container carrot harvest

[Avonnow]

Now I want to do that, I have limited space and do alot of container planting , but never though in my wildest dreams carrots would do well. How much did you plant and then thin, or did you just let them do whatever. They look great!!!! I am going to try this!!!

[mhannum]

Wow - I didn't know one could get that many carrots out of a container that big - very well done!

[Bobberman]

Its true that carrots will grow better in strained or fine homemade composted soil! more control in containers! looking forward to it next year. Just think of it find a bad ground area roll out some cardbopard or the back of a old carpet and place you containers on top with no worry about weeds! I have many areas like that that get plentyof sun or shade if necessary! Container gardening might become the thing to do!

[ReptileAddiction]

I usually grow carrots in containers. I love it. This year I experimented and put them in a box with a plastic bag inside filled with sand. It was a total 100% failure. I watered them VERY lightly but all the seeds washed to one side of the container. When they came up there was a little forest there and the rest was bare. Then when they were about 1 inch high these weird mushrooms grew. They were like nothing I have ever seen and I couldnt find anything that looked like them on the internet. I just let them all shrivel up after that it wasnt worth it I decided. I think the mushrooms came from the dried manure I mixed in but I am not sure.

[sciencegal]

How much did you plant and then thin, or did you just let them do whatever.

I sprinkled the seeds lightly on wet soil using one of those handy pocket seeders. Then, I covered them lightly with seedling starter mix because it's very fine. It is true that the seeds can wash out to the edges when you water so I covered the top with row cover (agri-bon I think you call it) but didn't let it touch the soil, just tied twine around it at the sides to keep it stretched out above the surface. Then I watered through the row cover which kept the soil from washing to the edges and the row cover kept the moisture in as well.

I uncovered them and thinned when they started to show the ferny looking leaves and then kept thinning as they got larger. At harvest many of the carrots were touching each other.

I think the carrots work well in the wooden barrels because the wood insulates the soil. I don't know for sure but I suspect that root crops like their roots to be cool.

[gixxerific]

I like to wet my soil before planting anything, just soak it good. Than plant seed espeacially with something small. With carrots I will use the "mist" setting on my sprayer and even than at a distance and at low pressure after planting is done.

They are small and as you said will wash away with a hard breath.

The agribon is a good idea as well. Just happen to have miles of it laying around.

Thanks