Kitchen Garden Forum

I have got a new raised bed that has not previosly been manured. I think it will be ideal for carrots as it is very sandy soil. How can I improve the soil without manuring it this year and get a good large crop of carrots.
Regards Brenjon

This will only help if you already have some to hand, but many people recommend well rotted leaf-mould for carrots.

I'd give it 2ozs/sq yard Growmore and 1oz/sq yard of SuperPhosphate.

Thanks for that Geoff. What exactly is Superphosphate and can it be be boght from Wilco's
Regards Brenjon

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Fertiliser ... YYKg%3D%3D

Bit of a long link, I hope it works! This is to Wilko, if it doesn't work you can get to it via Garden + Pet, Grow Your Own, Fertilisers, then it is on page 3.

Plant foods are NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potash) crudely they feed leaves, roots and fruits so tipping the balance in favour of Phosphorus improves root crops, e.g. carrots.

By getting the gardeners at school to give me all the leaves they raked up I formed a pile of leaves 4 foot high which I enclosed in mesh and left to rot down. The summer was wet and I had lovely leaf mould by the autumn. I spread it liberally where I wanted to grow roots and raked it in a little. I covered the bed with cardboard.

The following year i sowed carrots as usual and got good long roots. Now that I'm retired, you'll see me sweeping the pavements around my house every autumn for leaves; the rewards are worth the effort.

Thanks for the advice so far. I realise carrot ground should not be manured but when the carrots are established would I be able to give a folier feed of liquid manure tea
I have a feeling that this would be good for them but I. could be wrong
Would welcome advice
Regards Brenjon

Hi Brenjon,
Carrots really benefit from a feed such as you describe and mine get a couple of feeds in June and July and this really perks them up. Generally they start to fade around then and a gentle feed, not too strong, turns them into a thing of beauty.
JB.