carrots forked

[claire2965]

help just pulled up a couple of my carrots to find they have forked. is know this can be caused by stones in the soil but i have used focus own brand of compost so wat went wrong?

[texeltom]

Originally Posted by claire2965

help just pulled up a couple of my carrots to find they have forked. is know this can be caused by stones in the soil but i have used focus own brand of compost so wat went wrong?

i'm not surprised Focus have gone bust.
that product they were calling compost would be better suited for mulching pathways.
the amount of green waste and wood chip in it was disgraceful.
the roots will have forked on the lumpy bits of uncomposted unscreened woody material.

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Claire, carrots don't like high nitrogen which causes them to fork and it could be that the Focus compost was high in nitrogen.

[texeltom]

Originally Posted by Lesley Jay

Hi Claire, carrots don't like high nitrogen which causes them to fork and it could be that the Focus compost was high in nitrogen.

i'm sure the nutients were well balanced Lesley.it was more a case of the growing medium itself,it was shocking.
i'm assuming it was the green (PAYLESS) instore brand.numerous bags returned to my local store which contained bits of plastic bottle tops and old rubber gloves.
not uncommon to find 3" bits of shredded wood material in it.
infact i'd imagine it to be low on nitrogen as the composting action hadn't finished.

[texeltom]

there's loads of threads on the net regards the very poor quality of composts since local councils started the green waste collections.
iv'e various mates in the nursery industry,one of them produces and retails his own compost using bought in loam which he steam sterilises himself on site.then he makes his own blends according to plant requirements.
the other buys in artic loads throughout the season.hes always used Levingtons as a rule up until this spring.lorry turned up with a full load of multi purpose,but my friend had been tipped off from a fellow nursery man and told to open a broad sample of bags.
the results were shocking.
he declined the load and the driver said he wasn't the first to refuse payment and refuse delivery.
he's switched to J Authur Bowers multi purpose for this year with no probs at all.he still uses the Levington m1 m3 as there seems to be no quality issue with the proffesional growing medium.

[MrKennethPorter]

I was having this problem 2 years in a row.

This year I solved it by using 90% sieved top soil from a field and 10 % B&Q compost .

they are growing perfectly this year. A little slower . But they are all dead strait.

[claire2965]

many thanx to one and all. i have just harvested some of the potatoes grown in the same compost and got about 3kg just over which tasted absolutely fab. the carrots have been transplanted into sieved cheap compost.(the same compost purchased from focus)..

[fromthecrowsnest]

This year I've had some brilliant straight carrots (mini finger)

Grown in a half barrel with garden soil,good compost,sand and blood fish and bone; all sieved, so no lumpy bits.

So pleased with the results,that this is going to be the prefered method in future.

I have been pulling out the thinnings for salads and leaving the rest to grow on.

Also done the same with spring onions...... good results.