Hello I have a question about growing carrots , every time I grow them they head up great but have small deformed carrots , they taste ok can you tell me what I am doing wrong they are in well fertilized soil with blood and bone and compost soil . Thankyou PS we live at Strathbogie Vic
Your soil is too good! With carrots rich soil produces lots of green tops and deformed, stunted roots, they need to be pressured a bit to produce the big juicy roots we like. Use your rich soil for heavy feeders, like broccoli or corn. After the hungry crop is finished clear away the debris, dig over thoroughly and plant your carrot seed, the mildly depleted and deep dug soil will encourage your carrots to send down long shoots which will fill out into good sized carrots. Water daily but don't overdo it, excess H2o will make the roots swell and split.
08 Mar 14 Ferran (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It sounds like you have too much nutients in your soil for carots, causing leaf growth and not root growth. By nutients i mean nitrogen much needed for leafy crops as well as fruiting but a bane for most roots as the nitrogen causes the plant to put all its energy in to the leaves leaving the root small. There for carrots like soil that has been 'spent' (had hungery crops growing in it preavesly so the nitrogen is depleated). Sandy, free of stones that will canse the carots to split, well draining, and moist soil will also help your carrot crop. They also like part sun to full sun over shade.
Hi Yvonne, I'm in the Adelaide Hills. This year will be my 3rd attempt with carrots after having the same result as you the other 2 times. I've done some research and am optimistic this year will be better. Apparently carrots like to be sewn direct into the bed and like poor nutrients as this encourages them to grow big and straight in search of soil goodness. I'm going to give it a go... fingers crossed :) Goodluck, hope it works for you. Xan
Hi Xan. I've had great success planting carrots in the adelaide hills. Yes, direct seeding is best. Hills soils can be too rich or too heavy. I've always planted carrots after another crop and also rotary hoed the soil prior. Have always planted in full sun as well. Good luck with your crop this year !
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