Carrot

Hello everyone!!

I never seem to have any luck growing carrots in my veg patch because of the stone. Even though i have tried to get rid of the stone as much as possible.
This year i have tried to grow them in a huge pot with top soil in, but they do not appear to be growing very well. The carrot tops are about an inch tall & they have been that way for a month!

What is wrong with them? Please can you help!!

 

Hi BB. I have had success growing carrots in pots on the patio but I just used normal store bought compost. The top soil might be too heavy for growing in a pot. It tends to compact itself quite a bit. Hope this helps.

 

I use spent compost from other pots. I mix about 1/3rd sharp sand and 2/3rd old compost. I don't reuse compost that has had carrots in it already, but use compost from a different crop rotation family instead - e.g. Tomatoes / Cucumbers / Aubergines etc.

 

Thanks Catztail & Kristen !!

I think your right about the topsoil Catztail. It does appear compact & when I water it, the water just runs to the side.

I have heard about using used compost before Kristen. I also heard that using fresh compost is too rich for carrots. Is this true?

 

Thats why I used Topsoil because I didn't have any spent compost!!!!

But Its good to hear that using spent compost works because I wasn't sure.

Is there a problem with using fresh compost like Catztail?

 

"I have heard about using used compost before Kristen. I also heard that using fresh compost is too rich for carrots. Is this true?"

New multi-compost would be OK I think (although adding sharp sand to improve drainage would be necessary). The problem with carrots and parsnips et al is that if there is too much Nitrogen the roots "fork". So fresh manure is a bad idea ... but I think regular compost would be OK (guessing ...)

But less fertile compost will do just fine, and it gives me a valid excuse to be miserly!

Watering is an issue too. They don't need much - the idea is to make them race to the bottom of the pot looking for water I'm experimenting this year only watering from the bottom - sit them in a tray of water for a bit, then nothing. ziltch. and definitely no feed. Makes me feel like that RSPv will be round to arrest me for maltreatment of veg though :hehe:

I have read that championship carrot grows don't water them at all (find that hard to believe). They stick some seed in a 4" downpipe with 4' or so of "compost" in it and then just abandon them.

I do like the idea of getting the kids interested by trying to grow carrots taller than them!

 

I tend to water all my pots only from below. Last year i got awesome tomato root system from only watering from below. Also the porous tercotta pots let you see the water rising. You can also see how thirsty your plants are.

 

Thats great information Kristen!! I will be passing on your words of wisdom to my friends as well!!:ntwrth:

Also great ideas for watering!!

Thankyou !!! :gnthb:

 

I just used fresh compost and didnt have any problems with wonky carrots. I didnt get any very big ones but thats probably because i was lazy and didnt thin them out enough! LOL!! The other thing about growing them in pots is that aparently it helps keep away carrot fly. I didnt have any problem with that either. The carrots came out tasting very fresh crunchy and carroty.

 

Thank Catztail!! I will have to sow some more in compost!! Thanks !!!

 

"The other thing about growing them in pots is that aparently it helps keep away carrot fly"

Good point. Carrot fly are too lazy (or heavy!, I don't know which!) to get very airborne ... so putting containers up a bit (24" I think) will prevent the fly finding them.

 

I heard it was 29"

 

You win ... your fly is higher than mine :hehe:

 

You are very welcome and hope you get lots of tasty carrots!