[green fingers]

I manured last back end, then dug over this Spring and planted carrots and parsnips, they have now come through, but they are oh so small,  do I need to feed them? and what with.  The piece of ground they are growing on is quite clayey and is rock hard at the moment

[DavidT]

Thay are oh so small? it`s only May, what do you expect? They have a bit of growing to do yet and no, don`t feed or water them.

[green fingers]

my neighbour on the plot planted at the same time and her's are twice the size of mine - so hat is the benchmark.  I m not in a hurry, just want to know if they need some encouragement to struggle against the clay soil

[mashauk]

I know you don't feed carrots, but why don't you water them?

[DavidT]

Because you want the root to go down, not stay near the surface.

[MOLUSC]

Carrots and parsnips like well drained sandy soil.
They dont like wet soil , and if you plant them in ground that has recently been manured they  more than  likely  fork.
For best results mix compost and sharp sand as well as a handfull of fish blood and bone and chuck it in a barrel that is a couple of feet from the ground-i have done this and my early nantes are doing fine.

[green fingers]

Carrots and parsnips like well drained sandy soil.
They dont like wet soil , and if you plant them in ground that has recently been manured they  more than  likely  fork.
For best results mix compost and sharp sand as well as a handfull of fish blood and bone and chuck it in a barrel that is a couple of feet from the ground-i have done this and my early nantes are doing fine.

Dont really understand this.
And yess, of course, I water them!

[DavidT]

Greenfingers, the advice is, DON`T WATER THEM.

[Stree]

My first go with carrots this year. I dug a trench about 20 inch deep ( 2 spits?) and sieved the soil back in generously mixed with grit sand..The sowed carrot seed.......Only watering they get is rain. Not going to thin out, just see what happens. Other carrots are Paris Market, those are in terracotta bowls and they do get watered, but then they grow near the surface anyway...being a cherry type carrot.

[MOLUSC]

Manure encourages the roots to split in two or "fork"
Clay soil holds water, carrots and parsnips dont like this,Carrots and parsnips like sandy well drained soil.
They also do best when "off the ground" either in barrels or even old baths (on top of bricks or pallets) or under a fleece to help reduce carot root fly attack.
I half fill a barrel with good soil then add  a bag of compost and a bag of  sharp sand and a hand full of fish blood and bone (sprinkled onto the surface and then mixed in)
Good results so far.

[Ice]

After having absolutely no success with growing carrots in my heavy clay soil I tried something new.

I used a 50/50 mix of compost and sharp sand and they are fantastic.  I do water, but sparingly.  If they dry out too much and then get water the carrots can split. 

Werks fer me.

[green fingers]

Thanks for this Ice.  They look fantastic.  Mine are miniscule and the ground bone dry and rock hard, so having done some research I now know I need to water because they are dry.  But wont feed with anything else, which was my original question.

[diggerjoe]

Good looking carrots Ice and its good to see I'm not the only one using the crate! method for things, they are so useful and collaspe down at the end of the season.

[Ice]

That picture was a few weeks ago and I have been harvesting them for my tea.  They are growing straight as a die.  These are the first I have been able to grow after trying, with no success, in my heavy clay soil.

[Yorkie]

What are the crates lined with, Ice?