carrots, when/howto sow?

[Andrew in Cardiff]

hi all,
i have a quick question on carrots. i have an unused bath on my allotment, i was thinking of filling it with earth and growing carrots in it. would this be a good or bad thing to do? i was going to fill it with spare earth.
would i need to add anything in with the earth? and (if this is a good idea)when and how should i sow the seeds?
any thoughts/suggestions are most helpful.
best regards to everyone,
Andrew.

[Pippin]

Hi Andrew

Carrots grow best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. Growing carrots in a heavy soil and one that is stoney will cause the carrot roots to become deformed... some of these shapes will certainly make you smile and even blush!

A deeply dug, light sandy soil is best for harvesting the longer varieties. If it is heavy or stoney grow the more stumpy varieties of carrot.

Try not to plant carrots into soil that has had compost recently dug into it (last 12 months) as this can cause the carrot roots to become deformed also. To lighten the soil add peat.

Start getting the bed ready two weeks before sowing the carrot seed. Break down the surface to a fine tilth and rake in a general fertiliser.

In your situation using a bath as a container gives you the ideal opportunity to get your growing medium just right. Make sure you leave the plug out so the excess water can drain away.

I can see you growing some great long rooted varieties in a container like this. It would also be easy to protect against the dreaded carrot fly which is at its worst in May.

Pippin

[rustylady]

I suppose you could, but the drainage wouldn't be good and it could turn into a mud bath (sorry!)

You can grow carrots in containers, but if you have an allotment I would just sow rows of them into the earth. Or you could make a raised bed. My book says sow carrots in April in open ground, or March under cloches. Depends on whether your site is sheltered and warm, I suppose.

Some of our allotment holders have turned discarded baths into mini wildlife ponds. Seal the plughole, sink into the ground and fill with water. You can plant up with miniature varieties of acquatic plants. Do be careful, though, if children go onto the site, and leave a plank or something so wildlife can get out of the water. Even frogs find it hard to get out of a steep-sided pond

[Pippin]

I see where Rustylady is coming from and her points are valid.

But for me growing veg is about experimentation and having an adventure. Planting your carrots in a bath tub are going to be extra to what you usually grow so worth the trial to get that bit more out of your plot.

Another way to aid drainage is to fill the bottom with rocks, old house bricks or chunks of polystyrene. Yes you will need to give a little extra feed over the growing period and watering in prolonged dry periods will be important.

Give it a go and take photo for us to see - if it doesn`t work, I understand mud baths are good for the skin... definitely take a photo of that though .

Pippin

[JennieAtkinson]

Andrew I got hold of an old mussel raft two years ago for planting strawberries in (bit like a bath when cut in two) and even though I drilled holes in the bottom and filled the bottom half with stones and rocks, it was filled to the top with stinking water all last summer. And this winter! I have now managed to drain it by tipping it on its side and am going to turn it into a damp garden with flowers.

But its worth a try!!

[Andrew in Cardiff]

wow! lots of varying thoughts. my first thought was to drill drainage holes and with the added idea of using bricks or polystyrene i thought it could turn into a winner. As mentioned above, the bath is an idea for avoiding the carrot fly and to leave extra room for other things to grow on the plot.
pippin! not sure about taking photos of myself 'in' the mud bath, i just don't think the world or my allotment buddys are quite ready for that yet! LOL
it must be said, i can now fore see a water logged bath. hhhmmmm!

[supersprout]

I've not yet succeeded with carrots on my new (2 years old) allotment. This year I'm going to use Tee Gee's V-shaped trench method and piglet's carrot seed (Carrot d'Eysines) which is short and fat Successional sowing in clusters of round varieties - Paris Market and Parmex - have given us a few fresh carrots throughout the year, but I want to grow enough for cooking and storing too

[roitelet]

I started a thread 'Inch by Inch' last year which I found worked well and this year I am going to do the same thing but with Supersprouts seed tapes which will make life easier. I also net mine which keeps the carrot fly off

Best of luck

[welsh veg grower]

I started growing veg last year and I grew my carrots in the builders bags you know the ones they deliver sand in mixed sand, soil and compost in up to half way (about a foot and half deep) and had really great carrots all summer (two bags wre used and planted them a month apart) as they grew and carrot fly time came I rolled up the sides higher and it seemed to work. Going to try it again this year. Question though, will I have to empty all the soil mix and start again, what do you all think?