On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 09:18:19 +0000 (UTC), "pk"
wrote:

~jane wrote:
~ I have had phenomenal results with carrots this year in my incredibly
~ stony soil simply by carving out a rather experimental 6" trench with
~ a thin trowel and filling it with cheap multipurpose compost, watering
~ it and sowing the carrots on that. Got perfect roots (give or take the
~ odd carrot fly) and the control row, 6" away and in the normal soil is
~ almost unusable except whole in stews. I didn't notice forking in the
~ compost row (but compared with the soil, I probably wouldn't!!).
~
~
~A wrecking bar thrust into the ground and roatated at an angle lat each
~planting position leaves a nice conical hole to be filled with appropriate
~compost
~

wrecking bar? What's one of those when it's at home?!

I knew that competition growers use long stakes to punch holes - I
just wanted an ordinary row of maincrop carrots that were
carrot-shaped rather than starfish and the trowel trench worked. I
didn't think individual holes would be as good for my requirements,
since I wanted to be able to sow a row rather than do station sowings.
I like thinning to get the baby carrots

Next year I hope to grow more stump-rooted ones, having grown conicals
this year. Any recommendations?


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!