My new carrot method

I love homegrown carrots and always get a good harvest. But sowing too many seeds is always a problem. This year I think I have come up with a solution--during the winter I bought a good amount of YAYA seeds, cut some 1" wide strips of tissue paper and Elmer's white glue. Spaced the seeds about 1 1/2 " apart. to make sure of germination I tested some of it early- good results. A few days ago I watered my raised bed and laid the tapes in some troughs, then covered the tapes with about 1/2" of soil- a little more water and now to wait for sprouts! I expect they will be happy little seedlings in a few weeks.

[Nan_PA_6b]

That is really clever! Spacing is so important on a root crop and so impossible with those small seeds! And Elmers is water soluble.

2 questions:
1.) 1/2" of soil over those tiny seeds?
2.) How do you get home grown carrots to not taste bitter?

Nan

To answer your questions-
1- maybe it isn't "exactly" 1/2" of soil- I tend to eyeball ! I keep a wheelbarrow of good fluffy workable soil mixed at all times, and I just scooped it and sprinkled it over the tapes.
2- I don't know how to answer that-- my carrots are always sinfully sweet---like candy ! I start pulling them as tiny babies and they can stay in the ground as long as needed. They like to germinate in cool soil so I try to get them in ground soon after the last freeze. I sometimes do a fall crop and get a harvest before hard freeze, but that is not a sure bet! There is nothing better than fresh baby carrots!

[PNW_D]

Here is a variation I've been thinking about trying this year - from West Coast Seeds "Share Your Garden Wisdom"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsfNi4O8PIs

That video looked OK, but I found it really uplifting to spend time at my kitchen counter in the dead of winter cutting strips of tissue, gluing seeds to it and anticipating the warm days of spring !

[Gardeneer]

Another way, would be just some more seeds. When they come up just cull/thin them.

[brownrexx]

That's a beautiful raised bed.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Another way, would be just some more seeds. When they come up just cull/thin them.

Gardeneer, that's what she's trying to avoid.

With my unsteady hand, and seeds that small, and the seeds moving freely when watered or covered with soil, one can end up with large gaps followed by clumps of seedlings, and have to weed out more than one keeps.

Seed tape is surely not everybody's cup of tea, but I do see the appeal of it.

Nan

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Another way, would be just some more seeds. When they come up just cull/thin them.

Been there-done that- if you're using good seed such as I do with YAYA it makes no sense to waste them- and when you thin it doesn't end up with uniform carrots. one of the enjoyable parts of gardening to me is to come up with better and more productive ways to get a job done. Spending cold winter days making my own tape is one of my favorite things to do!

[oakley]

I did that last year. I also have many varieties I grow and the seeds are so small.
Great idea but it was the first year in 20 I did not have a single carrot.

I plant down the middle of my tomato beds so it gets hard to thin them.
I'll go back to a lite sprinkling two or three times over a couple weeks. I rely
heavily on MotherNature/rain so my strips must have dried out. Or maybe
too wet, who knows. I do the same when planting early peas as always one sowing fails
due to weather.

Great plan and yours should do well with steady water.

[Koala Doug]

Originally Posted by PNW_D

Here is a variation I've been thinking about trying this year - from West Coast Seeds "Share Your Garden Wisdom"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsfNi4O8PIs

I pre-spout all my seeds (tomato, basil, parsley, etc.) using paper towels, zip-lock bags, and distilled water.

This year, I had planned to try growing carrots for the first time and would have followed my usual method... except that I'd cut the paper towel around the newly sprouted seed and plant that in its container.

This above video is somewhat similar to what I had already planned to do. And I am happy to see her method worked, so I know that my variation can also be successful (knock on wood).

Since carrots make taproots very early, they don't respond well to transplanting after sprouting-- before I laid my seed tape down I gently watered the whole pyramid then made furrows for the tape--the damp soil held them in place while I worked, then when I was done I sprinkled moist soil on them and gebtly watered them in.

[salix]

Have used carrot 'seed sheets' for decades now. I use white tissue paper over a 2" grid. Make a paste out of flour and water and use Q tip to apply a dot at each grid intersection. Use pair of pointy tweezers to apply carrot seed (1 only) to each paste dot. Label each sheet with variety name. Will dry in a few minutes and the sheets can be transported to the garden when the time is right and the bed prepared. It doesn't seem to matter if the sheets are placed right or wrong side up/down. Sprinkle a bit of fine soil over - I usually have some potting mix leftover and take a pail of that to the garden. Wet thoroughly with fine sprinkler and keep moist for a week or two. I cover mine right away with Reemay on hoops to avoid the carrot rust fly, so that helps a bit with rapid drying as well.

It seems a bit picky and time consuming, but a couple of hours seated comfortably at the dining room table is a lot easier on an arthritic back than thinning carrots at the height of mosquito season. Also saves a lot of seed. Remember to pick a still day to plant your sheets - the wind always seems to pick up when I am trying to lay down 2 foot squares of tissue paper

It's definitely an easy way to get over 600 carrots in a 3 x 6 ft. area.

thanks, Salix- I use 1" wide tissue paper because my seeds go into what was once a strawberry pyramid that didn't work out. The soil is good and deep and loose and carrots grow really well!

[imp]

I think home made tpes are a great idea especially for fine seeds like your carrots. I never liked the price of the tapes offered for sale, LOL, but making them yourself is great.