Carrot Chantenay Red Cored
Carrots are easier to grow on patios because they love the even, stone free consistency of compost. The stumpy fat shape of Chantenay Red Cored makes them ideal for growing in containers because they won't reach the bottom.
Time from seed to plate: 12 weeks
Sowing Calendar
Sow
Carrots can be sown outside anytime from April to July. To make it worthwhile, you need a largish container, like a grow bed. Fill it with compost, then make a shallow groove with a finger about 1cm deep parallel to one of the sides, where you are going to sow the seeds. Use a piece of wood as a guide if you want nice straight rows. Sprinkle the seed into the groove, about one every 2cm and cover with a thin layer of compost.
Water well and label.
Grow
When your seedlings are 2-3cm tall thin them to leave 2-3cm between each plant. Try and keep your carrots moist otherwise the roots can have a tendency to fork.
Carrots can attract an annoying pest called the Carrot Fly whose larvae can burrow holes through your carrots. The environmentally friendly (non chemical) way of dealing with it is to cover with micromesh sheet, but you'll probably find you're ok on a roof terrace because carrot flies don't tend to travel more than a couple of feet above ground level.
Harvest
It should take about 10 weeks from sowing till you can harvest your first baby carrots. Work your way along the row, pull out the biggest, then press back the soil to encourage the smaller ones to grow on.