CARROT BED

[Compo]

I have some corrugated iron and was thinking of sinking it down to make a raised bed and design the soil to go in it. My main soil is clay which is now quite loamy due to a few years of persistent manuring, well rotted of course. What could I add to this mixture to give my carrots a chance of becoming straighter and deeper (one eye on the village show in August as well) CoMpO

[peter]

Lots of sand.

[Tony Hague]

I grew carrots with good sucess last year by digging a narrow trench (use a border spade), and filling it with spent compost and sand from the greenhouse tomatoes, which I grow in compost in bottomless buckets on a bed of grit sand. Some are as big as parsnips !

[John]

Hello Compo
Beware the dreaded carrot rootfly!
You might find this topic useful

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9108

It includes a posting of mine about growing carrots in barrels.
If you are 'growing for showing' seriously then I would recommend a barrel/dustbin or similar container. Not all varieties are suitable for the show bench. 'Sweet Candle' would be an excellent choice and is great favourite with the kitchen lady (DW).

John

[Compo]

Two questions so far...

1. I have a few bags of ordinary building sand, yes and plenty of spent compost.

2. If the bed is raised above the normal ground level by a couple of feet the carrot fly will not be an issue I have read

3. If there is not an issue with carrot fly, and there has not been in the past, then can I refresh the bed and use it for a few years?

CoMp0

[Mike Vogel]

Compo, raise the SIDES of the bed rather than the bed itself. But after my experience this year I will recommend Enviromesh or some such; I didn't get any carrot fly. Of course, you can raise the sides of the bed and drape the enviromesh over the edges, but you'll need a way of holding it down against the winds.

[Mike Vogel]

Sorry, Compo, I forgot to say add leafmould, as muc as you can get. I dare say worm compost will also be good, but carrots like a slightly acidsic soil and the leafmould will do a treat.