Topic: carrot soil?

[small]

I broke all the rules this year and grew carrots in a recently manured bed. (had to, the sh*t got spread everywhere :(). I've had my best ever crop with no forking, and the same goes for my parsnips.  Sha'n't risk it again though!

[cornykev]

TeeGee grows them like that.    ;D ;D ;D

[SMP1704]

My carrot soil recipe is:

Take one 8x4 bed - fork the existing soil lightly and apply 1 x 60l bag of compost and one builders bag of sharp sand, fork in.

Finish off by adding another 60l bag of compost and rake to a fine tilth.

Sprinkle potash on bed (prevents hairy carrots and allegedly make them sweeter) rake about a bit

Sow seeds, sprinkle your preferred slug/snail repellant and cover with Enviromesh

Water and ignore until ready :D

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

This is for Psi only, so close your eyes the rest of you, Digeroo are you peeking.  ;)
I first break up the ground if its too firm I then push a spade in as deep as you want the carrots to grow, push the spade back and forth until for get a V shape.
Line the bottom with leaf mould and fill the V with a mixture of dalek compost, sharp sand and sieved soil, this is known as the Corny mix and was invented by me.
Anyone in the Enfield or surrounding areas will have my permission to use it, others will have to PM me for the OK, yours lovingly CK.    ;D ;D ;D

ha kev!now I am ITK no-one can beat me(us), here come the carrots.  I'll let you try one!

I'll use my old salad bed, dig in some dalek compost and SS and soil - sounds wonderful dunnit?  corny kev's crazy carrot creation. like it.   :D

[Digeroo]

Sorry I peeped.  ;D ;D

I like the idea of using the spade to make a V shaped trough.  I am not clear on quite where in the V the leaf mould goes.p

One of my plot neighbours grew carrots in manure and they were huge aliens with multiple twisting stems.  Dr Who would be proud of them.  She did not like the look of them so she gave me one, tasted great.

[cornykev]

I think the V idea comes from TeeGee, but the reason I use it is because I used to dig small trenches and  the time it takes to dig them out and how much it takes in back fill them a V is quicker and you carrot soil goes a longer way, but thats just me being tight. ;) The leaf mould lays across the bottom of the V, but I do hoe a bit out to make it flat.
I like the name Psi I might copy right it.
 ;D ;D ;D

[Digeroo]

The V is brilliant it is not only the time saved, but you are much more efficient in the use of the planting mix.  Afterall the carrots are not trench shaped.  Will definitely give it a go for parsnips.

[cornykev]

I've never tried it with parsnips, I've just dropped the seeds in and never had a promlem germinating or growing and I've never thinned them out.
You should have seen the look on a few of the lottie owners faces when I pulled my first ever parsnips, bloody years we've been trying and never had much luck.
 ;)    ;D ;D ;D

[Digeroo]

The parsnips seem to mind the gravel more than the carrots.  They are rather knobbly.  Taste good though.

[cornykev]

What do you mean by gravel. ???      ;D ;D ;D

[lewic]

I chopped my clay soil up with an azada and added a few bags of mushroom compost/manure mixture. Mainly clay though and very lumpy. Covered with Lidl's finest mosquite net. Carrots did surprisingly well, some are nearly a foot long! Was aiming to leave them in the ground over winter, but critters are starting to nibble on them now so dont think theyll last.

[james1]

1 part peat;
1 part silver sand;
2 parts soil,
all riddled TWICE through a 14 inch (1 cm) riddle, to which I add 2 oz of Seagold and 1 oz of chlorophos per bushel.

[earlypea]

You should have seen the look on a few of the lottie owners faces when I pulled my first ever parsnips, bloody years we've been trying and never had much luck.
 ;)    ;D ;D ;D

I get exactly the same from some of the old guys; hope it's not beginner's luck.  I didn't do anything either, just sowed and fleeced til they germinated.