Carrot Sowing Tip

GoDawgs · April 8, 2021

Today was carrot sowing day. I'm not doing a lot, just 12' for fresh eating. Yeah, carrots are cheap at the store but it's nice to have some right there in the garden when you need them. At some point in time, someone posted about having trouble handling carrot seed as it's so small so I thought I'd document a tip I posted somewhere in here a while ago.

Sometimes it's hard to drop that small seed in the furrow without sowing too thickly. Thinning later is a pain so I like to try not to over-seed in the first place. Several years ago I read an article on soaking carrot seed as it not only shortens germination time but also makes them easier to handle. And so it does.

I start by soaking the seed overnight. Shot glasses make a dandy soaker:

The next day, dump the seeds into a fine mesh strainer and blot the bottom with a paper towel:

Finally, tap the seeds out of the strainer onto a paper towel and blot them one more time. Be careful when you lift the blotting towel because there will some seeds sticking to it that need to be scraped back down to the pile. They're now a lot fatter and more manageable!

Hope this helps anyone else whose fingers aren't slim and nimble anymore!

April 8, 2021	#1
GoDawgs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b Posts: 1,685	Carrot Sowing Tip Today was carrot sowing day. I'm not doing a lot, just 12' for fresh eating. Yeah, carrots are cheap at the store but it's nice to have some right there in the garden when you need them. At some point in time, someone posted about having trouble handling carrot seed as it's so small so I thought I'd document a tip I posted somewhere in here a while ago. Sometimes it's hard to drop that small seed in the furrow without sowing too thickly. Thinning later is a pain so I like to try not to over-seed in the first place. Several years ago I read an article on soaking carrot seed as it not only shortens germination time but also makes them easier to handle. And so it does. I start by soaking the seed overnight. Shot glasses make a dandy soaker: The next day, dump the seeds into a fine mesh strainer and blot the bottom with a paper towel: Finally, tap the seeds out of the strainer onto a paper towel and blot them one more time. Be careful when you lift the blotting towel because there will some seeds sticking to it that need to be scraped back down to the pile. They're now a lot fatter and more manageable! Hope this helps anyone else whose fingers aren't slim and nimble anymore!