Kitchen Garden Forum

I have just acquired some big, tall tubs and thought I would try some carrots in them. What is the best thing to fill them with? I was going to try soil from my allotment mixed with a bit of nice well-rotted garden compost and maybe a sprinking of chicken manure.

When we grew carrots in a tub last year we used multi purpose compost.

Thanks. Did it work out expensive? There was something on the TV the other day (mocking the nouveau "grow-your-own" brigade) which claimed it was costing them £1 a carrot! Also - which variety did you grow?

Binky wrote:Thanks. Did it work out expensive? There was something on the TV the other day (mocking the nouveau "grow-your-own" brigade) which claimed it was costing them £1 a carrot! Also - which variety did you grow?

Not quite, it was mocking people who bought carrots as plug plants.

Not too bad as we used the compost on the garden to improve the soil.

Usually we buy compost in three bags for £10. I think they were early Ideal Red (Actually it could have been grow bag medium.

I grow my carrots in a big wooden box made by my husband. In the autumn I fill the box to the top with leaves from the trees and leave all winter. I then jump on the leaves in the spring to compact and top up the box with a mix of compost (b&q large bails are a good price), sand and vermiculite mixed, then sow directly into the mix.

I cover the box with micro mesh and hold the mesh in place with elastic bungees, this gives me easy access to the carrots and keeps carrot fly out.

I always get a great crop of carrots every year. When the cold weather is back I move the box to another bed and spread the remaining leaf matter. with any remaining carrots I make a clamp to store over winter. We are still eating carrots from last year and they are still great.

Hope this helps

Regards

Tracie

tracie wrote:I grow my carrots in a big wooden box made by my husband. In the autumn I fill the box to the top with leaves from the trees and leave all winter. I then jump on the leaves in the spring to compact and top up the box with a mix of compost (b&q large bails are a good price), sand and vermiculite mixed, then sow directly into the mix.

I cover the box with micro mesh and hold the mesh in place with elastic bungees, this gives me easy access to the carrots and keeps carrot fly out.

I always get a great crop of carrots every year. When the cold weather is back I move the box to another bed and spread the remaining leaf matter. with any remaining carrots I make a clamp to store over winter. We are still eating carrots from last year and they are still great.

Hope this helps

Regards

Tracie

Thank you for a much needed smile, Tracie.

oops makes me sound like a manic bunny hopping up and down

I must admit, it made me smile when reading that bit.