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?
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 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.
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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