Unusually wide carrots

al78 · « **on:** September 14, 2013, 22:13 »

Harvested some carrots earlier today, and the ones I pulled up had an unusually wide diameter, over two inches across (2 1/4 inches to be precise). The two varieties I grew were Early Nantes and Autumn King, didn't think either of those were supposed to grow fat. They weren't particularly long, just very fat at the top. I have rather heavy clay soil so wonder if that may have contributed.

Can anyone recommend suitable varieties of carrot for heavy soil.

cheers

Adam

mumofstig · « **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2013, 22:53 »

Early Nantes are a short carrot, so will grow fat rather than grow a deeper root if left to mature.

Autumn King are the big carrots that you grow for winter, like the big ones you buy in the supermarket.
These will grow longer roots if they can get down into the soil, but the dry weather probably made the clay too hard for them - and if you watered them it would have encouraged them to stay near the surface.

Try Autumn King again for next year

BobE · « **Reply #2 on:** September 14, 2013, 22:59 »

I have heavy clay soil and so this year I dug out a trench and refilled it with JI3. This let my carrots get quite deep. In a way its like planting them in a tub.
Friend nearby plants carrots in "cut in half" grow bags, on his patio. Great success. (stand the half grow bags on end to create a deep bed). I might try that next year.

allot2learn · « **Reply #3 on:** September 14, 2013, 23:32 »

This year I got two used baths, in each one I put 3 x 60ltr bags of quality potting compost mixed with two bags of horticultural sand. Sowed the seed and covered with enviromesh. Best carrots ever. I have now obtained two more baths for next year. Roll on.
This years crop should sit quite happilly in the baths and shouldn't get frozen like those in the ground.

simbamara · « **Reply #4 on:** September 14, 2013, 23:43 »

What is Horticultural sand please ?

gobs · « **Reply #5 on:** September 15, 2013, 02:11 »

Quote from: simbamara on September 14, 2013, 23:43

What is Horticultural sand please ?

It is fine and has no junk you do not want in your garden in it, as opposed to building sand, for example, so labelled in shops.

gobs · « **Reply #6 on:** September 15, 2013, 02:15 »

Quote from: al78 on September 14, 2013, 22:13

Harvested some carrots earlier today, and the ones I pulled up had an unusually wide diameter, over two inches across (2 1/4 inches to be precise). The two varieties I grew were Early Nantes and Autumn King, didn't think either of those were supposed to grow fat. They weren't particularly long, just very fat at the top. I have rather heavy clay soil so wonder if that may have contributed.

Can anyone recommend suitable varieties of carrot for heavy soil.

cheers

Adam

Ingot is excellent for clay growing. However, I'm unsure, I understand the problem. No roots further down, is this what you mean?

For it had been a mad year for carrots her, they all grew out of proportion in size, whatever variety and we do not complain...

edit to clarify quote

compostqueen · « **Reply #7 on:** September 15, 2013, 11:09 »

I grow a fat carrot called Oxheart, on clay. If you can lighten your clay with sand, as above, and leafmould that helps. I've had really good results this year with Early Nantes too

al78 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 15, 2013, 16:26 »

Quote from: gobs on September 15, 2013, 02:15

Ingot is excellent for clay growing. However, I'm unsure, I understand the problem. No roots further down, is this what you mean?

For it had been a mad year for carrots her, they all grew out of proportion in size, whatever variety and we do not complain...

It isn't a problem, just a surprising observation when I dug them up. I'm finding when digging up carrots that you never quite know what you are going to get. Most have been fairly normal sizes but was surprised to dig up three really fat ones, they are about 4-5 inches long so not a huge length but with the width I get a quite a lot of carrot from one plant.

sunshineband · « **Reply #9 on:** September 15, 2013, 19:52 »

Autumn King 2 are pretty chunky carrots when I grow them, unlike Nantes sorts which are much more slender

strider84 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2013, 09:05 »

My Autumn kings have only been in since July and already they are over an inch wide at the top - pulled one up last night and though it had forked it was still very long.

Very impressed with them!

A Reyt Tayty · « **Reply #11 on:** September 20, 2013, 12:15 »

My carrots have been pants this year. Nantes II. Last year they did really well. Does the seed stay viable, as it was the same batch of seed I used. Can't see it being the soil it's, really fine and no stones. They were sown in early April and they are still only atthe "baby" carrot stage. I have been eating them for a while now, but even small as they are, they seem to lack the taste of last years. Any ideas.

Beetroot Queen · « **Reply #12 on:** September 20, 2013, 12:18 »

Quote from: A Reyt Tayty on September 20, 2013, 12:15

My carrots have been pants this year. Nantes II. Last year they did really well. Does the seed stay viable, as it was the same batch of seed I used. Can't see it being the soil it's, really fine and no stones. They were sown in early April and they are still only atthe "baby" carrot stage. I have been eating them for a while now, but even small as they are, they seem to lack the taste of last years. Any ideas.

My carrots were sown about the same time and twiglet is a great description the ones sowed much later are the same size. I dont really know why i bother with carrots

al78 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 21, 2013, 00:00 »

Quote from: Beetroot Queen on September 20, 2013, 12:18

Quote from: A Reyt Tayty on September 20, 2013, 12:15
My carrots have been pants this year. Nantes II. Last year they did really well. Does the seed stay viable, as it was the same batch of seed I used. Can't see it being the soil it's, really fine and no stones. They were sown in early April and they are still only atthe "baby" carrot stage. I have been eating them for a while now, but even small as they are, they seem to lack the taste of last years. Any ideas.

My carrots were sown about the same time and twiglet is a great description the ones sowed much later are the same size. I dont really know why i bother with carrots

I couldn't even get any seed to germinate after about mid May. goodness knows why as the weather was better than it was in April.

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Unusually wide carrots

al78

Unusually wide carrots

mumofstig

Re: Unusually wide carrots

BobE

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allot2learn

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simbamara

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gobs

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gobs

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compostqueen

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al78

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sunshineband

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strider84

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A Reyt Tayty

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Beetroot Queen

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al78

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