Preparing the soil in preparation for carrots

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I dug down about a foot and removed the native soil by spreading it around the garden. This morning I filled the hole with a bag of sand mixed with Osmocote® and a small bag of Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting soil. Looks like I am going to need some more. I have a bag of seed starter soil standing by, but I need to bring the level up higher before I add that to the very top layer. The carrot seeds will go into the top layer.

By the way, if you are wondering how to dig a hole like this in Arizona clay without pickaxes or blasting equipment - try this trick: Dig as much as you comfortably can and then fill the hole with water. When it soaks in, it turns the clay into a goop that you can scoop out. Watch out for your back - it's heavy! I started this hole yesterday, filled it up with water, and finished it this morning.  This is pretty much how I have planted all of my plants. I like to say that my plants aren't really planted in the ground - they are planted in "clay pots" dug out of the desert ground.

So be generous with the sand and the potting soil - that's where your plants are really living. It just looks like Arizona.

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