Many gardeners may hesitate to grow carrots in pots because they think they are not large enough to accommodate the growing plants. While there are many standard-sized carrots that become stunted when grown in pots, most small carrot varieties do well in pots, just as they would when grown in a garden. Make sure you use a deep container so the carrot tubers can grow to the bottom of the planting medium. Keep the growing medium wet so the carrots get enough water to maximize their growth.
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Method 1 of 3: Preparation
Step 1. Choose the carrot variety you want
Small varieties usually adapt better in the pot than standard varieties.
- Look for "round" varieties that are shaped like balls. Some of these varieties include Thumbelina, Parisienne, and Parmex.
- Look for the "Nantes" variety, which has a tapered shape, but is shorter and wider than the standard carrot variety. Some of these varieties include Danvers Half Long, Shin Kuroda, and Chantenay Red Core.
Step 2. Choose a pot that is deep enough
Look for a pot that has a depth of at least 30 cm or more. Carrots grow downward and their root system requires a lot of space to grow. The pot should also have good drainage holes to allow excess water to escape from the pot so the carrots don't rot.
You can use any type of pot as long as it has sufficient depth. You can use plastic, clay, or stone pots. You can also choose a round pot or a large square planter
Step 3. Clean the pot
If you are using an old pot, wash it with a mixture of soap and warm water before using it to plant carrots. Bacteria and microscopic insect eggs often hide in old pots and can damage crops when they attack carrot plants.
Step 4. Choose a planting medium that is loose and easy to drain water
You can use planting media that contains soil or without soil.
- To make a growing medium containing soil, try using a mixture of red soil, decomposed compost, and sand in equal proportions.
- To make a soilless growing medium, mix coco peat with a small amount of perlite.
Method 2 of 3: Cultivation
Step 1. Start planting when the weather is cold
Carrots grow well in cold weather. Although it can grow both in the rainy and dry seasons, a good habitat for growing carrots is the highlands with cold and humid air temperatures.
Step 2. Put the planting medium into the pot
Leave about 3 cm of space between the top of the planting medium and the edge of the pot.
Step 3. Mix the fertilizer into the soil, if you wish
Fertilizer can encourage carrot growth, but this is not a must.
Step 4. Make a small hole in the planting medium
Make several holes about 1.5 cm deep with a distance of about 8 cm between the holes.
Step 5. Insert 2 or 3 carrot seeds into each hole
Step 6. Fill the hole with planting media
Do not tamp the planting medium into the hole as this may damage the seeds. We recommend that you insert the planting medium into the hole carefully.
Step 7. Water the carrot seeds thoroughly
Do not over-water it, but water the planting medium until it feels very wet.
Step 8. Place the pot in a location that gets enough sun, but also has shade
As a root vegetable, carrots can still grow in the shade. However, a location that can get up to six hours of sunlight a day can increase plant growth than a place that gets no sunlight at all.
Method 3 of 3: Maintenance and Harvesting
Step 1. Keep the planting medium wet
You may have to water it twice a day when the weather is hot and sunny. Do not allow the planting medium to remain dry for a long period of time.
Step 2. Fertilize carrot plants once a week to encourage growth
However, this is only optional.
Step 3. Prune your carrots when green shoots appear 3 cm high
Cut the green shoots parallel to the ground using scissors until there is only one seed left in each hole.
Do not pull the seeds. Uprooting plant seeds can disrupt the planting medium and damage the remaining plant roots
Step 4. Add planting medium around the green shoots that look bent
If the stem is bent, the roots of the plant will not form properly.
Step 5. Cover the roots with additional planting medium if they appear to be sticking out of the soil
If carrot roots are exposed to sunlight, they will turn green, and become inedible.
Step 6. Spray the carrot plant with water-soluble sulfur or other antifungal agent if the plant has mildew
Carrots are susceptible to fungal attack if they are always wet. So, maybe you should spray the plant if it rains heavily for a long time.
Step 7. Harvest the carrots after two or two and a half months, depending on the variety you are growing
Hold the plant stem above the roots, then shake and gently remove the carrot tuber. The earlier you harvest them, the sweeter your carrots will be.
