Ada,

I planted carrot seed today, and just furrowed out rows with my trowel and planted the seed about 1/2" deep. I hope they come up as this is my first year planting carrots as well.

James

I managed to get carrots to come up last year. I tried to get some started early, but an playful puppy decimated al my seedlings when I was trying to get them hardened off before planting. (Note to self - Harden off seedlings on a tall structure so the DOG can't reach them.)

Since time was no longer on my side I just furrowed a row, and threw a few seeds down. I had a great carrot harvest last year, and I'm planning on doing them the same wasy again this year.

Courtney

I dont think carrots need to be planted 1/2" deep. they will probably run out of energy before the break the surface.

Ijust scatter the seeds on top of the soil and then use my hand to brush the soil around to lightly cover them. keep the ground moist.

Just remember that carrots take a long time to grow to any size.

Ada,

My favorite method of planting is most like that used by busy1. I don't furrow plant but just scatter sow on the surface and gently "pat" the seeds into the soil surface just the tiniest bit. I do water the bed before I plant, and then mist it very lightly afterward. Once they're up about an inch, I thin them. The advantage to using any sort of cover over the seed bed is that it keeps the seeds moist so they'll germinate more quickly and it keeps them from blowing away or washing away before they germinate.

I haven't tried the burlap, but have done something similar using large sheets of cardboard. Once they start sprouting, you lift up the covering right away so they don't get black or brown mildewed leaves from having excess moisture.

I've done the seed tapes and they work OK but you have to really wet down the paper to get it to soften up enough for them to germinate right through it. Some people use toilet tissue or paper towels because they dissolve more easily. The big advantage is the orderly spacing and the ease of planting. You "waste" less seeds because you don't have to thin them out as much as when you scatter sow.

If you're wondering if there is any one method that's better than the other, then I'd say not really. As long as you have loose, friable soil they'll germinate just fine. If you have heavier clay that crusts over, the small carrot plants can have a hard time breaking through the soil surface. You can work around that by planting a radish seed in the row of carrot seed every inch or two. The radishes will sprout first and break the soil surface, thereby paving the way for the carrots. Most radishes are ready to harvest in 3 or 4 weeks, so you'll have a nice early crop of radishes too.

Dawn

This is my first year for carrots, too. Well, actually the second but I don't know if I can count last summer because I planted late, and even though a few carrots came up, they died off before they got to any size. Since they take so long to germinate, I decided I'd try planting two seeds each in a newspaper cup inside. Two seeds per cup, uncovered but patted into the soil just a bit, watered well, then covered with Saran wrap. So far nothing's germinated. I planted on the 14th so I should be seeing something soon, I hope!

I've tried the home-made seed tape method with newspaper strips and it didn't work for me. In order to cover the newspaper with enough soil to keep the wind from blowing it around, you have to cover the seed, too. So the seed has to work its way through the paper AND the soil. And the newspaper strip kept drying out. Paper towel strips might work better, but I would think bathroom tissue would tear too easily unless it was a real cheap brand. I also have some concerns that, once the seed has become wet in the flour and water paste, if you let it dry out, does that start and then abruptly stop the germination process? If I try it again I'll try paper towel strips and I will put them in the soil before the paste dries. I also wonder if this doesn't make the seeds more attractive to birds...hmmmmm.... easier to see, protein AND starch! LOL

The problelm I have with carrot seed is that I tend to plant too thickly so I mix it with a little fine sand. I also plant the radishes in the row as Dawn mentioned.

Over here in eastern Ok, the soil is too heavy and acid, so we add compost to the row and a little woodash. Carrots sweeten up with woodash. Agricultural lime would also work to sweeten acid soils. So it helps to know what your pH is.

I've never planted carrots in pots to transplant because if they are kept growing, they will make decent size carrots in three months. I plant in early Mar and dig in early to mid June, just like I do beets.

Because our soils are heavy I plant a stubby variety like Chantenay or Danvers.

I am glad to hear the tip on wood ashes. I quit growing carrots years ago because they didn't have a good, sweet taste. I am trying again this year but will do it in a half whiskey barrel of potting soil left from last year. I will sprinkle some ashes over that. If I have any seeds left will just do them the normal way in the garden.

I never have good luck with carrots. I get good tops and not much root. Last fall I planted some in a large container, but got them in too late to produce. They got a little ragged looking in winter, but they didn't die. Do you think they will still make carrots?

Soonergrandmom. Carrots are biennial. If they overwinter, they will bolt to seed come spring, not make bigger roots. The flowers are pretty though. Carrots are the same plant as Queen's Ann's Lace.

Glenda, be careful with the woodashes. A little goes a long way, and I think I would work them in.

Carol,

I agree with what Mulberryknob said about carrots being biennial so yours most likely will bolt and bloom. I like seeing carrots bloom--the tiny pollinators love their flowers, so I like to leave some in the ground on purpose every year for flowers the following year.

Even in south Texas where the winters are mild, it is hard to overwinter carrots without them bolting in the spring because it only takes a few weeks of temperatures below 45 to induce dormancy, which is followed by flowering.

If you always get too much carrot top and not enough carrot, that's an indicator of too much nitrogen--and the nitrogen could be naturally occurring in your soil or it could be in the fertilizer you use, if you use one. The other possibility is that the soil is too dry during the first 4 to 6 weeks after the carrots germinate.

Although many people believe carrots start out "small" and attain their true length near the end just before they mature, they actually attain most of their length during their first 4 to 6 weeks of growth. If they are excessively dry during that time, they won't get as long as they should. This is one of the reasons it is exceptionally difficult to start carrots from seed inside and transplant them outside--it interferes with their rocket-fast lengthening that occurs so early in their growth.

Dawn