Topic: Parsnips in raised beds

[BOROBOY]

I read in a book that parsnips and carrots should not be grown in soil containing manure or compost as it will cause fanging. I was hoping to mostly fill the raised bed with multipurpose compost as topsoil is at a premium on my new plot. Advice appreciated by newbie.
Ta. :-*

[Mrs Ava]

I believe (bound to be put right) that you shouldn't grow your long rooty crops in freshly manured soil as this causes the roots to split (have a feeling this might have been spoken about a way back and I have no idea on the science of why this happens).  I didn't think well rotted compost caused the same thing.  Oooeerrrr, do hope not.  And as you are talking about multi purpose compost, I guess you mean the type you buy from the garden centre, then this should be absolutely okay to grow them in, in fact, I believe some people who have very stoney ground do this to get long straight roots.

[Ceri]

All the books I've read concur, and I've always been told this - however, in an article in (I think) the Kitchen Garden magazine, there was an article about carrots that said this was a myth, it was stones that made roots fang.  I dug a thin layer of well-rotted compost in October for my carrot-bed-to-be as a kind of half and half measure!  We shall see

[Ceri]

ooh - just remembered, also read something advising you could grow stunty carrots (technical term!) in grow bags if you had no garden, so I assume multi-p would be fine?

[BOROBOY]

thanks for the info. I`ll give it a go then.

[Hugh_Jones]

Ceri, the article which you read was half right and half wrong.  All root crops have a tiny growth bud at the tip of the root, and if this bud is damaged then the root will fork.  The prime causes of damage to this bud are pockets of acidity in the soil, and stones.

Any form of decomposing humus contains acid - whether this be manure or compost - and however carefully it is dug into the soil it still remains in little acid-containing pockets. If the root bud on the carrot or parsnip encounters one of these it will be damaged and the root will fork.

The stones, of course, simply cause mechanical damage, but the effect is the same.

Multi-purpose, or Growbag compost will be perfectly o.k. Although the compost is made from humus forming materials they are of a type whose breakdown is extremely slow, and contain sufficient alkalines -usually in the form of chalk - to neutralise any acids, and this, of course, is why you should NEVER use multi purpose or growbag composts for calcifuges such as rhododendrons, azaleas etc.

[jethro]

I used to grow them in 45 gallon drums filled with sand, bore out a hole and fill with compost mixed with silver sand. This used to work a treat  ;D. I had some carrots and parsnips nearly 3 feet long  ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Oh you would!  ;)

[jethro]

Sorry EJ, but they used to be around 2-3 inches thick at the top  ;D :-\

[Mrs Ava]

Girth and length!  Wow.  Bet your wife was chuffed when you bought them home.....ahem... for dinner.   :o ::) :o

[jethro]

Yes she likes things hard and crunchy  :o especially veggies

[The gardener]

I do a bit of both at least with my maincrop varieties. Exhibition stuff is grown in barrels.

Back to main crop..........Re muck or not to muck I DO simply because my soil is so well drained it tends to dry out, hence the need for loads of humus.

I didn't know about the acid pocket situation as described by Hugh, but I seem to have overcome that, more by good luck than good guidance.

When preparing the rows for sowing I press my spade in to the soil a full spit deep then wiggle it back and forward to form a 'vee' trench this I fill with riddled potting compost.

This I thoroughly water in then sow my seed thinly on top and cover with another light covering of potting compost. Cover with fleece then leave the rest to nature.

n.b. I never water my carrots again, I leave them to find there own, this and plus what comes from the skies I find is plenty.