Growing veggies

Question

I am trying to grow full size veggies at home . I have a plot of dirt about 3 feet wide by 15 feet in length and 2 feet high. The dirt consists of bags of planting mix(miracle grow) and several bags of deodorized manure. I recently harvested best and once again the roots where really small. The largest being the size of a large marble. I fed the plants with fish fertilizer 5.1.1. What am I doing wrong? Had the same issues when I tried to grow carrots and green onions in the past. The tops of the beets and carrots look good, but when I harvest them, they are beyond miniature. Thank you for any pointers you can give me.

Answer 1

There are a few issues that could be going on here. First, if you are growing in planting bags, the soil in the bags could be heating up and stunting the growth of the roots. This often happens with black or dark-colored planting bags. Second, the soil may be drying out between waterings, which could cause the roots to have difficulty expanding in the soil. Try watering more deeply to correct this. Third, carrots are susceptible to a disease called root knot nematode, which can make the roots small and also deformed:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/root-knot-nematode.htm

Also see these articles for some other possibilities:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/beets/beets-small-or-deformed.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/carrot/fix-deformed-carrots.htm