Have you heard? El Nino may very well extend our growing season. I sowed my August seeds. Fingers crossed! My zone's first frost may be considerably delayed.

Have you ever pulled a carrot from the soil expecting a beautiful, long, straight root... ...only to discover something with three legs, two arms, and possibly a personality? 😂 Welcome to carrot growing! Those funny-looking carrots are part of the fun, but here's something many container gardeners don't realize: Carrots can grow REALLY well in containers. The trick is choosing the right variety, giving those roots enough depth, and creating the loose soil they need to grow downward without running into obstacles. And fall? Fall is a wonderful time to grow them. 🥕 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥? Carrots are cool-season vegetables that generally prefer mild temperatures over blazing summer heat. Even better, exposure to chilly weather can make mature carrots taste sweeter. As temperatures drop, the plant can convert stored starches into sugars, which helps protect it from cold. For us gardeners, that means a sweeter harvest! So while your tomatoes may be thinking about retirement... Your carrots are just getting comfortable. 🪴 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐞? Here's where container choice becomes important. The answer depends on which carrot you're growing. Long carrots need deeper containers. Shorter varieties can thrive in surprisingly modest pots. As a general rule, your container should be several inches deeper than the expected mature length of the carrot. For many varieties, that means a pot around 10–12 inches deep or more. And don't forget drainage holes. Carrots like moisture. They don't like sitting in water. 🥕 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫-𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐬 Here's where things get fun. You don't have to grow those enormous grocery-store-style carrots. Look for shorter or round varieties such as: 🥕 Parisian – Small, round carrots that almost look like orange radishes. 🥕 Paris Market – Another small round type that's wonderful for shallow containers. 🥕 Little Finger – Small, slender carrots perfect for smaller spaces. 🥕 Thumbelina – Short, round carrots that work beautifully in containers.

I had someone ask me how to keep squirrels out of Tiny Gardens. I did a bit of research. Here are the suggestions that I found: 1) Repellents containing cayenne, bitter tasting compounds, or predator urine. 2) Move bird feeders far away from the garden. 3) Create enclosures and barriers. 4) Keep tree trimmed to more than 6 feet away. 5) Clean up fallen fruits and nuts. Harvest vegetables and fruits promptly. 6) Plants squirrels don't like: daffodils, onion family, mint, hyacinth. 7) Things that move and change them often. 8) Deep prickly mulch. I don't have a serious squirrel problem. What have you tried?