Carrots indoors

[spudstacker]

Has anyone tried to grow carrots in a container grown in a greenhouse this month or next? If so what are the results. Would like to try, but I amnot sure if worth while.

[Herbie]

I was also going to try carrots in a pots in the greenhouse. The ones that we got free with GYO - Paris Market 4. They are only little ones, so if it doesn't work then can always try again abit later on.

[shirlthegirl43]

If you have the space to give them a try - what is there to lose? There are so many seeds in carrot packets. They take ages to grow anyhoo so you might be lucky if they are warm enough to germinate.

[BarleySugar]

I sowed some of my paris market in a trough in the kitchen, (average temp 16c unless the oven is on!), on 2nd Jan. They were just peeping through this morning, (13th). I have put them out in the unheated greenhouse under fleece now. I did the same with some onion seeds, but they came up on 11th.
If they look OK by 2nd Feb, I'll put some more in.

[Herbie]

I sowed some of my paris market in a trough in the kitchen, (average temp 16c unless the oven is on!), on 2nd Jan. They were just peeping through this morning, (13th). I have put them out in the unheated greenhouse under fleece now. I did the same with some onion seeds, but they came up on 11th.
If they look OK by 2nd Feb, I'll put some more in.

I am going to do this and see how they go. My dog loves carrots and the give aways are just the right size for a treat If they work he will just have to share them!

[Yuccaman]

I grew some chantenay in one of the tubs I have busy Lizzies in during the summer. I just chucked some seed in about Feb last year, stuck it in the corner of the greenhouse and got about 20 carrots from an 18" pot. I have some more in now that I put in in October. They are growing but SLOWLY as it's so cold! I think it is probably worth using something round or stump rooted - I want to try Parmex next.

[ixi1456]

i have started to grow carrots in containers..started on the second jan 09 put 2 seeds into loo rolls and then into one of them containers that plug plants get delivered in and put them on the window sill during the day and on the floor at night the carrots are mignon and one lot of paramex just using growbag soil in the bog rolls also i have got some planted in a 18in pot which are doing fine will try to put them out in a cold frame (when i buy one next month) and see what happens as this is my first attempt at carrots i have no experiance of how they grow or for that matter anything else as i only started to grow last year and that was spinach and cabbage which the slugs and capapillers ate but i have bought a net and will try again should be fun as i have only a strip of land which is 2 feet wide and 6 feet long with a clay soil and at least 100 tons of stone chips dug in for drainage by the last person who had the house.(might try a raised bed)

[tootles]

I now have lots of paint and render tubs which I will be planting with carrots, but not until 4th Feb though.......

[pambelina79]

I put my seeds in begining of January, I sowed them in a trough. Left them in the house for a bit then put them in the green house, which might I add, had a frost in recently. However the carrots are fine and seem to be well established.

[BrideXIII]

going to start mine off in loo rolls on the 9th feb ( and/or paper pots), then put them straight in to the ground when they are well established.

[Cutecumber]

I advise not starting carrots in any kind of module or roll. Unless you are lucky and extremely vigilant it is a recipe for disaster.

You need to appreciate that the first root to grow - the tap root which becomes the carrot - will be at the bottom of any tube before you know it. Try it, and you'll see. Once it gets there, it will send out more roots, thus causing forking and mishapen carrots.

Secondly, when you come to plant the carrots it is extremely fiddly. They are not strong seedlings and are easily broken.

At this time of year (I don't start any until mid February myself) you should sow very thinly, straight in to a large pot and keep them cool. If they are warm, they grow too tall and you will have trouble keeping them upright.

Oh, and before I go, don't be fooled into thinking the ball-shaped carrots are perfect for a pot. They were bred to be useful in shallow soil, not containers. You will get a heavier crop from a pot if you use early small types like Nantes. They do fine in a pot 30cm deep. Honestly.

And there endeth today's lesson.

[Herbie]

I advise not starting carrots in any kind of module or roll. Unless you are lucky and extremely vigilant it is a recipe for disaster.

You need to appreciate that the first root to grow - the tap root which becomes the carrot - will be at the bottom of any tube before you know it. Try it, and you'll see. Once it gets there, it will send out more roots, thus causing forking and mishapen carrots.

Secondly, when you come to plant the carrots it is extremely fiddly. They are not strong seedlings and are easily broken.

At this time of year (I don't start any until mid February myself) you should sow very thinly, straight in to a large pot and keep them cool. If they are warm, they grow too tall and you will have trouble keeping them upright.

Oh, and before I go, don't be fooled into thinking the ball-shaped carrots are perfect for a pot. They were bred to be useful in shallow soil, not containers. You will get a heavier crop from a pot if you use early small types like Nantes. They do fine in a pot 30cm deep. Honestly.

And there endeth today's lesson.

Cheers Cutecumber But Ive already done it So gonna have to learn this lesson the hard way Mine were sown thinly last Friday and are sat in the utility room. Still live and learn

[BarleySugar]

I had some Paris Market carrots free with my Christmas Pressie, a framework which holds 12 troughs. It seems like the suppliers thought they should be suitable for containers, so it will be interesting to see how they do.

[Cutecumber]

It seems like the suppliers thought they should be suitable for containers

That's a sweet thing to say but the bottom line is that the suppliers want to sell you seeds and make money. Take everything they write with a pinch of salt. Often, the people writing the catalogues and websites must have some strange direction from the breeders, too, considering what I have read.

I would say that they (spherical carrots) are a novelty crop in a pot - you just don't get the best possible crop for the space.

[Marthaclematis]

I'm pleased I found this thread as I too am going to grow some carrots in a bucket this year. Very happy to hear I can sow them straight into the container. Might pop down to the village and get some compost right now. Seems now is about the right time. Can anyone tell me when they will be ready to eat? How much water do they need? I was quite successfull with potatoes in pots last year, I quite enjoyed coming home from work and watering them every night. Oh and one more thing. I bought these seeds from Lidl and they don't seem to have a name.. the packet says 'carrot - berlikumer 2' 'Daucus carota'. What does this mean? Sorry, I have no idea !!