I don’t think there is anything as tasty as a carrot pulled fresh from the garden. The grocery store carrots really can’t hold a candle to them. I’ve tried to grow them in rows in the garden like you’re supposed to, but, like many things I try to grow in nice rows, doesn’t always work. The soil needs to be just perfect for carrots, or they get oddly deformed. Or, some of the row will grow and then there’ll be unexplainable gaps in the rows. Just not reliable in my garden.
A few years ago, I came across growing bags from Gardener’s Supply Store. They used to have carrot specific bags that I bought two of, in a very carroty orange color, but they’ve since discontinued those. Since those are unavailable, I would recommend the Universal Grow bags as a good replacement (that luckily still come in that wonderful orange color, among others) for either carrots or peppers. I have some of those now, too.
To use these bags, I fill them with Miracle Gro Potting Soil. I prefer that to regular garden soil since it won’t get too compacted in the bag and holds water a bit better. It does start with fertilizer, but I will add some Miracle Gro fertilizer through the year, and again in the beginning of the next year. Before placing in bag, be sure to wet the soil and keep it moist, but not soaked, until the seeds germinate. Gardeners Supply Company has a good, thorough, description of how to grow carrots in their grow bags here.
I’m not always conventional in the way I grow things. I’m sure I throw way too many seeds in at the beginning of the year, much closer than is recommended on the packages. But I still get lots of tasty carrots!! As it gets closer to harvesting time, which is usually 60-70 days, I try to look for the ones growing a bit too close together and “thin” them by starting the picking season picking every other one or so. Usually it’s recommended to thin early on, but this way I get more carrots over a longer season. At the beginning of the picking season I get pretty little, but very tasty carrots. Later on, I get bigger ones that have more room to grow. I get a nice long carrot season in a very small space!
The bags also have the advantage that if I don’t like where it’s located, I can just pick it up and move it to another spot. I’ve had mine for at least 4 years and they’ve held up amazingly well for something that feels like a very strong felt.
While they make a pretty display and look more home grown to have all the greens left on, if I’m storing in the refrigerator I will cut off most of the greens. They seem to stay fresher that way. Enjoy!
I harvested my second bunch of carrots today too. I grow them in pots. My husband says what you said, that the store carrots can’t compare. They are tasty.
My son was so surprised how good it was when he ate it. Keeps grabbing them out of the fridge.
I am definitely planning to grow carrots next year, but I will do it in regular containers.