[keepers_cottage]

Hi All,

I have just aquired a large veg plot at my father in laws to re-establish my veg yield.

We were chatting today about what veg to start now for winter and what veg I will put in next year. He says that no matter how many times he has tried he cant grow carrotts!!

Could it be the soil and if so are there any ways of testing it then adding something to the soil?

I love carrotts and am a little dissapointed that I may not be able to grow them?

Any help appreciated.

Keepers

[solway cropper]

Our soil here is based on boulder clay and is full of small stones. If I try to grow carrots in the ground they invariably get forked, twisted and otherwise mucked up. My answer is to grow them in containers in a mixture of riddled soil, MPC and sharp sand and I get perfectly straight and uniform carrots. OH even says they look like the ones you see in shops!!

They taste miles better than shop ones, though.

[Livinhope]

I'm afraid I can't answer your problem but, I was talking to an elderly chap on our site today and he has carrots planted in an old tin bath up on a trestle table.  It must be way above the carrot fly height, and he uses multi purpose compost as the growing medium.  This could solve your problem.

[Beetroot queen]

I cant grow carrots on the plot but I can in a large bucket 

[Zippy]

Same here and I have sandy soil - thought the soil would be perfect but seeds just won't germinate. i think it is because carrot seed takes so long to germinate you are bound to have a day or two where the seed dries out unless you vist the bed every day and water if needed.

Far better I found is to sow into a large tub filled with riddled peat free compost and 25% sharp sand and i have these in my yard at home so I can regulate moisture every morning and bring them under a picnic table in hard rain, which can flatten the seedlings.

[Wombat18]

I grow mine in tubs of soil/compost to keep off the worst of the carrot fly and they always turn out fine.  If your soil isn't good that's probably the best solution.

[Paul Plots]

To get them germinated in open ground (on sandy soil) try taking out a drill and filling the bottom with a couple of inches of compost - water then sow and cover with fine soil or more compost and keep it moist.

This should allow the carrots to get a good start before they encounter the quicker drying sandy soil.

It might be worth a try / experimenting 

[missycat]

I use the same method as Learner and have found it works well on my light sandy soil

[DavidT]

Keepers, try growing a stump rooted variety. They will grow where long varieties wont.