growing root veggies in containers....help!

aimeruni · April 9, 2012

This is for carrots and onions; know it's not recommended to grow in containers because of how long their roots can get.

Carrot varieties aren't long; a baby variety is 4", and the normal carrots are 6"-7", which I consider 'average' for length.

I was told that depth of containers should be twice as long as depth of root veggie. Containers are 11"-12" w/depth; just plastic storage containers that are translucent w/color to reduce heat build up.

Also have these questions about beets etc. Diameter of the bulbs are 2"-4" wide.

John3 · April 9, 2012

I got some Little Fingers carrots and some Parisian carrots to grow in containers this season. The Parisian carrots are round carrots approx 1 inch in size. Interested in this question also. Thanks for posting it.

rockhound · April 9, 2012

I'm using 18 gal totes for tomato plants which are still small, only set out a week or so. I put some radishes in one end of a container and onions in one. Pulled my first French Breakfast radish today, pulled fresh green onions yesterday. They will all be gone before the tomato plants get any real size to it.

babice · April 9, 2012

I direct-sowed carrots and parsley together in a container last year and had good results so I plan to do that again this year in with the toms (something like 24-inch planters). And I've had good results putting garlic and onions (from bulb) in containers. I also direct-seed dill (keep it away from your tom if you're going to let it mature) in containers with good results. Probably a good thing I had not heard the rule you mentioned about not growing these kinds of things in containers...ahh.... hey if you read some places, they'll tell you that you can only grow cherry toms well in containers and I've read otherwise here (sure hoping otherwise as well!). Not sure I answered your question but I personally think it's worth a shot!

Jennyann · April 9, 2012

I actually grew carrots in a plastic, 18 inch deep container with great success(it was one of those square clear plastic lidded boxes for clothes maybe?) It was a packet of mixed colors. Just kept it watered and used sterile soil so there wasn't any weeds to worry with. They grew great and were very forgiving. My guess is onions would do easily as well.

JamesL · April 10, 2012

Hi y'all. Very interested as well.
Have 2 20 gallon tubs of carrots growing now. Mixed results on my first batch, which I grew over the winter in the basement, so both light (probably not enough), heat (too warm) and humidity (too low) were probably all negative factors.

Hoping round 2, outside, is a little better.
My question - What are you fertilizing them with? I have read that you want more K and less N and P. Any brand specific recommendations or routines?

babice · April 10, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesL

My question - What are you fertilizing them with? I have read that you want more K and less N and P. Any brand specific recommendations or routines?

Well - I grew them about a foot away from my toms last year (and, again, amongst parsley because they help each other). So the fert the toms got is what the carrots got. I think last year I used a water solubale granual that said it was for tomatoes. The carrots and parsley grew very well. Thin them out every now and then when they start growing if you want to let them get big. They (both parsley and carrots) will also flower if you let them grow long enough and attract beneficials to the garden.

p.s. don't grow dill anywhere near the carrots - they don't like each other. I did have some dill and carrots in the same container last year but that was an experiment. The carrots did grow but not great. The carrots on the south side of my house that I grew amongst parsley and a foot away from to the toms did extremely well.

venturabananas · April 17, 2012

I've got a bunch of carrots (Nantes) going in a "15 gallon wide" nursery pot -- about 18" diameter by 18" deep. They are very happy and productive -- and tasty.

JonFrum · April 18, 2012

Carrots are best when picked at less than full size, so I wouldn't hesitate to grow most garden varieties in containers. And what's the worst that happens? They get cut up before they go in the stew anyway. I've just planted carrots in milk crate containers. I don't want to let them go as large as possible, because I'll want to reuse the container later in the season.

kath · April 19, 2012

Not sure I agree that you need a soil depth of twice the length of the root. I've grown beets, carrots and onions in raised beds that had a soil depth of only about 7" and both did fine- there was landscape fabric underneath. In spring, I try to get the carrots in and out quickly because of heat, carrot rust fly and succession planting and have found that Nelson and Mokum consistently produced the earliest best "short" carrots for taste, color, shape, etc.

April 9, 2012	#1
aimeruni Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Brooksville FL, zone 9a Posts: 67	growing root veggies in containers....help! This is for carrots and onions; know it's not recommended to grow in containers because of how long their roots can get. Carrot varieties aren't long; a baby variety is 4", and the normal carrots are 6"-7", which I consider 'average' for length. I was told that depth of containers should be twice as long as depth of root veggie. Containers are 11"-12" w/depth; just plastic storage containers that are translucent w/color to reduce heat build up. Also have these questions about beets etc. Diameter of the bulbs are 2"-4" wide. Last edited by aimeruni; April 9, 2012 at 04:24 PM.

April 9, 2012	#2
John3 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Alabama 7.5 or 8 depends on who you ask Posts: 727	I got some Little Fingers carrots and some Parisian carrots to grow in containers this season. The Parisian carrots are round carrots approx 1 inch in size. Interested in this question also. Thanks for posting it.

April 9, 2012	#3
rockhound Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 285	I'm using 18 gal totes for tomato plants which are still small, only set out a week or so. I put some radishes in one end of a container and onions in one. Pulled my first French Breakfast radish today, pulled fresh green onions yesterday. They will all be gone before the tomato plants get any real size to it.

April 9, 2012	#4
babice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Alabama Posts: 643	I direct-sowed carrots and parsley together in a container last year and had good results so I plan to do that again this year in with the toms (something like 24-inch planters). And I've had good results putting garlic and onions (from bulb) in containers. I also direct-seed dill (keep it away from your tom if you're going to let it mature) in containers with good results. Probably a good thing I had not heard the rule you mentioned about not growing these kinds of things in containers...ahh.... hey if you read some places, they'll tell you that you can only grow cherry toms well in containers and I've read otherwise here (sure hoping otherwise as well!). Not sure I answered your question but I personally think it's worth a shot!

April 9, 2012	#5
Jennyann Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Central Pennsylvania Posts: 6	I actually grew carrots in a plastic, 18 inch deep container with great success(it was one of those square clear plastic lidded boxes for clothes maybe?) It was a packet of mixed colors. Just kept it watered and used sterile soil so there wasn't any weeds to worry with. They grew great and were very forgiving. My guess is onions would do easily as well.

April 10, 2012	#6
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Hi y'all. Very interested as well. Have 2 20 gallon tubs of carrots growing now. Mixed results on my first batch, which I grew over the winter in the basement, so both light (probably not enough), heat (too warm) and humidity (too low) were probably all negative factors. Hoping round 2, outside, is a little better. My question - What are you fertilizing them with? I have read that you want more K and less N and P. Any brand specific recommendations or routines?

April 17, 2012	#8
venturabananas Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 142	I've got a bunch of carrots (Nantes) going in a "15 gallon wide" nursery pot -- about 18" diameter by 18" deep. They are very happy and productive -- and tasty.

April 18, 2012	#9
JonFrum Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 25	Carrots are best when picked at less than full size, so I wouldn't hesitate to grow most garden varieties in containers. And what's the worst that happens? They get cut up before they go in the stew anyway. I've just planted carrots in milk crate containers. I don't want to let them go as large as possible, because I'll want to reuse the container later in the season.

April 19, 2012	#10
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Not sure I agree that you need a soil depth of twice the length of the root. I've grown beets, carrots and onions in raised beds that had a soil depth of only about 7" and both did fine- there was landscape fabric underneath. In spring, I try to get the carrots in and out quickly because of heat, carrot rust fly and succession planting and have found that Nelson and Mokum consistently produced the earliest best "short" carrots for taste, color, shape, etc.