Carrots in containers?

[*Lavender*]

Hello,

Hoping you can help with the hundreds of questions I have about this!

Because I have a small garden with poor clay soil, I'm going to attempt to grow some carrots in containers this year. I have 3 containers approx 38cm diameter and 35cm deep. I've filled them with a mix of multi-purpose compost and some sharp sand. I have 3 types I'd like to grow: Chantenay, Paris Market and Rainbow Mix.

Any idea how many I could plant in each container? I'd like to plant some every few weeks so they're not all ready at once. Am I better sowing a full tub at a time with the 3 different varieties, or sticking to the same variety in each tub?

Also, should I start to sow the seeds now, or wait till the end of the month to hopefully avoid carrot fly? I was going to cover the tubs with some fleece to help protect them as well, and I'm also hoping that because we live in an urban area where no one else nearby seems to be growing any veg, that there won't be many carrot fly about (or am I wrong on that?!)

Hoping someone can help - thanks!

[JO,JO]

i grew parmex in two containers in feb,they have there second leaves now i just scattered them on the compost and manure and covered lightly with soil.what i intend to do is not to thin and just pull enough for me and oh at diffrent stages of carrot growth every time i pull i will then resow seed there.i also have four rows of nantes 2 in raised beds sown 4 weeks after,i am then gowing to sow another lot of seeds next week
i think you might be right with the carrot fly we will just have to wait and see!

[oldie]

Allegedly carrot fly can't higher than 50cm so if you raise the container a bit you should not have any problems. Otherwise you should have plenty depth to give a good crop.

[Tigerella]

Hi

I have carrots and parsnips just coming through.
I have my buckets in the green house, on a shelf.
I will put them out when I have no space left.

I didnt label them all, do carrots and parsnips seedlings both look the same, like 2 thin leaves.

T

[JO,JO]

wait while you get the first true leaves then you will be able to distinguish

[Novice Gardener]

Lavender, like you my soil was very poor but I'd wanted to grow veg in my tiny garden for years, so last year I bought a couple of packets of carrots, lettuce & beetroot & sowed them in big pots. I didn't do anything special to care for them apart from watering them every day, twice a day when it was hot and I had enough lettuce to last the whole summer through plus enough carrots and beets for quite a few meals. Go for it, you've got nothing to loose

[Two_Sheds]

Any idea how many I could plant in each container?
Think how wide a carrot is and allow that distance between each. You will probably thin them out to about 2 inches apart.

Am I better sowing a full tub at a time with the 3 different varieties, or sticking to the same variety in each tub?
I would definitely keep one variety per pot. Or else you'll just see a pot full of leaf and not know which is which.

should I start to sow the seeds now, or wait till the end of the month to hopefully avoid carrot fly?
Sow now: I would always cover them against carrot fly, don't take the chance.

PS. Parmex is a short-rooted variety.
PPS. Don't sow carrots into manured ground, they will fork.

SORRY FOR THE LACK OF EMPHASIS OR QUOTES, MY PAGE ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY. SMILIES NOT WORKING EITHER.

[Maf]

Did I read somewhere that you shouldn't manure carrots as it causes them to split ?

[Novice Gardener]

Did I read somewhere that you shouldn't manure carrots as it causes them to split ?

Oh sh!t!!!! I just planted them in my raised beds this year, which my neighbour kindly quarter filled (well maybe not quite quarter) with manure....... oh well, too late now

[Two_Sheds]

Oh sh!t!!!! I just planted them in my raised beds this year, which my neighbour kindly quarter filled (well maybe not quite quarter) with manure....... oh well, too late now

well you'll get some interesting shapes... make sure you post pix on the Vine so we can all see

[Michelle]

I'm growing carrots in tubs again this year - got two massive buckets that used to contain tennis balls (OH is a coach).

Our first year growing them direct into the ground produced some very 'interesting' results!

Last year we did them in tubs and they were fab. I didn't thin too much, just pulled some of them up as babies, and left some to get bigger.

I know onions deter carrot fly so I planted spring onions in the tub too, all mixed in with the carrots. Don't know whether it was the spring onions or the height of the tub, but we didn't have any pest problems.

I'm going to sow this year's tomorrow, rainbox mix & lisbon spring onions in one tub, and my other variety (can't remember what it is!) in the other.

Michelle

[Maf]

Oh sh!t!!!! I just planted them in my raised beds this year, which my neighbour kindly quarter filled (well maybe not quite quarter) with manure....... oh well, too late now

Maybe we can resurect 'That's Life' and have a rude root veg thread later in the year

[Alice]

helo Lavender, I'm sure you'll be very successful with your carrots in containers - they work well for me. I would plant your different varieties in separate containers. Take your time to plant the seeds out 1" apart each way and you won't need to thin. You can plant them now - mine are doing fine outdoors. I've never had a problem with carrot fly. And don't use any manure - I just grow them in the compost from a grow bag.
This year I've got some in containers and some in beds Early Nantes in containers and Autumn King in beds, so interested to see how they do. Good luck.

[deezyb]

hi lavender...you'll have no problem with growing carrots in containers at all...last year I planted in my raised beds, but this year on top of that...I've thrown Parmex and Nantes seed into some old terracotta pots...they're coming on fine! You get loads of seeds in these packets, so experimenting in different containers is a challenge!

[Winky]

My soil is too stony for carrots, had some really weird ones when I tried, so this year I'm growing them in pots, can't wait to see how these do. I'm growing Chatenay red and Amsterdam sprint.