If your laughing at yourself I think you know the answer:)

However to obtain a bunch you need to plant the seeds with enough spacing or they will crowd each other out and not grow well.

Possible you heard something about beets. Beet seeds are multi-gems and can actually give more then one plant. Carrots are single-gem seeds.

doris, don't feel bad. A few years ago I planted beets for the first time. I really (still) don't have much experience with vegetables anyway, and two years ago even less.

Anyway, I planted 20 seeds, thinking 20 beet "plants" would give me beets all season! As the seeds germinated and sprouted, I did more research, and then I realized that one seed yields one beet. Boy did I feel dumb!

Luckily for me, I got 100% germination, and also luckily for me, my kids for some inexplicable reason don't like beets, so my DH and I ejoyed every one of those 20 beets, lol, 2 beets at a time per dinner. I think those were the most savored veggies I ever grew, lol, because we knew that there was a very limited amount!

I'm trying carrots this year for the first time too. Good luck to you!

:)
Dee

thanks guys!

:) Ill do a few this year, I think I need to make a raised bed for them, I need to see how well on did on the soil improvements this past year.

:)

Doris carrots (at least for me) are NOT easy to grow properly in ground unless you have really good soil with little or no clay. Just to avoid disappointment why not grow some in a container with good potting mix. What other veggies are you growing.

Lots of maters. Last year I had bad luck with everything else. "(

Im hoping for some peppers, kohlrabi's squashes melons.
Definitely some garlic and onions, I know my bunny friends wont eat them.

:)

Rich, a question on carrots in containers - what size pot do you use or recommend, and how many carrots per that pot?

Also, can carrot seedlings be easily transplanted, or would you suggest starting them in the pot they will live in?

(Doris, hope you don't mind me asking this on your thread!)

:)
Dee

The containers should be fairly deep and not the oval/dish type shape, more like a bucket 2 gallons or more would work fine. When sowing you can over sow to ensure good germination then cut back to allow about two or three inches in between carrots. You will get mixed messages on transplanting, some have no problems but others will tell you they grow deformed, I start them in the container I don't transplant.

You said your growing peppers this year, I always have trouble with the sweet variety when grown in the ground, so last year I did several in containers and had great success so this year I plan to do alot in containers, try one or two in a container.

I had never been able to grow good carrots in the ground, so last year I drilled holes in the bottom of a 5 gal. bucket, filled it with ProMix, and sowed the seeds directly. When I had to thin the seedlings, I added the cut greens to salads.

I got such nice carrots that this year I'm planning to sow several buckets of carrots. I may also try to plant successive crops and add some worm castings to the mix.

One of the nice things about growing veggies in containers is that you can move them around, even though a 5 gal. bucket can be pretty heavy after it's been watered.

Good growing to you!
Constance in NJ

Rich wrote:
The containers should be fairly deep and not the oval/dish type shape, more like a bucket 2 gallons or more would work fine. When sowing you can over sow to ensure good germination then cut back to allow about two or three inches in between carrots. You will get mixed messages on transplanting, some have no problems but others will tell you they grow deformed, I start them in the container I don't transplant.

I have very rocky/gravelly soil. Even though I mixed in lots of compost, my carrots didn't do too well. They were very short, about 3-4" long.

ROTFL! Don't feel bad about the carrot question. I thought about asking the same one.
;)

I've asked the same question. Yes, one seed one carrot which sucks that's why I don't plant carrots anymore.

Really? That's the reason why you don't plant carrots anymore? For just a few bucks you can get like 1000 (or more) seeds in a packet. Even if just 70% sprout and grow that's 700 carrots (or more) for next to nothing.

Rodney

I also have successfully wintersown and grown carrots in containers - large plastic planters. I've done it in various ways, but the method I like the most is to sow my home-made seed tapes with carrot seeds in concentric circles, alternating with the spring onion seeds (to repel the carrot fly). I then cover the whole planter with a clear plastic with holes which I discard, when the seedlings are small. For me it has worked wonderfully and the carrot planters are the favoutŕites among the kids, perhaps because I tend to grow there the unusual coloured (purple, white and yellow) carrots only. :)