Forked Carrots, a Different Kind of Carrot

We are so accustomed to finding perfectly-shaped fruits and vegetables in the supermarket that I hope the carrot on the right doesn’t scare you.

When I pulled the forked carrot from my garden’s soil the other day, I had a feeling it had hit a rock or stone, causing it to trifurcate. My suspicions were confirmed by my friend Peter Garnham, a Master Gardener who has taught me a great deal about gardening over the last several years.

“The carrot root certainly encountered something,” he said. “With what they call "carrot soils" you can stiffen your fingers and plunge your hand into the soil almost to the elbow. It takes a while to get that much organic matter in place to make the soil so "fluffy," but then you wouldn't get such interesting-looking carrots!"

The fluffy, loose soil Peter alluded to allows the carrots to grow straight.

My thumb does have some green in it, though, as evidenced by the photo on the left, which shows the other carrots I harvested.