Carrots in Pots

[Ian F]

As a follow on to the discussion on potatoes in pots, I have also had good results growing carrots in pots in an unheated greenhouse. I use a 50/50 mix of growbag material and sharp sand.

I planted mine last weekend, using Early Nantes seeds, as I have done for the last few years. I don't keep detailed records, but they easily beat seeds sown into the open ground.

[John]

Interesting, Ian. What size pot do you use?

John

[sandersj89]

I do very much the same, indeed have done so for a few years now.

I use the deep pots that clematis often come in, sow very thickly and do a pot every 2 or 3 weeks from November through to Feb. This give nice baby carrots very early.

Jerry

[richard p]

i grew some in a plastic baby bath last year, got two old toilets to try this year just to wind up the kids ( and the missus!!).
our garden soil is shallow and stoney so am now using a variety of pots and containers , even a couple of baths, for carrots. usually use a mix of soil, compost and manure with mulches of lawn mowings through the summer. the exact proportions depend on what ive got to hand when filling a new pot. used ones just get topped up from the compost heap for the next crop.

[lizzie]

I grew carrots in two deep plastic storage boxes, about 20 inches high. The crop was fine and no carrot root fly. Will be doing the same this year but more carefully. Last year I just threw the seeds in to see what would happen.

I'll try the successional sowing this year and see what happens.

[Ian F]

John,

I use florists buckets from the supermarket - they work just fine as I harvest the carrots when small, and just wash them before use

[Carole B.]

I did some early ones in 10" pots in an unheated glasshouse last spring the first potfull was very good and then the mice discovered the other two and chomped them off at soil level and about 1/2" down.Grrrrr...
Carole.

[Guest]

I do very much the same, indeed have done so for a few years now.

I use the deep pots that clematis often come in, sow very thickly and do a pot every 2 or 3 weeks from November through to Feb. This give nice baby carrots very early.

Jerry

What type of seeds do you use for the winter sowings? sre they an early variety, or an autumn one

[sandersj89]

I tend to use Early Nantes, then pick them as baby carrots, very sweet, no need to peel and full of taste.

Jerry

[darren c]

I too had good results last year with carrots in pots.I did two popts with Marshalls Primo and ended up giving one to my neighbour as they overlapped with my 2nd sowing of Early Nantes.Last autumns sowing of Amsterdam Forcing and Primo which have overwintered in my polytunnel are looking promising these should be even earlier.