Benifical Organic Soil Ingrediants For Growing Carrots

Organic soil is the preferred choice for household gardens growing small quantities of fruits and vegetables. Home-grown carrots are becoming popular, as they are a steady source of nutrition throughout the year. They have a unique flavor that cannot be found in supermarkets. Using organic soil for growing carrots negates the use of harmful chemical fertilizers. The usual varieties of home-grown carrots that are suited for organic soil include: 

• Golf ball-shaped carrots (also called Thumbelina)
• Slender-shaped Chantenays (best suited for gardens with heavy soils) like Danvers Half-long, Nantes, Danvers and the Imperator
• Royal Chantenay (the common bright-orange carrot)
• Blaze (the reddish carrot)

Growing Carrots: Organic Soil Basics — ideally, carrots should be long, tapering, with a slender frame. For this, it is mandatory that your organic soil bed is well-drained. Soft, well-watered and fertile soil is must for the carrot roots to grow deep. Organic soil is naturally loaded with many ingredients that make it perfect for growing carrots. However, it does need some basic management and the addition of certain materials.

Soil Fertility — organic soil is naturally fertile, having a high-density of naturally-occurring microorganisms and a high mineral content. However, if you are growing carrots in small containers then the potting soil needs to be enriched with compost. Most varieties of carrots need a slightly-acidic soil. This can be achieved by digging ½- inch compost into the upper soil layer, before planting. 

Soil Texture — most organic soils are suited for growing carrots, owing to their more maneuverable texture. However, some of them may have a high density of clay that can be difficult to work with. Soil beds with excess of clay soil can be improved by the addition of organic derivatives such as Humus. Conventional gardeners recommend using peat soil for making the garden soil nutrient-rich and softer, but humus soil is regarded as the best solution. 

In fact, humus addition is regarded nearly eight times more effective that organic manures and compost addition. Humus fertilizers are commonly available and they are recommended for ensuring that your carrot seedlings are able to sprout and root deep into the soil. Ideally, you should be mixing your garden soil with dried humus in a ratio of 2:1 

Humus soil provides the ideal conditions for carrot growth as: 

• It has a lower soil density
• Buffering capability of the soil bed is greater
• Micro flora of the soil multiplies at a rapid rate
• Strong granules help in water retention
• Sprouting density is increased by nearly 20%  

Mulching — carrots need a soil bed that remains constantly moisturized. However, constant watering could be a bit demanding. Mulching reduces the need for repeated watering by helping the soil retain moisture for a longer period. When the carrot seedlings are 3-inches tall, you should thin them apart by about 3 inches and then mulch them. Exposed carrot shoulders have a tendency to become bitter and greener. This can be avoided by covering the shoulders with some organic mulch. 

Fertilizers — organic fertilizers that have a ‘6-6-6’ marking have the right amount of nitrogen that is needed for carrot-growing soil. Adding nitrogen fertilizers is almost universal for growing carrots. Being a root crop, carrots can always use some additional potassium. Organic potash or potassium (K) is critical for the correct stomatic function and enzyme activity. It directly affects the sweetness of the carrots. You should use any brand of Organic Potash with a ‘0-0-30’ rating. For adding potash, use a simple calculation wherein you should be adding nearly two pounds of it for every 100 square foot of your soil spread. 

Removing Pests — the Carrot Fly is a typical problem for any garden that grows carrots. One simple way to get rid of them is immediately discarding the carrot thinnings when you harvest the garden. However, the most effective method is to use companion planting. Carrot flies are deterred from invading gardens that have tomatoes grown in combination with carrots in the organic soil bed. Companion gardening is hailed as the latest and a highly-effective organic gardening technique.