What Went Wrong With My Carrots??!!??!!

1. 76

   DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years ago

   I have zero idea how this happened!  If I still lived in Pacifica, I'd understand it completely.  There, we had such miserable, rocky soil that I could've gone into business selling ballast for ships!!  I even had a carrot come up once that was 3-pronged, with a rock in the middle!  Lovely setting for a jewel; not so much for a vegetable! 
   
   But here??!!  Here, we have nice, sandy soil, and very few rocks.  And still my carrots came out just as they did in Pacifica???
   
   We were a bit late getting our garden planted, due to having to first install an irrigation system.  So, we went with started plants from the nursery, instead of seeds.  I was very careful to separate them into single plants before setting them in the ground. 
   
   Today, I decided they needed thinning, and this is what I found!
   
   What do you suppose caused this??
   
   
   
   

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   1. 82

      Kathryn L Hillposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Plants do better from seeds in the soil as far as my experience. Plant the carrot seeds directly into the ground. Its all about the ground and the roots. Perhaps you need to amend the soil. Do you have a compost pile? This will take some research and effort but a compost pile pays off very well and is the basis of successful organic gardening.
      Wishing you better luck next time!
      PS Maybe you need to order some "Heritage" organic carrot seeds!
      
      http://www.mypatriotsupply.com/Articles … ick=289691

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      1. 76

         DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, Kathryn (my mother spelled her name the same way! )
         I'll look into that for next year...or maybe later this year; here, we can grow almost till December, and I'm told carrots do okay in cooler weather.
         
         I do have a compost pile, but it isn't ready; we put purchased organic potting soil in the bottom of each planting hole.
         
         I do 'cold composting,' because at my age, I don't have the stamina or strength to do a lot of fussing and turning, so I just toss stuff on the pile, and let nature do its thing.  It's about 2 years before its ready.

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         1. 82

            Kathryn L Hillposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Your carrots look exactly like ginseng roots!!! But they're not!

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            1. 76

               DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                 How funny.  I never thought about that; but then again, I've never seen ginseng except in photos.

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               1. 82

                  Kathryn L Hillposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/ … p;fr=aaplw
                  Maybe you should get some ginseng root seeds. The ideal ginseng root form is the human body.  Also ginger root seeds and while your at it, beet seeds.
                  
                  I have just started "farming" I am so amazed by the power of seeds!!!! Here you have this tiny little thing. You put it in the ground thinking, "No way will this turn into broccoli!" You have your doubts but you water it anyway and then it sprouts. You think there is no way this tiny little bit of green will become a big ol' broccoli stalk ... but, you keep tending to it and sure enough, it does! !!!!
                  
                  I planted, Hokaido pumpkins from seeds and they have taken over the raised garden in my backyard. I planted carrots, radishes and lettuce from seeds which all came up within two months. I harvested (and ate) them before June. I planted tomatoes, corn, kale and crook neck squash from little pots. They are still producing. My three broccoli plants are still coming along. Broccoli takes a while. Kale is the best thing to plant! I only have one kale plant, but it has been enough for two months worth of salads and stir fries! Another thing I have planted is kiwano mellon. They grow like weeds. Last summer, I had about a hundred melons. Each mellon is $4.99 at Ralph's! They are very delicious in smoothies and also very nutritious. Peppers are also easy to grow. Having fresh organic vegetables growing in my own backyard inspires me to eat healthfully. Cooking is not a chore when you harvest what is beautiful to see and you know is 100% pesticide free.

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   2. 91

      Venkatachari Mposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I have seen carrots like that at my brother's garden one or two times, a generation back. I think it is due to rocky, infertile and weak soil.

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   3. 63

      cat on a soapboxposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      What a bummer!  I always attributed  forking to nematodes although too much fertilizer (excess nitrogen) can cause it too. I agree with other commenters that seeds are better and suggest the less pointy varieties. Stumpy carrots are less apt to split. Perhaps try chantenay or nantes.  Don't give up!!

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      1. 87

         Marisa Wrightposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         It sounds like maybe the organic compost was too rich.

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      2. 76

         DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, cat on a soapbox; I'll look into those!

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2. 87

   Marisa Wrightposted 7 years ago

   I was always told it was caused by nematodes but here's another theory:
   
   http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/blogs/ … rots-fork/

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   1. 76

      DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Okay, now I'm confused.  I have found nematodes listed as both pests and parasites, and then as 'beneficial.'
      ??? What gives??

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      1. 63

         cat on a soapboxposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Confusing, isn't it?? There are different types of nematodes just as there are varieties of good and bad bacteria that we deal with. The ones that causes galls and deformed roots are root knot nematodes. Their natural predators include soil bacteria, fungi, and other nematodes. We gardeners hope to strike a balance between the two by adding compost and mycorrhizae and practicing crop rotations. It takes time. Our natural soil is teeming with many beneficial microscopic friends too.

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         1. 76

            DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            ***head spinning*** 

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3. 86

   RJ Schwartzposted 7 years ago

   I had a similar situation last year (live in Idaho) - I had only dug down about 6-7" when I spaded up the soil before planting - little did I know there was a thick layer of clay buried beneath that my carrots just could barely penetrate - they were wide and strange shaped.  Doubled it for depth this year and things are progressing just fine

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   1. 76

      DzyMsLizzyposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      We are in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and our particular region is sand through and through.  We have dug as deep as 5', and not hit any other kind of soil.  We are very near the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, and our property was probably under water at some time in prehistory.
      Now, though, we are about100' above river level, and a good 5 miles inland, so not currently a flood watch zone, either.
      ::shrug::

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4. 63

   cat on a soapboxposted 7 years ago

   another option would be a raised bed for your carrots. . .

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