Planting your own vegetables has recently begun to increase rapidly in popularity. While it was once a skill that many people had, the knowledge needed to get good results has largely been lost to the layperson. The falling costs of produce in supermarkets takes a large part of the blame, as it became increasingly convenient and affordable to let someone else do the work of growing veggies.
There are a number of reasons people may have started to return to growing some of their own food. In part, it's because it can take a chunk out of your weekly food bills. But mostly, it seems, there's a growing realisation of how satisfying it can be.
Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables for beginners, but there's one thing missing from the way many people plant them: sand. Without this important addition, you're not quite going to get the results you want.
Roots and soil
As you should already be aware, carrots are root vegetables, so they grow underground. The roots of most plants are thin and agile, so they can weave through all the tiny gaps in the soil in order to spread out and reach water. Since carrots are thick and generally grow straight downwards, this isn't so easy for them.
In fact, garden soil is quite unpredictable, but often contains clay and chalk, which makes it thick and not very good for drainage. This makes it difficult for your carrots to thicken and spread and can leave them waterlogged.
Why sand?
Adding sand to the soil you're planting carrots in really helps to loosen it up. It creates more small gaps, aerates the ground, increases drainage, and gives carrots the freedom to grow big and beautiful.
Using sand to your advantage
So how do you actually go about adding sand to soil? It takes a little bit of time but isn't too much of a strenuous job.
First, pick out the patch of ground you're going to plant your carrots in. Dig the rows out to around 20 centimetres and gently lift the soil, removing any large stones you uncover. Sprinkle the ground with a generous amount of sand and use a small garden fork to slowly mix it through. At this point, you can also mix in some compost or wood ash if you have any, which will help fertilise the ground.
Once you've completed this step, gently pat the earth down, water it and leave it for 24 hours or so before you go ahead with planting your carrot seeds. For more information, contact a business such as Freds Lagoon Hardware.
Share20 July 2017
Hello, my name is Ken and I will be dedicating this blog to the subject of how to get the most out of a business opportunity. I am not a professional businessman, but I have been lucky enough to find myself in a situation where I had the chance to learn a lot about business. It all started when I was hanging out with my brother-in-law and drinking a few beers. I was saying how I would look to open a fishing supplies shop and he told me I would need to learn a thing or two about business before I began chasing my dream. I wasn't so sure, but I accepted an invitation to shadow him while he worked on his business. I learnt so much that I decided I should share it here.
