Can I, should I?
I experimented with growing carrots in pots last year as they hate my heavy clay, with a little success. Given that they don't like rich soil, could I reuse the compost do you think - it is a 50:50 mix of sand and MPC - if I add a bit more MPC.
TIA
Yeah, should be fine, I use old, sifted tomato/pepper potting mix for my carrots. Old compost doesn't seem to hold on to water as well though, as it starts breaking down and becoming finer, so I often have trouble keeping the pots watered in hot weather.
Cheers - and I'll keep an eye on the watering.
Agree with TMTT, I use spent compost, merely because I'm tight
Yep I've used spent compost too with some sand mixed in and some top soil to make up the volume as I was making an old recycling box in to a carrot box and needed the volume. I generally reuse the same box each year, just dig out the top half of the soil, stir some fertiliser of some variety in to the lower soil, then put the old stuff back on. Makes the carrots nice and straight and very little forking.
I hope you don't mind me adding a question to your thread PP?
So as a cheaper alternative to say compost can I add sand to most/all beds where I grow veg?
(27-01-2022, 07:36 PM)Broadway Wrote: [ -> ]I hope you don't mind me adding a question to your thread PP?
So as a cheaper alternative to say compost can I add sand to most/all beds where I grow veg?
Depends what you're trying to accomplish I guess. Compost adds nutrients, organic matter and feeds the soil microbiome, but eventually breaks down in to almost nothing. Sand will add bulk and structure but not much else.
(28-01-2022, 11:40 AM)toomanytommytoes Wrote: [ -> ] (27-01-2022, 07:36 PM)Broadway Wrote: [ -> ]I hope you don't mind me adding a question to your thread PP?
So as a cheaper alternative to say compost can I add sand to most/all beds where I grow veg?
Depends what you're trying to accomplish I guess. Compost adds nutrients, organic matter and feeds the soil microbiome, but eventually breaks down in to almost nothing. Sand will add bulk and structure but not much else.
Thanks TMTT
I'm trying to build the levels of the raised beds whilst trying to improve the heavy clay ground.
So far I've used various materials, cardboard, compost, spent soil/compost, leaves, grass clippings, manure.
Just be careful the type of sand you use Danny. Horticultural grid or course sand are good for improving drainage but fine sand can be detrimental and make it even worse. Gypsum is reccomended for clay sois methinks?
I grew the multicoloured variety of carrots last year in a plastic flower trouph. They are still in there yet on the decking and there is plenty of greenery. I need to lift them soon though as the roots tend to go 'hairy' around March to April before plants run to seed.
I probably won't bother with pot grown carrots this coming year but will go back to sowing a goodly ammount on the plot. As has already been mentioned used potting compost can be re-used for carrots but I personally wouldn't use the stuff last years carrots were in but rather compost that had toms or cukes in last year.
I tried an experiment once where I used the same outdoor bed two years running for growing carrots. Bad Idea, as the second year I had poor results and loads of bug problems. Just saying.
I use spent tomato/potato compost with a bit more washed river sand added and a bit of multi purpose fertilizer mixed in and I grow in MFBs. Result, nice straight carrots and very little carrot fly damage.