How To Grow Carrots In Containers
If you yearn after some fresh vegetables like those grown in the grandparents’ back yard but you only have a balcony available, then the solution is to turn to a container. For the best result in this case, choose small varieties of carrots, because these adapt to container growing better than standard-length varieties. Here is more on how to grow carrots in containers, with instructions coming via Wikihow.com
Choose a container that is at least 30 cm deep, the material it is made of is of no importance. Carrots develop underground and the root system needs a lot of space to grow. The container should be clean and also have adequate drainage holes to prevent excess water from causing the carrots to rot. Go for a loose, well-draining potting media. Both soil and soilless mixtures can work. Try a mixture of red soil, decomposed compost, and sand mixed in equal portions for a soil-based media. Consider coco peat, mixed with a small amount of perlite, for a soilless media.
Start in mid-March for the best results. Fill your container with the planting medium. Leave 2.5 cm of empty space between the top of the media and the rim of the container. Then dig small holes in the planting medium. The holes should be about 13 millimeters deep and spaced approximately 76 millimeters apart. Drop two or three carrot seeds into each hole. Fill the holes in with your planting medium. Do not pack the medium into the holes, since doing so may crush the seeds. Instead, lightly drop the medium into each hole.
Container grown carrots need regular moisture. Containers require watering more often than crops in the ground. Mulch can help retain moisture when you grow carrots in containers and help keep weeds down. Growing carrots in containers, as with other root crops, produce better with little root disturbance, such as that of pulling weeds.
Keep your pot in a location that receives partial sun and partial shade. As a root vegetable, carrots tolerate shade well. A location that receives up to six hours of sunlight each day may encourage growth better than a spot that receives none, however. Thin your carrots out once the germinated greens have reached a height of 2,5 cm. Cut the greens off at the soil using scissors until only one seedling remains in each hole.
Add planting medium around any greens that seem bent. Roots will not form correctly if the stems are bent. Cover the roots with additional planting medium if they begin to peek through. When carrot roots are exposed to sunlight, they begin to green, making them inedible. Harvest your carrots after two to two and a half months pass, depending on the variety you chose to grow.
