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Carrots in raised beds- help please

 
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Hello! So I built some raised beds in my backyard and have some carrots in them. I filled the beds with soil and peat moss. I have already sown the seeds and they are about 1-3 inches tall. I have noticed they have been the same height for about 3 weeks and realized that I possibly did not loosen the soil enough. Can I loosen it underneath them without disturbing them?
I’m in central Texas and they’re getting sunlight and water. I have not done any fertilizers though since it’s new soil in there.
Thanks in advance!
 
pioneer
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Location: Wisconsin Zone 5a
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I wish I had an answer to your question. I actually bought Danver half-longs this year just so I could avoid what you are going through.
 
pollinator
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Location: Basque Country, Spain-43N lat-Köppen Cfb-Zone8b-1035mm/41" rain: 118mm/5" Dec., 48mm/2" July
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If you've built raised beds and put soil in there that's been moved, and even mixed in some peat, then the soil should be loose enough for a carrot to get through. Carrots don't like root disturbance, so avoid working right near the roots. Don't fertilize your carrots, that makes them grow more greens than carrot. If the tops aren't growing for a bit but the roots are (the carrots) that could actually be a great success, you might be doing just fine. I gauge root diameter occasionally by sticking a pinkie in the soil on either side and seeing how thick it is. If that's moving forward, you're doing great. Also don't forget to thin them out, make sure there's only one carrot root growing at each location.
 
master gardener
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Due to it being a new bed, I would let the carrots ride it out as is if it were me.

As stated previously, carrots do not tolerate a whole lot of soil disturbance. I think you would be better off not touching it and suffering a possible reduced harvest than potentially losing the whole harvest.

If it isn't up to snuff after this harvest, you can doctor up the soil to have better tilthe.
 
pollinator
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My carrots are also growing very slooooowly.  I'm assuming that is normal and just letting them do what they want to do at this point.  We've had lots of rain lately, I think once we get more sunshine they'll start to grow more?
 
pollinator
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Central Texas here too. My carrots did the same very slow growth then took off a few days ago. I would just leave them unless they need to be thinned out.

What variety carrots did you plant?
 
master steward
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I am not seeing a problem.  Like others have said, ride it out.
 
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Location: Texas hilll country
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carrots seem to take forever to grow. i'm in the hill country and put carrots in a large container with good loose soil. they sat at five to six inches tall for six months. finally at about eight months some started to form roots. approaching a year i pulled the a few at a time. roots about two inches long , give or take. tasted great. not too tough. will try again this year but don't know what to do different to allow them to grow better.
 
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