whats wrong with my soil

hi i bought some topsoil from a farmer who advertised top grade topsoil so i put it in a large planter i made a couple of feet deep my problem is that ive tried growing some root vegies ie carrots,parsnips and turnips and get a good top growth but when i dig them up they are either stumped in growth, very thin, or have several spurs from each root. The turnips didnt grow down they just grew on the surface.
I have grown strawberries and raspberries in the same soil with good results. what am i doing wrong thanks for any help

 

With root veg stevey, especially carrots, the earth has to be dug over really deep and finer the soil the better, coz carrots need to bury there roots deep without any hinderance. Im sure there are many gardeners on here who will be able to enhance what I am trying to get over. Having said that Ive reread your post........... If you are growing in containers, root veggies will not do to well, they like to get their roots deep into the soil. Good luck and I hope some one can give you better advice. happy growing Stevey!!!

 

thanks for your help

 

In planters I would suggest using mainly multipurpose compost or a mix of soil amd compost.

You might also find that watering two foot of soil requires more than just a watering can to get below the top 1 or 2"