Carrot Sowing Tip

[GoDawgs]

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!

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

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!

Thanks for your post. I like that soaking overnight. I would like to do the same. I'm just waiting for it to warm up a little. When you sow the seeds, do you put them in the row where you poured the water before? Do you cover them with dry substrate and water them again?
Vladimír

[MadCow333]

Good idea. I do that with small tomato seeds.

[Milan HP]

Thanks a lot. Going to do that, but my extra plan is to stick the bloated seeds on a strip of toilet paper in the desired span. Actually zig-zag, say, an inch from each other, meaning that each furrow is roughly 1.5" wide. The "glue" is starch or just flour mixed with water. It's not much of a glue, so I cover it with another layer of toilet paper, which prevents the seeds from falling off or shifting. And as I plan for the worst, I am going to seed some on the side to replace the ones that don't germinate. Last year the strategy was quite successful with radishes, but my old carrot seeds didn't meet my expectations. Hope for more success this year.

Milan HP

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by MrBig46

Thanks for your post. I like that soaking overnight. I would like to do the same. I'm just waiting for it to warm up a little. When you sow the seeds, do you put them in the row where you poured the water before? Do you cover them with dry substrate and water them again?
Vladimír

It depends on the soil moisture. During dry times I have watered the furrow well before planting. Yesterday I just sowed the seed, covered them with dry soil and watered in because we have rain coming in this afternoon and tomorrow. But if Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, I'll keep lightly watering because once those soaked seeds pop you sure don't want them to dry out.

[loulac]

I mix the seeds with very fine sand, pour the mix in a seeder - you can make one by drilling holes in the stopper of a tube - and then sprinkle the content on a line. Cover the seeds lightly, cover the bed with burlap or fern if you can collect some near your place. Keep the bed wet, germination will happen one week later. Thinning is no longer a problem.

[b54red]

When you get to the age that arthritis in the hands is bad enough all these tricks are still too much trouble. A couple of years ago I started using pelleted seeds from Johnny's and haven't looked back. One drawback is those seeds don't do as well the second year so you need fresh ones each year for the best results and they aren't cheap. I really love the fresh sweet flavor of fresh carrots. I have been having fantastic luck with Sugar Snax. Until I started growing them I never had carrots over a foot long and now it isn't uncommon to have some over 16 inches long. Most are about a foot long and they are very sweet and tender.

Bill

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by b54red

A couple of years ago I started using pelleted seeds from Johnny's and haven't looked back. One drawback is those seeds don't do as well the second year so you need fresh ones each year for the best results and they aren't cheap.
Bill

Have you ever tried freezing the seed as soon as you're done planting? Just wondering, as I have carrot seed in the freezer several years old and it comes right up. Don't know how the pellet material would hold up>

[MrBig46]

On Saturday night, I soaked parsley root seeds. This morning I took them to the garden, drained the water and put the seeds on a paper towel. I then glued the individual seeds with water-soluble glue to the prepared toilet paper. I cut it into individual strips and put these on the water in a groove on the waterbed. In the end, I poured water over it, covered it with soil and compacted it. It took me a little over half an hour, but if it is successful, it will pay off for me. I will not have to pull out excess plants, it is one of my least favorite works in the garden, namely bending ev. kneeling doesn't do me any good anymore. I hope this experiment is successful. If so, I'll make carrots this way.
Vladimír

[Tormato]

I pre-water, then sow in a very shallow furrow of about 1/8" deep, and cover with finely sifted soil. Then I cover the row with a 1X10 pine board for about 5 days. This keeps the moisture in, and stops the seeds from flowing away in a heavy rain.

[GreenThumbGal_07]

One year I made my own seed strips out of toilet paper and wheat flour paste. I used these strips to plant the carrot seeds and it seemed to work out all right. I might try tissue paper as well.

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by Tormato

I pre-water, then sow in a very shallow furrow of about 1/8" deep, and cover with finely sifted soil. Then I cover the row with a 1X10 pine board for about 5 days. This keeps the moisture in, and stops the seeds from flowing away in a heavy rain.

I cover the sown lines with non-woven fabric. But when it rains, the fabric sticks to the soil and it's even worse. Thanks for reminding me to use those boards. I remember Durgan promoting it. I've never tried it, so now it's time to try it. I'll bet two more lines and I'll try.
Vladimír

[PhilaGardener]

Boards have worked well for me also!

[MrBig46]

I soaked the seeds yesterday and this morning I glued them and put them in the soil. I covered them with wooden chips and poured water over the whole thing. I think it will be better than the nonwoven fabric, because under it water dries out by the wind.
Vladimír