carrots and compost

[spud57]

Hi
Have just built some raised beds and am intending to plant carrots and parsnips in one of them. i know you should not put any manure in it first, but what about adding some compost?

[Snadger]

I would add sand, peat/coir/compost and finally screened garden loam with the ultimate aim of achieving a water retentive sandy loam!

[snake the squadie]

i always put compost in mine but only thinly just to give the soil a bit of a kick realy

[smallblueplanet]

I would add sand, peat/coir/compost and finally screened garden loam with the ultimate aim of achieving a water retentive sandy loam!

Hey Snadger, daft question, what type of sand would you buy (from down the Builders Merchants) for aiding drainage in soil/compost?

[hawthorns]

sharp sand maybe

[Norm]

Think I've mentioned this before. I watched a TV show many, many, many years ago. Think it was an early GW with the great Geoff Hamilton. Three lighthouse keepers wanted a gerden on their rock. They planked out a 6'x3' trench, 18" deep and had a 50/50 mix of dune sand and moss peat and grew fantastic carrots in it.