Carrots 🥕

mandjrawsthorne

I'm new to vegetable gardening so decided to grow some carrots (flyaway F1) in a "potato bag". l planted the seedlings at the end of March and this morning dug them up, sadly they are all twisted and dumpy. They were planted in good quality compost (no stones) and l've feed and watered regularly. What's gone wrong?

Plashing

They don't like rich soil they like a sandy type of soil, my late father used to grow beautiful carrots and it was very sandy and acidic, he also grew cauliflowers which some of them weighed anywhere from 7lb up to a 14lb, people used to order them by the bag full for freezing.

Fairygirl

They really don't need food. Poor soil, or -when in pots, some old compost,  is ideal for them 

mandjrawsthorne

Thank you. Will make a note for next year.

JennyJ

I agree. My old neighbour used to say the soil here (sandy) would grow great carrots if it wasn't for all the pebbles and stones. She used to get great-tasting carrots but often twisted or forked, and most years would have a fine selection of "comedy carrots".

mandjrawsthorne

So sand mixed with general purpose compost will do the job?
What sort of sand?

JennyJ

I have no experience of adding bought-in sand - my soil has more than enough already - but I would think gritty sharp sand would be the closest to what's in my naturally sandy soil.

raisingirl

I tend to use spent compost (from last year's tomatoes, usually) mixed with a bit of horticultural grit. Seems to work

purplerallim

Soil would be better than compost, but a mix of the two will work.
I tend to make a small trench fill with compost sow seeds and then sprinkle compost on top. As long as the soil is loose they will search for nutrients thus straight carrots. Mine are called speedo, and have done well for two years.