Your comments and tips

15 Dec 15, Paul (Australia - arid climate)

Growing carrots from the tops leftover after cooking the roots will get you a lovely plant from which, if placed in a tray of water, a flowerhead and resulting seeds.Collect them to grow on all year round!

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23 Nov 15, Michelle (Australia - temperate climate)

I have grown carrots successfully for years, using either purchased seed, or some I have saved myself. I usually plant just after the shortest day of the year and find that they will stay in the ground, growing happily for a year (or just over). This year however, they all seem to have bolted to seed. I used saved seed, and planted just two days before the shortest day - didn't check the calendar properly. I can't work out why this has happened. Can anyone help with an answer?

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29 Nov 15, Garden of Earthy Treasures (Australia - arid climate)

There were a few days of very hot weather in October which has made my uncovered carrots go straight to seed but the ones growing with some cover and next to a water tank (cool thermal source) are forming nice roots, no flower heads on any of them. Secret to successfull carrot growing? Grandad said always plant your root crops 14 days apart all year round, that way you avoid famine/feast issues and you have a rolling crop of baby/mature carrots with only some going to flower.

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31 Oct 15, Spud (Australia - temperate climate)

Always grow your carrots in loose well dug soil..great after broccoli, leafy greens, cabbage, sprouts etc.(heavy nitrogen users) do not fertilise carrots!! High nitrogen in the soil will cause the carrot to fork and twist etc, as mentioned by others here. Also do not over water carrots.

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27 Oct 15, Rick Priestley (Australia - temperate climate)

What effect would very heavy rainfall,very dry conditions,strong winds,frost and hail have on my carrot and asparagus crops? How do i minimise the effect? I would appreciate ideas as i am establishing horticultural crops and need to cover all bases for the future climate changes!! Kind regards. Rick Priestley Central coast/NSW.

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21 Oct 15, Edward Hague (Australia - temperate climate)

I have carrots with tops as large as trees but little or no root what has gone wrong

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26 Oct 15, Retz (Australia - arid climate)

Too much nitrogen will cause big leaves and little root. Plant carrot after and heavy nitrogen feeding crop.

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24 Oct 15, Jo Christensen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

With carrots you need very deep loose soil. If your soil becomes hard packed at any stage the carrots can't grow deep, hence the short fat carrots. My father grew amazing and huge carrots, he would break up the soil at least 30 - 40 cms and work in heaps and heaps of cow manure

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23 Oct 15, eric (Australia - tropical climate)

mine was the same and then I read do not plant carrots in cow manure and what had I do yep so my carrots were small and curly and the tops lush and green so I figured it musted of been the cow pooh that did it.

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03 Jun 15, dadpad (Australia - temperate climate)

Branching of carrot is usually associated with excess nitrogen. Don't feed/fertilise the soil prior to planting carrots or during growth. If you havn't fertiised, the soil may naturally have too much nitrogen. Plant carrots last as part of a rotation such as leafy greens followed by fruiting plants followed by root vegetables then fallow to give the soil a break. Fallowing will give the soil time to regenerate available nitrogen and you can start your rotation over again.

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