The amazing world of busty the carrot...

[eskymo]

I've had more success with my carrots this year than ever before, even though I didn't get very big ones. However I did get one very strangely shaped carrot, which I have nick-named 'busty'...

Have a look for yourself - it's an appropriate name!

[Slug]

Oer missus! You certainly have some interesting appendages there!

Was that the only carrot like it? Was it in different conditions in any way - i.e. was the soil stony or anything - just wondering what causes a busty carrot!

[nick the grief]

..............just wondering what causes a busty carrot!

I agree, best to keep a-breast of these things Slug

[Alice]

Intersting Eskymo ! Nice to hear from you. Not sure but I think carrots divide like that if the ground is too well fed. Maybe somebody else knows different.

[eskymo]

I dug a trench and filled it with compost...and sowed the carrot seeds in that and busty ended up on the edge. The rest of the carrots grew just fine, so not sure what made busty get such defined features so to speak.

[Slug]

Oh dear Nick... your jokes don't improve do they!!

[mint]

all my carrots have grown like that dont know wha i have done wrong can anyone tell me a good variety for next year please

[JennieAtkinson]

I've had a few like that, but could hardly call them busty, up to five/six carrots seeming to grow together and curling around each other. I think partly it was because I hadn't thinned them enough. Most of the others have grown really well. I haven't really fed the ground, just dug in a bit of home made compost, not alot though.

Mine were Early Nante - was that the same as yours Eskymo?

[eskymo]

The variety I gre this year was 'Carrot Autumn King 2' - a maincrop - I got the seeds from Aldi.

[sewer rat]

Hi Eskymo
The usual cause of carrots forking or "going busty" like yours is that the ground is too well fed and rich in nutrients as Alice said. However, it is possible that small stones could have contributed to the start of the shape and the rest just became emphasisied as the root developed.

[SueA]

Hi Eskymo, you should enter her in the National Trust Ugly Veg. competition, with a figure like that I'm sure she'd win!
Here's the link.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-special_projects/w-plot_to_plate/w-ugly_veg_competition.htm

[headburro]

Aieeee! It's winking at me!

[JazzDuke]

You can't beat those little Paris Market ones, grown in a container, pulled, dipped in garlic mayonnaise, the perfect crudités