Carrot question

[bobbin]

Can anyone advise on container growing carrots? I've grown them in a very big planter before but they took ages and some were finger size but many not worth eating as too small Did I put too many seeds in container.? I grew a fab crop last year in my raised bed but every last one had carrot fly. Despite marigolds and not thinning out.
I won't be beaten!

[Greenleaves]

I cant help with the container question but I am someone will be along soon who can, Potty, Bill HH etc. As regards carrot fly I find the only way is enviromesh. Debris netting will afford a degree of protection but the weave is not fine enough. Cheap net curtains will also help.

[Lumpy]

The carrots I had last year were planted in an old council recycle container. Watering needs to be done very regularly as they dry out so quick. As for carrot fly I just put a bamboo cane in each corner, draped enviromesh over it all and secured it in place with a lond bungee? cord I sneaked out of the shed. That made access for thinning and picking etc very easy.

[Nannysally99]

We grow carrots in long containers, never had a problem with carrot fly (famous last words). Our carrots never get too big as we eat them more raw than cooked.
Going to try a pot this year and see if I can get some longish ones

[bobbin]

[QUOTE=Nannysally99;1324354]We grow carrots in long containers, never had a problem with carrot fly (famous last words). Our carrots never get too big as we eat them more raw than cooked.

Nannysally can you tell me what your long containers are? Thanks for your replies folks,any more welcome. Lumpy...I think you are right about enviromesh being the way to go with carrots and maybe salads too as I never succeed beating flea beetle.Never having used it I am uncertain of what sort of framework to erect. Do you staple or tie the mesh..the carrot seed is so fine I can't think of any other way to sow it other than in a bit of sand. I didn't even thin out last year and still got raging c/fly..
So frustrating pulling up wonderful carrots all damaged. They are in raised beds too.

[Jay-ell]

I'm sure that my gran used cornflour to sow fine seeds. Mix it into a thin paste with water, mix in the seed so that it is evenly distributed in the paste, put Into a sandwich bag, snip off the corner so that there is a small enough hole amd then use it like a piping bag.

If you get the right mix of seed to paste you shouldn't have to thin much and your seeds go further.

[Dorothy rouse]

I'm going to try growing carrots in some of those council recycling containers, we no longer use them here and someone had thrown some out, so we'll see, will then just throw Environmesh over. I did use Environmesh last year, and had reasonable carrots. They'll a fair bit of filling I guess.

[Nannysally99]

Maybe the secret is that we grow onions in the other long container next to it. Didn't grow onions last season, so planted a lone onion slap in the middle of the carrots. Seemed to have worked ok. Picked the last stragglers this week with GG , went into shepherds pie.
Hubby made these metal containers before he retired, approx 36" long each one. Quite deep, but I have put bricks for drainage instead of pebbles.
Will put the carrots in pots next to the onions and keep fingers crossed again

[Kristen]

I didn't even thin out last year and still got raging c/fly..
So frustrating pulling up wonderful carrots all damaged. They are in raised beds too.

Sounds like Carrot Fly is prevalent in your area, others who don't have a problem may well not have any / many fly in their area - lucky them!

Raised beds won't help, nor will marigolds. They may not be able to fly high, but some will get swept up on air currents, and marigolds will only deter. It only takes one or two fly getting through to wreck the crop

I think the fly over winters in the soil? If so make sure you rotate your crops to a fresh patch / compost [in containers] otherwise emerging fly will be under your netting

Enviromesh, or similar, netting is the only answer as far as I am concerned.

[Bill HH]

I grow quite a few in council containers but its so easy to plant them too thickly. I plant 2 seeds every 4 inches and prick the worst one out later, if none come up i sow them again. You dont get many in a council container that way but 16 goodens is better than a 100 useless tiny things.
As for carrot fly, I agree with the others mesh is the only answer, I have grown them on my garage roof which is 10 feet high and still had the fly. You cant just chuck the mesh over them though it needs a frame to carry it and it needs to be 2 ft above the soil level, its amazing how high they grow. Also make sure there are no gaps because they will find them for sure.

[Kristen]

Easier perhaps? to put several containers inside a "frame & net" protector, rather than net each one?

[Bill HH]

Easier perhaps? to put several containers inside a "frame & net" protector, rather than net each one?

Thats is in fact just what I do, i start them in the poly then when im sure they are all growing they go outside, six containers together and I push a cane into the corners and cross canes to make an enclosure. Then net gets taped round the bottom apart from one side for access which is weighed down with timber.

[Penellype]

I've constructed a semi-permanent veggiemesh cage for brassicas and carrots against my garage wall. Its made of parts of a fruit cage frame, but you could do the same with canes and connectors or hoops if you had soil to push the canes/hoops into (mine is on flag stones). I weight the mesh down with bricks so it is reasonably easy to lift for harvesting. The carrots are grown in 18" square pots. The biggest issue with carrots in pots (apart from the pesky flies) is watering. Last year I left the pots standing on slug and weed matting with no water reservoir, and almost all my carrots were small despite watering daily. In previous years I have put the pots in drip trays, which I felt was leaving them too wet when it rained, but I had much better carrots, so I will be using trays again this year.