Hello, I’m growing carrots for the first time
By Mizzle
Ayrshire,
Scotland 
Drooping carrot foliage
Hello, I’m growing carrots for the first time. I can’t remember the name of them but 1 batch are purple and the other is orange. I’m growing them in large containers and they’re all 2 inches apart. They have been growing very well and the foliage is still really green but over the last few days they appear to have drooped a bit. We have had some heavy rain so I thought it had been perhaps a bit too heavy for the carrot leaves. However I read a response to a previous post that it’s carrot fly! But I’ve searched google for this particular symptom and there’s nothing to suggest carrot fly causes the foliage to bend over. Has anyone had experience of this? Is it really the dreaded carrot fly?
Thanks in advance for your time x
4 Jul, 2020
Answers
if they only drooped during the rain that is probably all it is. do the leaves feel firm or wilted?
this is the RHS page on carrot root fly.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=485
it tends to be a problem with the actual carrot that you eat rather than the foliage wilting.
5 Jul, 2020
Thank you both for your advice. I’ve pulled up a “drooped” purple carrot because I couldn’t help myself haha The leaves are firm and and the carrot looks healthy enough. It’s tiny :D but isn’t showing signs of bug damage. I had a similar issue with my potatoes but didn’t believe that here in the west coast of scotland the plants were short of water! It seems I may have rested on my laurels a bit! Thanks again x
5 Jul, 2020
One thing that I have learned as a nurseryman is that you can't rely on rain to do a good job of watering pots.
5 Jul, 2020
Without a photo to really see what's going on, trying to diagnose is difficult. I'm only giving you the most probable cause based on my own experience. My carrots are rarely/never bothered by anything, but they want their water. In a pot, there could be a nutrient deficiency, but you're stuck with what you have. They don't transplant well.
5 Jul, 2020
I've been growing carrots for years but always in the ground. This is what happens if they get too dry. I would imagine the pot drying out quickly, especially as the carrots grow and need increasing amounts of water. They are very thirsty plants. The soil must be kept moist, you may need to water them even twice per day, yet be sure they have good drainage. I water mine early in the morning and I can count on a drenching thunderstorm in the late afternoon so that's good.
5 Jul, 2020