Troubleshooting carrots

[erins327]

We planted carrots in late October, early November here in Central Texas, Zone 4.
We pulled a batch up last night and disappointingly found that there was no carrot. Just a 2' tall and very bushy carrot top! What happened?

We planted some carrots also in December, and actually got carrots. So the only thing we can think of is the Oct-Nov carrots were planted too early for us, when the weather was still too warm. (Prolly easily had high 80''s days back then.)

Will carrots not grow a 'carrot' if it is too warm? What other reasons does anyone think that they did not produce?

[Meatburner]

Zone 4 ????

[Dillbert]

they prefer cool conditions - that could have been a factor.

also they grow fairly quickly - a rich soft soil is best.

they're also bi-annuals - they grow a root, if left next year they go so seed. the triggers for that process are temperatures and light, so the batch may have 'got fooled' into thinking seasons had passed.

[tomc]

Austin TX aint zone 4.

Carrot has not been a good candidate for me in new gardens with clay soil.

They need to be deeply amended several times.

Tops with no root are: 1, immature. 2, growing in heavy clay soil. Or, 3, both.

[erins327]

My bad didnt mean Zone 4....thats another zone I'm in unrelated to gardening, and always mix them up.

Anyways, wow, so I could have just pulled up immature carrots, eventhough I planted them 5 monthes ago? Carrots were in raised beds, very soft soil with lots of compost in them.

[PunkRotten]

I have had mixed results with carrots. Some produce carrots normally while others take longer than their packet listed. Like radishes and beets, part of their root should be visible above ground when they are pretty much ready. If that is absent, they are not ready. You can also gently move a little dirt away and look and feel around to get an idea if a root is growing and how big it is without pulling it up. Also if they were planted at a certain time, they may be triggered into thinking they are going on their second season. I have had some carrots go to seed and their root below ground shrinks and gets tough/fibrous. Another thing, if the ground is really tough they have a hard time making a carrot or it comes out deformed. I have had some volunteers pop up in clay soil and they grew fine. But other times the soil was too tough for some and they did not produce.

[tomc]

Planting carrot seed nearing the solar minimum will slow growth in general.

Your tomato (even in a hoop house) will likewise be pokey.

[imafan26]

I had better luck with the shorter carrots.

They do grow better in cooler weather.

Too much nitrogen will grow more tops than roots

Crowding also reduces root growth.

It did best in a deep fine soil amended with compost.

Most of my root crops do better with a pH 7.0 - 7.4 .