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  • From: Bill Shoemaker <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Thoughts on carrots
  • Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:52:42 -0500 (CDT)

Is it possible they were infected with Carrot Yellows disease? This is caused
by a virus-like organism that is vectored by leafhoppers (if I remember
right). It will cause the roots to become very fibrous and the taproot won't
fill out properly. If infected early there won't be any sign of a healthy
taproot. The tops will be very bushy too.

Bill



> Hi Everyone,
> Thanks for all the good information on this list--I
> learn something new every day!
>
> I have a question about carrots. I planted three
> separate beds of 2 varieties this year (Parisienne,
> Little Finger) and, although they all germinated in
> about 4-5 days, the carrots never got more than one
> or two tiny frilly leaves and the roots were no
> thicker than a string and barely orange. It's like
> they sprouted, but then just stood still for the
> rest of the season. The Parisiennes, which are a
> small round type, weren't even balling up. I am
> wondering what was missing, what they needed that
> they weren't getting and what I can do differently
> next year to get carrots to grow. Any thoughts?
>
> Here's a little background. Everything else in the
> garden--numerous types of greens, beets, Asian
> greens, spring turnips, flowers, herbs--all grew
> really well. We have sandy loam soil. I just
> recently got soil test results back that I took at
> the end of the season: the organic matter is high,
> all major nutrients are adequate except potassium
> and magnesium are a little high.
>
> Although we have a pretty short growing season (last
> spring frost on June 15, first frost on September
> 7), I planted the first batch of carrots on June 12,
> as I mentioned they germinated within 4-5 days, and
> when I pulled them at the end of September, they
> were minute! Same goes for the other beds--I planted
> them at the end of June and beginning of July, and
> they were similarly sprouted but tiny at end of
> September. It gets intensely hot and dry over the
> short summer, and these (as were all the other veg)
> were under 40% shade when it was hot, and under
> lightweight row covers at the beginning and end of
> the season. I even mulched one bed of carrots, but
> that did not seem to make a difference.
>
> Does altitude affect carrots? We're at about 8000
> feet...
>
> Any thoughts or ideas you all might have will be
> greatly appreciated! Thanks!
> Christina Yeager
> Firefly Mountain Produce
> Clark, Colorado
>________________
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>Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
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>
William H Shoemaker, UI-Crop Sciences
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610




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