[hubballi]

It has been said by someone on the local allotment that nobody can grow carrots in this village. Unknown forces seem to be at work.

[angelavdavis]

In that case, it sounds like you need a shamen or witchdoctor 

[snowdrops]

They were Amsterdam. They had great foliage but hardly anything down under, even for the finger variety. Again, it doesn't make sense but as always these kind of weird things happen to me. I can't think of a single thing I have done wrong. Of course I would be the first to admit if I had. The same with rocket. Supposed to be easy but when sowed in new compost in a container the growth cames up small, thin and wispy. I didn't get a single salad harvest from them.

Have you put any manure on your plot?

[allot2learn]

I've not had much luck with carrots in the past so next year I'm planning on growing them in two old baths in a mixture of MP compost and horticultural sand with a sprinkling of FBB.

[Growster...]

I've not had much luck with carrots in the past so next year I'm planning on growing them in two old baths in a mixture of MP compost and horticultural sand with a sprinkling of FBB.

Good idea, Allot2!

Also cover them with some sort of thick netting like debris net, as baths are only so high...

[Paul Plots]

I have 2 half rows of Autumn King still in the ground... they are not the best I've grown but some reasonable roots of 6 to 8 inches - considering the miserable summer - not bad.

Mine will be lifted as needed, when I get there and whenever the ground is ice free. Damage from carrot fly is about the same as usual so mostly only surface.

I sow Autumn King from late spring until mid summer. I find them the most reliable carrot with a lovely orange colour, good flavour and smell. 

Single rows between onions, beetroot and lettuce seem to miss the worst of the carrot fly but it depends on the weather too I think as well as when they are sown / thinned / hand weeded.

[ilan]

That sounds good I would think that a late summer sowing has just not given them long enough time in the ground . 

[Paul Plots]

That sounds good I would think that a late summer sowing has just not given them long enough time in the ground . 

I'm pretty sure you're right especially as this was a low on sun / low on heat summer. 

[JayG]

Sowed Autumn King on 24th April under enviromesh and they were mostly a decent size in early August, so I dug half of them and re-sowed the bare area with some more.

I'm still harvesting the remainder of the original sowing - some of them are rather too big (not surprisingly) but the early August sowing are a little on the modest side (to be kind to them!)

Agree that late sowings of anything require everything to be in their favour weather-wise, which of course it wasn't this year, and also suspect that enviromesh must have a slightly detrimental effect on light levels when sunshine is in such short supply, although growing out in the open is not an option for me (once was enough - great maggot harvest, no edible carrots!)

[mikegee]

The big problem with root veg this year is that they "drowned" in many areas, the saturated soil settled around the developing roots and starved the feeder hairs of oxygen.

[Paul Plots]

Lack of sunshine was also a problem here. Not enough to get the old photosynthesis going for long so smaller, less sweet roots.

[allotmentann]

Hubbali, if all your root crops have grown a lot of leaf but not much root could you have been feeding them a high nitrogen fertilizer?