I decided to finish off my “herbs and salad” tower with carrots. Carrots go in salad, right? I made this decision for two reasons, well, maybe three. First and most importantly, I actually like to eat carrots and cook with them. I’m sure most of us have gone nuts growing things we really don’t eat or use at some point. I like to grow eggplant as I think it looks cool, but I don’t really like eating it that much. That is one example. Okra is another.
The second reason is because the GreenStalk Planting Guide suggests that you can grow three carrots per pocket in a “leaf.” I recently learned to “think small” when seed shopping and happened to pick up a package of “Short ‘n Sweet” carrot seeds. According to Burpee, these are “Easy to grow and full of vitamins, this rich, sweet flavored carrot has 4" roots that are bright orange to the center. It was bred especially for heavy or poor soil and can also be grown in large containers.” Hopefully, my soil isn’t poor, but the GreenStalk certainly is a large container.
Below is a picture of my planting station. My DIY potting mix is in the trash can, and almost gone. I set an empty tier inside of a rubber garden tote and cover the hole with an empty plastic cup. I fill it almost to the top and then add some Dr. Earth. I mix this in, add a little more potting mix and then the seeds. When planting the seeds, I kept thinking of what Kris McDonald wrote in a post on Facebook this morning, “…And when it comes to starting seeds, I don't start extra. I start just what I need and if I don't see any germination in a few days, then I drop another seed. That way I'm not wasting seeds.” Good advice. I hate when I plant “extra” and they all germinate and I have to kill the extras, or accidentally kill them trying to separate them from “the best one.” Kris is a good resource, by-the-way. Her videos helped lead me the GreenStalk way.
After adding the seeds, I watered the tier (hence placing it inside a rubber tote), let it sit a bit and then added it to the top of my “herbs and salad” tower. What a nice feeling. Anyone else growing carrots in a “leaf?” What kind? Any tips?
