Carrots in a container

[sheeshshe]

I'm thinking I might try growing carrots in a container this year. Wouldn't it be helpful to do it that way so that you can control the type of soil you put in? Like add more peat moss or coconut coir etc?

[rainbowgardener]

I never think carrots are a very efficient use of container space. Plant a carrot seed in a container and it sits there taking up space for six months, then you pull out one carrot and eat it and it's all over. Since container space is by definition limited, I prefer to use it for things that keep on producing -- green leafies, tomatoes, peppers, beans....

But if you've got a bunch of extra containers sitting around with nothing to put in them I'm sure your carrots would like it. Be sure they are at least a foot deep.

The square foot gardening people, who make very enriched soil and then plant it very full, say you can put 16 carrots in a square foot.

[sheeshshe]

Yes, I have a bunch of 5 gal food grade buckets that I used for my plants last year, I am trying to decide on what to put in them this year... trying to maximize my space and figure out the most efficient way of doing it . I was never successful with carrots, so it seems like potentially a neat way of trying it again.

[silkcom]

It's definitely worth a try. You could even plant several in the container. Give them 2 or 3 inches of space and just fit as many in as you can. You can get more lbs of food out of planting something like a cucumber or tomato, but if you're trying to get carrots, then that's a good way to learn what works in your area. You might also try double digging in your garden beds for carrots and adding a little peat and sand. Post here to let us know how well they work in containers in your area .