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Planting Carrot seeds

LabradoubleLabradouble Posts: 61
in Fruit & veg

Hi

I have recently acquired an allotment after many years of waiting.

I have a bathtub there and I am considering sowing carrot seeds within it as I have seen number of other allotment owners have done so with good results.

Please could you tell me what type of soil I need to use within the tub and do I need to put a layer of stones in the bottom as with other planters to aid drainage.

I would also welcome any other tips on cultivating a successful allotment. 

At the moment I have five rows of flowering potatoes, although my runner beans are looking a bit sad  ` although I have fed them today with nitrogen, so hoping for the best.

Many thanks

Labradouble

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391

    Sandy soil is best for carrots but as long as you avoid using manure and heavy or stoney soil they will grow in just about anything.  If there is only the plug hole for drainage you should probably drill some extra holes and a layer of stones at the bottom sounds like a good idea.  I've very successfully grown them in a 60cm high raised bed filled with a 50/50 mix of spent compost (used for the previous year's tomatoes) and sharp sand with just a sprinking of fish, blood and bone to provide food.  Carrots don't need much in the way of fertiliser at all.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 35,803

    Hi labradouble. Growing your carrots this way is great to avoid the dreaded carrot fly as the females are extremely weak fliers and cannot go much higher than 24 inches - assuming your bathtub is this high of course image

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • LabradoubleLabradouble Posts: 61

    Thanks both 

  • Paul CharnockPaul Charnock Posts: 123

    I don't have a spare bath tub but with my soil being high on Clay I usually dig a trench and fork the bottom and then fill the trench with Sand, Leaf mould and very well rotted compost. This creates a looser soil structure for the carrots to grow.

    You could do this in the tub but i would also recommend putting gravel or grit at the bottom of the tub to aid drainage.

    Last edited: 22 June 2016 12:21:34

  • michael mpcmichael mpc Posts: 422

    hi labradouble  nothing wrong with that idea I have 4 water header tanks that came out of the loo s   I have 2lots ideal baby carrots/autumn king /flyaway /hope to get a few more of mate who is a plumber  my bath I have in my garden is on a strong bench I made out of 4x4 and flags under legs to catch rain water and I have hole drilled in base with rubber washers and sealent with hole drilled in frame work of g/house and  a tap in g/h (  and yes use a good sand for mixing up for good growing    

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