Manure & Carrots

[clarelouise4]

Its been a while since I've been on-line but the very overgrown allotment I took on at august bank holiday now looks like an allotment again (well almost anyway) - hence why I've had no spare time. Thanks to the great advice I've had from you all I now have garlic and japanese onions through, two new strawberry beds and a new raspberry bed. (Not to mention slight back pain but I've discovered red wine to be an effective cure for that!)

I've just started to manure the plot which had been most neglected, having finally got most of the couch grass out of it, which I will be growing potatoes, carrots, parsnip and beetroot in.

The plot had not been touched for at least 3 or 4 years and was covered in couch grass, brambles, dandelions etc etc so I thought i would put plenty of manure into it (its also clay about 4-5 inches down) to try and help it recover. however, I have been told that the manure will make the carrots fork - what is the best thing to do?

Thanks Clare

[Alice]

Hello Clairelouise, great to hear you're getting on so well. You'll be an inspiration to others. You're right, the carrots won't like the manure, and I would change the plan and put them in an area you haven't manured.

[PAULW]

I have read in some books it is best to manure the beds where you are going to grow your brassica's then next year plant the beds with potatoes. Onions also like manure but carrots and parnips do not

[Nicos]

If you haven't already manured it, I would just dig up the weeds and sow the carrot and parsnip seeds.
If you have any old used potting compost, or peat, or sand to lighten the soil then dig that in prior to sowing.
If only grass and brambles have been growing in the area, then the nutrients in the soil should be fine for this year! ( remember that farmers leave their fields fallow - to recover- every 4 years!)
All the best with your plot and crops!!

[clarelouise4]

Thanks so much - luckily I was told about it before I got to the end of that area with my manure so I'll leave that bit as it is! I have got some compost I've made at home so I'll take some bags of that down and dig that in.

Am i also right in thinking that if I grow onions with the carrots it helps deter carrot fly?

[Nicos]

You may still have problems with home made compost - fibre ( or nothing) rather than nutrients for those crops.
Yep you are right about onions and carrot fly- I see you are researching well!!

[Nicos]

I'd plant onions next to rather than with carrots and parsnips as they will need the extra nutrients.

[clarelouise4]

thanks for that nicos - now its raining again I have time for all the research which is really good fun. I'm just itching to get started with everything - I must learn to be more patient.

[sewer rat]

Beetroot aren't too keen on freshly manured ground either Clare

[clarelouise4]

Thanks for that sewer rat - its a good job rain stopped play this morning and I checked on here before I went mad with the manure otherwise I'd have had some very unhappy vegetables.

Thanks again all of you for your help

[JennieAtkinson]

I have read in some books it is best to manure the beds where you are going to grow your brassica's then next year plant the beds with potatoes. Onions also like manure but carrots and parnips do not

I thought it was the other way round Paul - you manure the beds for the potatoes and grow your brassicas in those beds the following year. All my books seem to tell me to that and so far it has worked well.

[vicki lorraine]

growing garlic chives around the carrot bed is very effective. Good luck with your growing. i'm battling with a plot which has not been used for 16 years and we had lots of brambles too. The biggest pain for us is bindweed. We have been digging it out by hand as we do not want to spray the ground.

[Snadger]

...................Not to mention slight back pain but I've discovered red wine to be an effective cure for that!

Ahhhh!! So you have discovered the panacea for all evils!

[PAULW]

JENNY
Looks as if we are both right this is from HDRA
Manure and compost - apply where greedy feeders such as potatoes, leeks, marrows and brassicas are to grow.

[JennieAtkinson]

Thats good - its just knowing who your greedy feeders are is the problem!