Yes, hard, clay soil is not good at all for carrots. They like very loose, deep soil to grow well formed roots. You should start by amending the soil heavily with compost or some other organic material and maybe a bit of sand. Carrots should be direct seeded only and covered with a starting mix that won't crust up before the seed germinates. Thin plants to about four to six inches. If you have room, think about making a small raised bed in your garden solely for root crops with very loose, fertile soil. Good luck.

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John - Zone 6

quote:

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Originally posted by Tipster_Chad:
Do I need to go back over my "carrot spot" with the blade as far down as it goes?

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Yes, I would. Depending on the variety you were planning on planting, ideally you want a minimum of 8" of loose soil. Try varieties like Nantes or Danvers half-long that only get to 5-6 inches until you can get a nice deep root patch.

quote:

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Originally posted by Tipster_Chad:

PS. How do I figure out my zone to post after my name?

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Its called a signature. Click Profile/Messages link above, edit profile, and add what you'd like to your "Signature"

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John - Zone 6

ok. Thanks again, guys. But I still don't know how to figure out WHICH zone I'm in...?

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-Sarah ZONE 5

"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully"
2nd Corinthians 9:6

AAAAAHHHH!! NO NO NO!!
Never use sand to loosen clay soil!! It has the opposite effect. It will be like concrete!
Add compost, perlite vermiculite peat moss, jut NO sand.

I live in CLAY! When I grew carrots I made a raised bed with 2x8's. I used mushroom soil, (composted cow manure the mushroom farms used)& vermiculite. No more fertilizers and short varieties like John said. Had lots of yummy carrots.

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Summer Camp '07, July 14th weekend, won't you join us?
summer camp thread 1, 2, 3,4

Wrennie, a fellow weed lover???? Me too ! You will never see me pulling out dandelions, sourgrass, or mustard !!!
And I WISH my violets (viola odorata) would take over every empty space there is !

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That's not exactly true. Sand will not turn clay soil harder. There must have been something else at work to cause that. Pure physics will dictate that mixing sand and silt will create loam. Of course, compost will create GOLD.

Karen, use it all!

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John - Zone 6

Sandy loam is great for carrots,
usually those have a depth to them,
and easily drain and things like carrots can
dig down deep...

Only you do have to watch for watering if it's loamy...as if it's fast draining, *and not much compost added to retain a wee~bit of moisture*
any root crops can be hot *like raddish's* and woody *tough*...
Just keep slightly moist...
and they'll be fine...

And I love weeds too...
*did you know that dandelions are actually very good for the soil, as their roots dig very far down and break up soil...
and you can eat the young leaves...

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

Sarah, I loved your Scripture ! I really enjoy Bible verses. How lovely to include this one here.

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