Carrots in containers

**Kimberlina** · 03-13-2005, 06:32 PM

Reading some of the other posts, I noticed that carrots seem to be fussy veggies to grow. I've never grown them before- this year will be my first year. I don't like monkeying with seedlings only to have them die off in the garden, so I did some research on container growing these things. I thought I would share what I have learned.

1) Carrots can be grown successfully in containers.
2) The containers need to allow for a minimum depth of 12" of soil.
3) 15" of soil is better if you are not growing a stubbier variety.
4) Some smaller varieties: Scarlet Nantes, Minicor, Touchon, Little Finger
5) Carrots don't need a lot of space (just depth) so they are actually well-suited to containers- you can get dozens of carrot from a relatively small container.
6) You still need decent soil.

Since carrots and tomatoes are supposed to be good companions, I am thinking about trying that hanging tomato bucket I saw somewhere ( (Here)
with some cherry tomatoes in the bottom and carrots in the top of a 5 gallon bucket just for fun. (Of course, I will grow come cherry tomatoes in the ground, too, though I have had good luck with them in containers in the past.) It would definitely be an experiment because I am not sure how the tomato roots and carrots will compete for space. Maybe I would just plant the carrots around the edges....

**forestdale** · 03-13-2005, 06:44 PM

Kimberly, thanks for sharing that information. I'll be very interested to see how your experiement works out.

**Sara Noel** · 03-13-2005, 07:05 PM

I tried carrots in a big clay pot years ago. They grew fine, but not straight. I don't know what I did "wrong".

They tasted fine, but just didn't look like carrots. lol

**kimmie** · 03-14-2005, 11:45 AM

I have never grown carrots that look pretty. I'd probably have a heart attack if I pulled a lovely looking carrot! I'll be interested to see how this experiment works as well!

**Kimberlina** · 03-14-2005, 12:08 PM

Here is what I found out about crooked carrots:

"Crooked carrots
The number one frustration that is likely to confront novice carrot growers occurs when, after weeks and weeks of care, they begin their harvest and find that instead of long, slender tapering carrots, they've produced misshapen, branched roots that fork into a whole lot of different directions. To avoid this problem try to:

* Grow carrots in soil that is deep, even and well-drained. Hard, lumpy or gravelly soil will encourage each root to fork in many directions.
* Grow carrots in soil that has been well fertilised for a previous crop. Pockets of fresh manure or fertiliser will encourage roots to branch.
* Grow short varieties (like Yates Baby). [Longer verieties tend to bend more because there is not enough quality soil for them. -K.]
* Grow carrots in long pots or containers (champion carrot growers often sow their prizewinning roots into terracotta drainpipes or plastic tubes.)"

*Crooked carrots can be old
*Too little boron in the soil can cause forked carrots
*It can also be the carrot variety
*

**forestdale** · 03-14-2005, 01:59 PM

Kimberly, you'll do better with your carrots if you sow the seeds directly into the garden soil. Planting out carrot seedlings tends to distort them too.

**Kimberlina** · 03-14-2005, 02:55 PM

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that! I did notice that somewhere in my wandering this morning. Thanks for the remnder!

I do plant on sewing directly into whatever I am going to keep them in. I intend to do that with several veggies this year.

Here's to straight

!