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It's strange that with carrots they really benefit so much from good sunlight. It is expected that sweet apples and oranges come from sunny sites but it is very true too about carrots. Some carrots are better pulled young and others need a good season's growth to develop a really good flavour. Potassium is nescessary for good flavour, you can get this from fresh wood ash. Light soils grow the best carrots. Clay is not very good for carrot growing. I'm sure David will verify what I say. Roger
Very true what Roger says here Myrna. However, the type of tree that you get your wood ash from can make a huge difference also. If the wood ash comes from a hardwood, the ph is generally in the 6.0 to 7.5 range, which is good for most veggies, including carrots. If the wood ash comes from cedar, pine, or spruce, then it tends to be more acidic. When it comes to the nutrients in the soil, it is true that if carrots reach the nutrients too soon that they can branch out. However, if the nutrients are evenly distributed throughout the soil, that won't be a problem, so make sure that any compost, manure, wood ashes, etc.... are evenly distributed by tilling the soil well. Carrots, like most vegetables, need full sun, and if that's not available, then at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. Anything less than that and they won't develop nearly as well as they would in full sunlight.
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