a quick crop of baby carrots, indoors, now ?

[Farmer_Gyles]

me and my son eat loads of baby carrots and he likes big carrots too
we want a good crop of baby carrots ASAP, and was thinking of growing them in the 24/40 cell modules on the desk in the spare room in a south facing window - bit like having an indoor greenhouse
will the 24/40 cell modules work ok for baby carrots??
i've got a few varieties - early nantes, nantes frubund, purple haze, rainbow, autumn king
frubund is a quick grower - but what about the others?? worth bothering with for quick crop of baby carrots??
how long do you think it would take to grow baby carrots indoors now??

[BarleySugar]

I've just sown some paris market carrots, which are the stumpy ones, in a trough 50x20 cm, 12cm deep. I've put them under the kitchen table, (you would have to see our kitchen to understand why), to germinate, along with some onions, then plan to put them out in the unheated greenhouse to grow on.
I would think you have more chance of success with the shorter varieties in modules, as there isn't much depth to them. I remember a couple of years ago sowing some beetroot in modules, and not getting them all planted out. Some of the remaining ones amazed me by producing beetroot sitting on the top of the soil, much larger than the actual module itself.
I know a lot of people advise against early/unusual sowings, but growing things for me is a hobby as well as trying to produce for the table, so I'm all for experimenting. If it doesn't work then l I try to learn from the experience
If you have the seeds spare, give it a go. One things for certain, they won't produce a carrot sitting in the packet

[sewer rat]

If you can keep the seed warm and light then give it a go. As Barleysugar suggests, I would also recommend you try one of the Paris Market types - these all grow into ball type carrots.

[tamsin]

I sowed a couple of purple dragon in a coke bottle with the top cut off. They are 7 weeks old, very leggy and no sign of turning into carrots - so don't get too hopeful

[shirlthegirl43]

Carrots take a while to mature - I usually sow Autumn King in July for my crimbo dinner crop.

I would be delighted to read that there is a quick-growing type

[beaufontboy]

I grew Suttons Baby carrot last yr (sold as speedy seeds) indoors in a pot in January and had them in june although i think i left too long as they were fairly big for small uns !

[tamsin]

Maybe I'm being impatient then, it said 75 days (I think) on the packet so I was expecting them to look like baby carrots by now.

[Farmer_Gyles]

ok i'll be sowing in the morning .... i'll try the frubund in 40 cell modules, see how they do ... i'll do a couple of trays worth ....

[wellie]

May I just say something?
If you're sowing carrot seed into individual 'modules' in a tray kind of thing, and you're germinating them in those modules, and you're letting them grow on a bit, and then you're going to transplant them into the open ground, aren't you?
When I first started growing vegetables, I did that too, and (see Wellie put her arms well over her head and shelter from the tirade of...?!)

The trouble is... that by transplanting modules of carrots into the open ground, you bruise the seedlings and they will almost instantly attract the Carrot Rootfly.
If they don't, I'm a Monkey's Uncle (again)
If they don't, they'll get 'stressed' and not grow into very useable roots in those modules.

I'm not breaking this very gently to you, am I? I apologise....

[wellie]

Sewer Rat, perhaps you could help out here?
There are Early Season, Mid Season, and Late Season Carrot varieties, and some are very suitable to growing in containters (like Amsterdam Forcing, I know from personal experience).
Trousers and I grew Carrots in deep windowbox troughs last year and the year before, with huge success.
I wouldn't recommend pricking out or transplanting carrot seedlings personally. Sowing directly into the soil or what I said above, would be my preferred method.

Honestly, believe me.... tap Sewer Rat for knowledge - if that man can't tell you....?!

[Farmer_Gyles]

well i'm thinking of the modules for an indoor crop of baby carrots ......... no need to transplant .....