Growing Carrot

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05 Jan 11 Michael Mitchell (Australia - temperate climate)
Our group looks after the vegetable garden for our company - a disability service. We manage to grow successfully, - lettuce, shallots, silver beet, spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers. However our carrots fail dismally - they are short and stumpy and grossly misshapen. Can you suggest what is wrong?
19 Apr 11 Ben (Australia - temperate climate)
Possibly because your soil is to hard I've heard that if they can't grow down they come out looking like short stubby midgets
26 Feb 11 Joe (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It sounds very much like too much fertiliser, also carrots prefer open type soils if you have heavy clay soils add about a good handful of gypsum or hydrated lime (same stuff) per square meter and hopefully you should see and grow better carrots
06 Jan 11 Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I'm interested in the answer to this, too. I get exactly the same problem!
06 Jan 11 Liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Carrots prefer light, sandy soil, mulched to keep cool and moist. Light soils give them a chance to grow long roots. If your soil is heavy clay, it is best to grow stump-rooted or chantenay types. A raised bed might be the answer.
27 Feb 14 Colleen (Australia - tropical climate)
Or dig a narrow trench by inserting the straight spade in and wriggling it. Then fill with sand leaving a 2cm gap to the ground level and then put a light layer of soil, place the seeds, cover with a light layer of soil then water, protect from birds, heat etc.
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