Assuming the "10" after your name is your growing zone, it doesn't matter, for now, what soil you use, unless you can grow them in air-conditioning with full sun! They're considered a "winter season" crop, although when they say that, they're talking about growing near the frost dates (not literally in winter.)

Found a site that tells you more included when, how and what to grow. (Carrots go from round, like golf balls, to the size found in supermarkets, and container gardeners generally need the shorter varieties.)

As for soil, since you're growing in a container anyway, seems regular potting soil works fine, but, unless you want some very strange shaped carrots (which are fun, if you have kids, since they might come out with arms and legs), keep anything hard - stones or pebbles - out of it.

Check out the link below for info from real pros. This is my first year growing them, and mine are growing slower then the seed package said they were supposed to grow, and we only have four plants quite a few less then planned, even for my small container!

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Carrots - carrot museum (no kidding LOL)

sfveggies, perhaps the most important consideration is 'damping off' - fungi which attack the seedling at ground level. To prevent this, you can sprinkle a thin layer of sand over the planted area; being careful not to bury the seeds too deeply. The sand will keep the stems of the seedlings dry. Other than that, it is recommended to put down all the fertilizer at the outset since fertilizer added later can cause root branching. For the same reason, large applications of organic (farmyard manure) fertilizer are not recommended.

Yes, 10 is my zone (CA). And except for the crazy heat waves we've been getting lately, summer in San Francisco is pretty much air-conditioned (with foggy sun).

Ronalawn, I will try the sand and your tip for fertilizer.

Carrot museum...who knew??

Perhaps with a future planting I'll experiment with carrot arms and legs. :)

Thanks guys. If anyone else has any tips, please add...

Your planting mix and the climate should be fine for carrots. Carrot seeds are slow to germinate and after planting seed tamp the mix down to insure seed to mix contact. If you can depending on your container, water from the bottom till the mix looks shiny on top. Depending on the container if you can, cover it with clear plastic. You should not have to water again until germination, then remove the plastic and water from the bottom again. Carrots are grown commercially along the coast of the Monterey bay with a similar climate to yours, but they are grown in the winter. Al

sfveggies, 'at the outset' means AFTER germination and establishment; NOT at the time of seeding.
My editor thinks that I sounded ambiguous.

Ha, your editor was right! Thanks for the clarification.

Al, thanks also for the tips. It does make sense that they're grown in winter in Monterey, and that certainly can be done where I am (and I will definitely be trying it). But my Golden Gate Gardening book (which is focused on SF) says that planting them through July and even August, for a fall harvest, is okay here, so I'm gonna give it a go.