hello,
(another one of my interminable vegetable questions!!)

was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that nice.
having tackled (and won) the germination question, we've been eating carrots
here for 6 or 8 months, & some are not bad, but many have that slightly
bitter, "gassy" sort of taste to them (which you will immediately recognise
if you've ever tasted carrots like that).

our soil is heavy & there are rocks in there, but that problem won't be
solved until much time has passed. i've always sown "all seasons" except one
patch of "western red". no problems with forking or disease or anything like
that, but most of them just don't taste that good. we've never been able to
eat the older thinnings either - despite that they look big enough for dutch
carrots, they're too pale & bitter.

i have ordered some seeds of "french round" and "baby" for spring, but not
sure if my problem is related to the cultivar or if it's something else. two
carrots right next to one another can come out differently - one is good,
the other's just yuck.

????
thanks for any help if any is forthcoming!!
kylie

0tterbot wrote:
hello,
(another one of my interminable vegetable questions!!)

was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that nice.


Lack of organic matter in the soil?
Soil too old?

Only this year are our carrots starting to taste good and be of any size
beyond match sticks. We have been layering on our compost, purchased
"compost" and the bunny stuff. Can certainly see the change in the soil
from it.

We've had similar bitter carrots in the past.

"Terryc" wrote in message
...
0tterbot wrote:
hello,
(another one of my interminable vegetable questions!!)

was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that
nice.


Lack of organic matter in the soil?

certainly the soil lacks organic matter & will for some time yet i think
although i am going as fast as i can!! if that's an effect of lack of
organic matter, then i think that may well be the problem.

Soil too old?

er, isn't all dirt old? g

Only this year are our carrots starting to taste good and be of any size
beyond match sticks. We have been layering on our compost, purchased
"compost" and the bunny stuff. Can certainly see the change in the soil
from it.

We've had similar bitter carrots in the past.

ok, well, that's encouraging! may i ask how many years you've been working
at it before your carrots came good?

in the meantime, i might be able to organise deep composty-patches to put
them in, or something. if i can be bothered.

thanks terry!
kylie

0tterbot wrote:

ok, well, that's encouraging! may i ask how many years you've been working
at it before your carrots came good?

oh, we've been here 20 years {:-).

Seriously, we've only been piling the organic matter high for two years.

The soil was under an above ground pool that was emptied every three
years and the garden sits under a large tree.

We tried too many things, systems, until we twigged that we really just
needed to pile it on. Lol, even the green manure crop is looking better atm.

We are lookng forward to other root crops starting to perform.

0tterbot wrote:
was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that nice.
having tackled (and won) the germination question, we've been eating carrots
here for 6 or 8 months, & some are not bad, but many have that slightly
bitter, "gassy" sort of taste to them (which you will immediately recognise
if you've ever tasted carrots like that).

Most carrots (and parsnips) have a strong taste if they're picked
early. As they mature the taste mellows.

I mainly grow All Seasons, and they're fine if picked late. The
thinnings have a strong, almost metallic taste. A bit of a surprise
if you're not used to it. For the parsnips we mix the thinnings with
mashed potato to cut the flavour.

Maybe you're picking em a bit soon ....

Andrew
--
Andrew Gabb
email: Adelaide, South Australia
phone: +61 8 8342-1021
-----

"Terryc" wrote in message
...
0tterbot wrote:

ok, well, that's encouraging! may i ask how many years you've been
working at it before your carrots came good?

oh, we've been here 20 years {:-).

argh!! g

Seriously, we've only been piling the organic matter high for two years.

The soil was under an above ground pool that was emptied every three years
and the garden sits under a large tree.

right. i'm pretty sure my soil cannot be as damaged as that. there just
wasn't anything there except what passes for grass around here ;-)

We tried too many things, systems, until we twigged that we really just
needed to pile it on. Lol, even the green manure crop is looking better
atm.

We are lookng forward to other root crops starting to perform.

me too! my onions were nice but ridiculously tiny. didn't get as many taties
as i'd hoped. etc etc. i trust all these issues will come good eventually.
it's just hard to know when it's ME doing something wrong vs something just
going wrong due to factors i haven't been able to change yet. (my celery is
beyond weird - i'm not even going to ask about that).
kylie

"Andrew Gabb" wrote in message
...
0tterbot wrote:
was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that
nice. having tackled (and won) the germination question, we've been
eating carrots here for 6 or 8 months, & some are not bad, but many have
that slightly bitter, "gassy" sort of taste to them (which you will
immediately recognise if you've ever tasted carrots like that).

Most carrots (and parsnips) have a strong taste if they're picked early.
As they mature the taste mellows.

I mainly grow All Seasons, and they're fine if picked late. The thinnings
have a strong, almost metallic taste.

yes - that's the one.

A bit of a surprise
if you're not used to it. For the parsnips we mix the thinnings with
mashed potato to cut the flavour.

i'm still fantasising about being able to germinate parsnips to the point
where they NEED thinning! :-)

Maybe you're picking em a bit soon ....

i think in some cases yes, but then i've also had others that got away from
me completely & had become enormous & too woody - but still had that
paleness & the nasty taste, they never seemed to have gone through the nice
sweet orange phase.(?)

i do need more practice with this, but after terry's comments i am
suspecting the soil. perhaps i might have better luck with french round &
baby, (as the seeds arrived yesterday!!)

thanks!
kylie

Try proper fertilisers (chook manure mushroom compost after germination
and a healthy head of greens)and plenty of water. I had problems with my
carrots germinating, but irregular water was the prime cause. Also
because they are so close to the surface, they tend to dry out. So keep
them wet, or grow them in a shadier place.
The strong taste tells me not enough water.

0tterbot wrote:
"Andrew Gabb" wrote in message
...
0tterbot wrote:
was wondering if anyone has any clues as to why my carrots aren't that
nice. having tackled (and won) the germination question, we've been
eating carrots here for 6 or 8 months, & some are not bad, but many have
that slightly bitter, "gassy" sort of taste to them (which you will
immediately recognise if you've ever tasted carrots like that).
Most carrots (and parsnips) have a strong taste if they're picked early.
As they mature the taste mellows.

I mainly grow All Seasons, and they're fine if picked late. The thinnings
have a strong, almost metallic taste.

yes - that's the one.

A bit of a surprise
if you're not used to it. For the parsnips we mix the thinnings with
mashed potato to cut the flavour.

i'm still fantasising about being able to germinate parsnips to the point
where they NEED thinning! :-)

Maybe you're picking em a bit soon ....

i think in some cases yes, but then i've also had others that got away from
me completely & had become enormous & too woody - but still had that
paleness & the nasty taste, they never seemed to have gone through the nice
sweet orange phase.(?)

i do need more practice with this, but after terry's comments i am
suspecting the soil. perhaps i might have better luck with french round &
baby, (as the seeds arrived yesterday!!)

thanks!
kylie

"Jonno" . wrote in message
u...
Try proper fertilisers (chook manure mushroom compost after germination
and a healthy head of greens)and plenty of water. I had problems with my
carrots germinating, but irregular water was the prime cause. Also because
they are so close to the surface, they tend to dry out. So keep them wet,
or grow them in a shadier place.
The strong taste tells me not enough water.

hm, but it's a strong bad taste, not just a strong taste.

not enough water is certainly possible, but maybe not probable??

however, i shall start caring for them more carefully & see if that helps.
thanks!
kylie

0tterbot wrote:
"Jonno" . wrote in message
u...
Try proper fertilisers (chook manure mushroom compost after germination
and a healthy head of greens)and plenty of water. I had problems with my
carrots germinating, but irregular water was the prime cause. Also because
they are so close to the surface, they tend to dry out. So keep them wet,
or grow them in a shadier place.
The strong taste tells me not enough water.

hm, but it's a strong bad taste, not just a strong taste.

not enough water is certainly possible, but maybe not probable??

however, i shall start caring for them more carefully & see if that helps.
thanks!
kylie


As well as, I find that incorperating manure in the soil is not a good
idea. The manure should be applied after the carrots get a good topside.
Then apply to the surface. Seems like this is the way nature intended.
Forked carrots are also avoided by not putting it into the soil,
apparently, but Don Burke reckoned that was an old husbands tale.
My carrots are OK now.