Crooked Carrots? Here’s How to Grow Them Straight!
Carrots are one of the most common vegetables grown by gardeners, yet they often provide some of the most disappointing results. In order to grow long and straight, standard varieties of carrots need ten to twelve inches of loose, sandy, rock-free soil. For many of us gardeners, that is a difficult requirement to meet.
Here are some options that allow almost anyone the opportunity to grow perfect carrots..
Choose a Different Variety
Although the long straight variety of carrot is what we always find in the supermarket, it’s not the only type of carrot available. Many shorter, stouter varieties exist and seeds can generally be found at most well-stocked garden centers. ‘Danvers carrots’ are often referred to as “half longs”, and ‘Chantenays’ are only four to five inches in length. Chantenays have been specifically bred to grow in heavy soil.
Raised Beds
If you really want to grow the longer variety of carrots but your garden soil just isn’t accommodating, you can always grow them in a raised bed. Raised beds are generally filled with purchased garden soil and can be any depth you need them to be. Constructing a raised bed for the first year can get expensive though, as even a small size will take several bags of soil. Treated lumber or decorative stone for the borders is expensive as well.
Raised Rows
For those of us who don’t want the expense of a raised bed or who prefer to keep everything within the main garden, raised rows are a good option. I am using a raised row this year for my carrots and am looking forward to a bountiful harvest!
I went through my reserves of scrap lumber and found enough boards to line each side of a row. I dug a trench wide enough for the boards to sit up on their edges on each side of the trench, leaving about eight inches in between. Once in place, I pounded the boards down with a rubber mallet and strategically inserted dowel pieces on both the inside and out to keep the boards from separating from the weight of the soil.
Next, I filled the trench with the dirt I had removed and topped it off with inexpensive top soil I purchased at a home improvement store. In total, this provided a narrow bed of loose soil about a foot deep, which will be perfect for my longer variety of carrots.
Rectangular Containers
Carrots can be grown easily in containers as well, and rectangular ones with straight sides are particularly good. Just remember to keep them watered, as smaller containers can dry out easily.