Allotments 4 All

Has anybody ever grown Carrots in Pots?  I have put a couple of Rows up the allotment but the Carrots I planted in Pots seem to be coming up a treat!  

Adam,

i am growing carrots in pots for the first year. using wide, deep pots. This is due to only having a small garden and most of it being stoney, clay soil. they seem to be growing well, but haven't harvested any yet, so can't comment on the actual root!

And why not? But a bit limiting? = Tim

limiting - yes - that's why the big pots, and why I've chosen short-rooted varieties. I don't want big maincrop carrots, just sweet juicy little ones.

I'm growing Parmex, which are round, because I had some left over mainly, they taste fine and are designed for stony soil.

Jeremy.

I am growing mine in 45 gallon barrels. (see picture)

The secret is do not water them after sowing.

Let them go after their own moisture, you will find that enough moisture falls from the sky to sustain them.

However I don't know how you would go on with smaller pots, perhaps if they were sunk i the soil up to their rim they would succeed.



This was taken last July, when they are just abut ready for thinning out to one carrot per station.

Interesting!  I think I may have used to smaller pots but maybe I will be able to get some baby carrots form them!  I was also thinking that by using Pots you could eliminate the carrot fly problem and they are supposed to come in very low?

Adam - I think carrot flies go up to a couple of feet above the ground. Until now, I've kept my pots covered in fleece, but now the greens are getting too big for that, I'm moving them to on top of my nursery table, so they'll be about 3-4ft above ground.

I know we have talked about this before......think about the size of these wee beasties and how just a light breeze could lift them way up into the air currents where they could drift over barriers.  Fleece or some sort of micro mesh has been discussed seems to be the only way if the fly is a problem.  This is my first full season on my allotment and not many folks grow carrots so I am chancing this year and seeing what the outcome is. :-\  Previously we have grown the little round carrots and short dumpy rooted ones in the biggest pots we could find, and always had a good picking - my problem with carrots, to darn impatient and the lot are eaten when still only babies!

Yes I always grow a few carrots in pots in my greenhouse. I only use a small pot (about the size you buy a Rose in at garden centres). I've thinned them out now. The thinnings were yummy eaten raw and whole and I've left the rest to develop into full size carrots

I am off to the lottie now for a bit of watering.

Ive decided to plant my carrots in a raised bed which I shall cover with fleece - although haven't transplanted them yet.

What do others think?

Debs

Not sure if carrots (and other root crops) like being transplanted, though I have seen beetroot plants for sale in the garden centres.

Adam,

A sprinkling of black powder or flash powder will keep the flies off.

I have planted some amsterdam forcing in a 14" pot and only half of them have come up and are not looking impresive

I watered them frequently and kept the pot in a bath tray

Have I over watered them ???