Here’s what to do to prepare your garden soil:

1. Till down 12 inches and make sure there are no rocks, stones, or even soil clumps that could impede your carrots’ growth.
2. Avoid amending the soil with nitrogen-rich material such as manure and fertilizer, which can cause carrots to fork and grow little side roots.

We recommend a bag of 40 Litre Living Green Organic Compost. Make shallow (2cm) holes about 2.5-3in apart and put 3 carrot seeds in each one then fill over with your soil mix or compost then thoroughly water. Keep the soil or compost wet going forward to ensure the roots get enough water to maximise growth.

Choose a soft, humus-based soil with a pH level of 6.0-6.8 and feed your plants regularly throughout the season to ensure good growth. Try using a potassium-rich liquid feed fortnightly or a slow-release fertiliser. Keep the container moist and watch out for dry compost in warmer weather.

Searles Liquid Potash is excellent because it is high in potassium and phosphorous which is essential for strong root development. Another problem encountered is branched or misshaped Carrots. This is due to stones, clods and large lumps in the soil and also from over feeding with nitrogen rich fertilisers.

Carrots stored in cold moist conditions will keep for 4 to 6 months. Carrots exposed to very cold temperatures will become bitter tasting. Carrots left in the ground too long will be touch, woody, and may crack. Check roots during storage and remove those that begin to deteriorate.

If carrot seed is sown too thickly, and the young seedlings are not thinned out enough, the plants will crowd one another and their roots will bend, curl and twist around each other. Top tip: Curly or straight, home-grown carrots taste great.

As a basic rule of thumb, vegetables grown for their fruit or roots—such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, potatoes, or carrots—require full sun, which is defined as a garden location that receives at least six hours of direct sun each day.

A: The usual reason why carrots split is that they reach maturity before the growing season is over. Water pressure from the next irrigation makes the carrot split. If growing weather continues and the carrots are still in the ground, the split widens with every subsequent irrigation.

To keep your soil loose, avoid walking on your planting rows or beds. Instead, walk only between rows or around beds. You might also want to consider no-till gardening, which doesn’t introduce heavy machinery into your growing space. Also, certain types of soil are better than others for growing carrots.

The carrots are safe to eat as long as they are not in any way slimy and still feel firm to the touch. Use a vegetable brush to scrub the “hairs” off, and check the cracks/splits to be sure there is no decay present before eating.