[Beano]

We have had a problem with carrot seedlings for the last two years. Admittedly, the weather has been cold and wet, but still! We has sown two types of carrot seeds in a raised bed kept just for carrots. The first two years we had loads but the last two years it's been a job to get them to germinate.
Yesterday we bought three bags of topsoil and a bag of compost and yet another seed packet and gave it one last try with new soil. The soil was riddled with ants and my husband is wondering if the ants have been eating the seeds. We powdered the ants and are keeping our fingers crossed that we will get some carrots this year.
My question is: Do ants actually eat seeds or is there something else that could be going wrong?
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[arugula]

I think its been too cold for them. I just noticed today that some of our most recent sowing is germinating, at last!

[Bernard]

My first and only successful carrot crop was 3 years ago. Since then I pour seed into the ground spring and summer and say goodbye to them. I have tried several varieties.

A couple of weeks ago I sowed some in the greenhouse border and they have germinated quickly.

[lazza]

I planted some back in mid April, and they germinated pretty quickly in the warm weather we had then.... since then, not much progress, although we had the first (and only) one this weekend... would've been a feast for a mouse!

[PembsPanther]

My carrots have done well so far, I have not done them in beds but in big pots and buckets and so far 4 seperate lots have all germinated well, 1st lot due to be pulled in 3-4 weeks.

I have grown Foterhgills Harlequin F1, they are a multi coloured and look fab The weather has warmed up quite a lot now so fingers crossed for you

Why did you mix the shop bought top soil with compost? Why not just use all compost? I am a novice so not saying you have done it wrong just interested.

[Bernard]

So it seems to be temperature. Well, considering that my problems goes back 3 years it would appear that what I need is a variety that is known to be less fussy about temperature. Does anybody know if there is one?

[PembsPanther]

Again as all I can offer is what has worked for me this year and germinated very very well and that is as mentioned above the Harlequins................

I am a 1st year newbie so have no experience of other varieties,......yet

Good luck with it.

[Beano]

what I need is a variety that is known to be less fussy about temperature.

The last lot of seeds we used were a variety that can be sown in autumn and overwintered as well as anytime in the year. So hopefully they are a variety that can withstand colder temps.
It appears that sowings in pots are more successful. My sister has lots of carrots, all in containers.
We mixed topsoil and compost thinking that topsoil would have longer lasting goodness in it.
Thanks for the replies everyone. We're obviously not alone in the predicament and it does seem to be weather related. So we killed the poor ants and they were not guilty

[JayG]

I sowed Autumn King and Nantes Frubund (liked the name!  ) on 24th April and they took five weeks to show under enviromesh (even longer than the parsnips!  )
They won't have liked the cold and very wet conditions much.

They are very vulnerable to slugs when young, especially as you can't really see what's going on through the enviromesh - slug bait is essential (and being under cover is safe for other wildlife.)

[LilacSandy]

I have tried 4 different types of carrot this year and once again it is only the Nantes varieties that have shown up, but even they are patchy and have come up in clumps

[Beano]

Oh no, Nantes Frubund is the packet I've just sown and we get a lot of rain here in west Wales. Our Autumn King sowings just didn't show at all.
Slug bait is something I forgot, thanks for that tip.

[JayG]

Oh no, Nantes Frubund is the packet I've just sown and we get a lot of rain here in west Wales. Our Autumn King sowings just didn't show at all.
Slug bait is something I forgot, thanks for that tip.

Don't worry, most of both varieties germinated in the end, and I reseeded the gaps (a form of successional sowing I was forced into but could be quite handy given my lack of growing space for an additional row!) 

Yours should do better than your previous attempts now it is warmer, but yes, don't forget the slug bait or they might disappear before you even see them in these wet conditions. 

[potatogrower]

best thing to try and do is grow carrots in big containers. i add compost, water it down 1st so it rests, flatten if needed  then sprinkle carrot seeds and cover with compost. this way there's no stones and all it will need is a regular feed and watering. i pulled few young sprouts and the carrots are growing nice and straight.

[allotmentann]

Hi Beano, I also think that pot/container growing may work better. I sowed (on the same day) a row in the ground and various varieties in two large containers. The ones in the ground have not germinated. The pots however are thick with seedlings and need thinning. The problem with pots is of course, having large enough pots, enough of them and enough compost/soil to fill them with, to get a fair sized harvest.