The main reason for growing anything in rows is to make weeding easier - you need enough space between rows to regularly run a hoe between them without risk of slicing the carrot tops off. When growing in containers you can plant much closer as weeds aren't anywhere near such a problem. I have grown carrots in containers just by scattering the seeds thinly over the entire surface and then thinning until they are about 3-4 cm apart. As long as you water them well, they still grow quite large. All home grown carrots taste much sweeter than those from the supermarket in my experience.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Buy a cheap grow bag and put your tonatoes in again, just rip holes in the top for the plants, that way if the carrots fail you will still have some produce at the end of the summer!
If you are trying to plant carrots I would start them off in a coldframe or mild greenhouse (not until mid March/ early April). I would plant them in some old guttering because when you transplant into the ground it makes it easier. However when you do this you may need to space them out a little bit more. To stop the dreaded carrot root fly damaging your plants you should cover them with a fine netted structure which should be slightly dug into the ground as the root fly can burrow.
Beach sand may contain salt. Sharp sand is crushed rock and is not too fine. As said, it is good for the garden. Silver sand is too fine. Horticultural sand is more expensIve. Builders sand, I think, contains unwanted contaminants, perhaps alkaline.
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The main reason for growing anything in rows is to make weeding easier - you need enough space between rows to regularly run a hoe between them without risk of slicing the carrot tops off. When growing in containers you can plant much closer as weeds aren't anywhere near such a problem. I have grown carrots in containers just by scattering the seeds thinly over the entire surface and then thinning until they are about 3-4 cm apart. As long as you water them well, they still grow quite large. All home grown carrots taste much sweeter than those from the supermarket in my experience.
Buy a cheap grow bag and put your tonatoes in again, just rip holes in the top for the plants, that way if the carrots fail you will still have some produce at the end of the summer!
Trust me - any carrots you harvest, wash and cook on the same day will and do taste wonderfully superior to those from the supermarket ...
Hi Tomsk,
If you are trying to plant carrots I would start them off in a coldframe or mild greenhouse (not until mid March/ early April). I would plant them in some old guttering because when you transplant into the ground it makes it easier. However when you do this you may need to space them out a little bit more. To stop the dreaded carrot root fly damaging your plants you should cover them with a fine netted structure which should be slightly dug into the ground as the root fly can burrow.
Regards,
Lalat
Great tips on growing carrots but what sort of sand would you use with your compost? Beach sand or sharp grey sand?
I grew Royal Chantenay last year in my stony clay soil, they were very good. Fortunately umbillifers are rare here.
I thought you couldn't grow veggies with deep roots in modules for planting out?
Pauly2 - I just buy a bag of sharp sand from B&Q and use that. Works every time.
Beach sand may contain salt. Sharp sand is crushed rock and is not too fine. As said, it is good for the garden. Silver sand is too fine. Horticultural sand is more expensIve. Builders sand, I think, contains unwanted contaminants, perhaps alkaline.