Growing carrots in containers - a few questions

[SaraJH]

Hi all,

What is the best compost to grow carrots in? Do I go for a MPC and add sand at a ratio of 3 parts MPS, 1 part sand? If so, then do I use sharp sand? I'm thinking of also adding some chicken manure pellets.

Second question is at what height do carrot flys fly to? If the container is 40cm tall will this be sufficient or will I still need to protect the plants from carrot fly?

Thanks in advance.

[Small pumpkin]

My carrots are just in mpc. Personally I wouldn't add chicken manure pellets.
No idea about carrot fly. I always grow them in the tunnel and have never had any trouble.

[Potstubsdustbins]

The myth about carrot fly only being able to fly so high is just that.... a myth.

I just use MPC for my carrots.

[KevinM67]

Second question is at what height do carrot flys fly to? If the container is 40cm tall will this be sufficient or will I still need to protect the plants from carrot fly?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Sarah, the first part of your post (which I've not quoted) - will result in a few differing views, which I welcome as I've never had great success with carrots.

Regarding protecting them - for me I'd have a fleece over them throughout, due to the few I thought would be OK through the years being affected.

Strangely enough my neighbour never covers his - they seem to grow well - but I've never seen his results.

[Scoot]

The myth about carrot fly only being able to fly so high is just that.... a myth.

I just use MPC for my carrots.

Is it really?

[greenishfing]

Hi all,


Second question is at what height do carrot flys fly to? If the container is 40cm tall will this be sufficient or will I still need to protect the plants from carrot fly?

Thanks in advance.

One year I planted mine in tall pots on top of a table, about 4 feet high to the soil level. Carrot fly ravaged them. The only solution for me is to cover them VERY carefully. Obviously the carrot fly around here are turbo-charged.

[TrialAndError]

Agree, forget how high or low they fly. But I have found the advice to sow late, around mid-May, does make a difference.

[Potstubsdustbins]

#5 If you think about it ......it's a fly wind can blow it anywhere..........

[Penellype]

I've had some success with a plastic barrier around a bed of carrots, but I agree, the best way is to grow them under a net. I found fleece gave very poor results - the foliage rotted off after a few weeks.

With regard to the compost, carrots don't need a lot of feed but they do need to be kept moist and they will bend or fork if the soil is lumpy or stony. I therefore use last year's potato compost, sieved, with a bit of bfb, and I put an inch or so of fresh mpc on top which I sow the seeds into.