| For several years now our carrots from our garden have tasted flavorless. Last year we used several types including half size from Burpee. The weather was mild. We started our seeds in May. We are thinking about soil, although all of our other crops seemed to be okay. Any and all help would be appreciated. |
| There are a few possibilities for why your carrots aren't as sweet as they should be. You are right to think about your soil--a crop of carrots can deplete a soil of nutrients. Be sure to rotate crops in your garden, rather than planting carrots in the same place year after year. Here are some possible factors: 1. Over-fertilization with nitrogen--use a relatively low nitrogen fertilizer like 5-10-10. 2. Prolonged hot weather--carrots prefer cooler weather; they can stand light shade during the hottest part of the day. 3. Improper soil pH--you might want to have a soil test done, to check pH, available phosphorus, and potassium. If you need to raise pH and magnesium levels are low, use dolomitic limestone. 4. Low soil organic matter--add lots of compost to the bed to increase soil humus. |
