blimmey DD they look fab. What variety were they? I have brought some Autumn King and Resistafly seeds for carrots and can't remember the name of the parsnips.
Do you have better success with different seed types than others or do you get good results with any type?
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: lucywil on March 20, 2009, 13:08: Quote from: DD. on March 20, 2009, 11:19
16" long, 17" round - 4 lbs 5 ozs!

Good to see you back DD
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: DD. on March 20, 2009, 13:50: Carrots are Autumn King, think the parsnip was Javelin F1, but I tend to get what ever's going. Doesn't seem to matter.

And thanks, Lucy!
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: philskin on March 20, 2009, 18:33: nice to have you back DD
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: sunshineband on March 20, 2009, 18:39: Thanks for the advice DD... clearly the results speak for them selves. I've planted Tender & True this year solely because I liked the name :tongue2:
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: GrannieAnnie on March 20, 2009, 22:08: I see it didn't take that DD long to show off his parsnip!!!!!!! :D :D
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: DD. on March 20, 2009, 23:03: Any excuse to get it out! :ohmy:
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: Jay Dubya on March 21, 2009, 10:45: Hi Sunshineband, i hope you have light land because Tender & True are a really long parsnip!!

Keep on a troshing J W
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: sunshineband on March 22, 2009, 17:39: Now I find out!!! They'll have to curl uop a bit at the end I reckon as there is about 10 ins on great soil and then the bit dug over from the grass land -- I might try some elsewhere as well
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: drizabone on March 23, 2009, 13:45: Looking at that parsnip and the brown patches, some of mine had it , anybody know what causes it?
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: DD. on March 23, 2009, 15:07: It's possibly a touch of canker - can be caused by carrot fly. Wasn't very deep & came off when peeled.
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: Jay Dubya on March 23, 2009, 20:36: Hi sunshineband, if you've not got a great depth, you might consider White Gem they're a bit shorter with a good shoulder and taste great.

Keep on a troshing J W
Title: Re: Carrots
Post by: sunshineband on March 23, 2009, 21:39: Thnaks, Jay, I'll remember that