How to Plant Carrots in Pots

Plant "Thumbelina" carrots in pots.

If you love carrots but do not have enough room for a backyard garden, consider growing carrots in pots. "Thumbelina" and "Chantenay" varieties of carrot grow well in containers and mature quickly. Potted carrots thrive in the warm sun on your patio or deck, once the springtime temperatures rise to a constant 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Potted carrot varieties planted in late April or May are often ready for harvest by late July or early August.

Things You'll Need

• Organic potting soil
• Pots
• Carrot seeds
• Garden hose
• Slow-release fertilizer
• Insecticidal soap

Instructions

1. Fill pots 3/4 full with organic potting soil. Pots for planting carrots should measure at least 13 inches in diameter with a minimum depth of 12 inches.

2. Sprinkle the carrot seeds onto the soil in the pots. Cover the carrot seeds with a thin 1/4-inch layer of soil. Keep the soil moist during the germination process, which should take between two and three weeks.

3. Water the carrot seedlings as they begin to grow using the spray of a garden hose. Allow the water to flow through the layers of soil in the pot and out the drainage holes. Keep the soil moist, not wet, at all times, watering several times a week if necessary.

4. Set the pots in an area that receives at least six hours of bright sunlight every day. Apply a slow-release fertilize to the soil in the pots according to label instructions.

5. Thin the carrot seedlings once they reach a height of 1-inch. Leave one to two carrot seedlings per inch of soil. Maintain moist soil and bright sunlight as the carrots grow. Harvest the carrots in the late summer.

Tips & Warnings

• Deter pests by applying an insecticidal soap per manufacturer’s instructions.

• The size of the pot determines the size of your harvest. The bigger the pot, the more carrots you can grow.

• Do not oversaturate the potted carrots with water. If the top 1-inch of soil feels moist, do not add more water.

References

• My Great Home: Growing Your Own Vegetables
• Carrot Museum: Cultivation of the Carrot
• University of California: Grow Vegetables in Containers

Resources

• Vegetable-Garden-Guide: Understand How to Grow Carrots for Outstanding Results
• University of Illinois Extension: Carrot