How To Sow Carrots In The Ground And In Containers

Carrots are cheap and easy to grow and can be grown in containers

The long varieties are best grown in the ground but they do need a nice loose, stone free friable soil. If your soil is heavy clay or stony then grow the stump rooted or round carrots in containers using a loam based John Innes No 3 compost.

The variety we have chosen is ‘Early Nantes’ on a seed tape, a good reliable variety. Haven’t used seed tapes before so it will be interesting to see how they turn out.

 You will need:

• rake
• seed
• watering can with a fine rose
• scissors to cut the tape
• label

Make a groove in the soil with the edge of the rake.

Lay out the tape and cut off at the right length, they are perfectly spaced so there is less wastage when it comes to thinning out.

If sowing seed, sow thinly as thinning out bruises the foliage and the smell attracts carrot fly. We are sowing between rows of onions to try and cover the smell.

Rake the soil back over the tape or seeds.

Water in with a fine rose.

Remember to keep them damp, if they get too dry the carrots become hard and woody.