The BEST, Sweetest, Carrot for Container Gardening

I don’t know why, but I have always been hesitant to grow carrots in containers even though I have been a container gardener for years.  I thought that a container would just not give them enough space to grow properly.  I also thought they would be difficult to grow. Well it turns out that none of these things is true with ‘Tonda di Parigi’ carrots!  They are SO easy to grow and SUPER delicious!!

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Growing ‘Tonda di Parigi’ Carrots

I bought my seed from Botanical Interests. ‘Tonda di Parigi’ literally translates to “Round of Paris” and is a super sweet 19^th century heirloom variety.  It is the perfect little snacking carrot that can be easily tucked into almost any container you can dream of (make sure there are drainage holes and the depth is at least four inches!).  When I planted my seeds in September they took seven days to start germinating.  Direct seed them straight into the container outside using a good quality potting mix (FoxFarm Ocean Forest is my holy grail!) and leave them to germinate in a shady spot protected from critters. The container that I use is a 6 inch deep window box style planter which is perfect for two rows of carrots (see below). 

Plant the seeds about ¼ inch deep and 1 inch apart.   Once they sprout move them into full sun.  Never let them dry out! Thin them to about 2 inches apart once they start growing leaves.  My carrots are not bothered by any pests or diseases and the birds leave them alone as well (meanwhile birds peck at my spinach and my broccoli is encrusted with aphids.  Carrots are SO easy to grow!)  Remember that you can plant a crop of container carrots in both spring and fall!

Mine didn’t need any fertilizer thanks to my excellent potting soil. If you notice your carrot tops looking pale try a feed of Neptune’s Harvest fish emulsion.

Harvesting ‘Tonda di Parigi’ Carrots

The maturity date on my seed packet says 65 days but I didn’t harvest my first carrot until 98 days because I forgot about them. Oops. You can tell that it is time to harvest your carrots when you gently dig down and see that the root is a size close to the packet description. 

If your carrot is not ready be sure to cover it back up because leaving the crown exposed will cause a green bitter section to form.   You can fit a lot of carrots in a very limited garden space.  It is recommended to succession sow every 3 weeks and I really wish I would have done that!  Regardless, I was able to harvest a carrot every couple of weeks throughout winter.

Benefits of Growing ‘Tonda di Parigi’ Carrots in Containers

This is a great carrot for someone who doesn’t want to be overwhelmed with carrots as there is no huge harvest to deal with.  If you just want a delicious sweet carrot every now and then to snack on this is the perfect carrot for you! This is also the perfect carrot if you are growing on a balcony, or have an otherwise small garden space.

I harvested carrots all winter long and they just got sweeter and more delicious. If you want to have your ornamental containers do double duty consider sprinkling these carrots seeds in them.  With their excellent cold tolerance they are also a great fall and winter crop and provide something interesting to do and eat over the bleak winter months. I also think that the ‘Tonda di Parigi’ would be a great option for gardeners who struggle with Carrot Rust Fly because it would be easy to protect your containers from these terrible pests.

Are you going to try growing ‘Tonga di Parigi’ carrots in containers?  Or have you already grown them before? Let me know in the comments! I hope you enjoyed this post and don’t forget to join me on Instagram! Also, if you are reading this in fall or late winter it’s time to start your sweet peas!! Check out a super simple technique HERE!

Happy Gardening!

Heather