[Waynestrout]

Hi, long time since i posted, but still an avid reader.

I've started pulling my first carrots from early planting, however, my second tranch never came through.

I bought some late planting varieties today and was wondering if anyone had tried germinating them first before putting them in the ground.

I always do so with things like beans and corn but carrot seeds???

If so, any best methods recommended?

WAYNESTROUT

[Paul Plots]

A good question - I'd be interested to read the responses too.

I normally have very few problems germinating three or more long rows of carrots but this year, on an additional half-plot of heavy clay, germination is patchy and slow despite frequent watering.

I'm wondering what else I might do to get a good crop - we use a lot of carrots during the year. 

[gillie]

Some years I have chitted carrot seeds on pieces of damp kitchen paper and once they are showing a tiny root sown them very carefully into drills lined with potting compost and put a little compost over the top of them before replacing the soil.

It works, but I am not sure whether it leads to more forked roots or not.   Certainly you  must sow the chitted seed when it is still very young. 

Now I just sow the seed into potting compost lined drills without bothering with the chitting.  It works well.

Cheers,

Gillie

[peapod]

Ive never tried germinating first, the seeds are far too little for me to bother doing that. My method is to make a drill, sprinkle the bottom with a layer of compost and then mix sand with the seed and cover with more compost and water.  The compost is a good quick contact and the sand helps preserve the moisture (as it still damp when used) and thinning out

[Waynestrout]

Thanks for the replies, thought it might be hard work but having had the disapointment of rows not coming up, I wanted to make sure.

i like the idea of drill with sand around the seeds, moisture retention important

Cheers - planting this afternoon

W

[Paul Plots]

I sowed two long rows on compost (as the soil is clay) and then covered with more compost (not a lot).... and still very patchy results..despite regular watering.

So back to the plot this evening and bunged in a full packet and a half!!  :blink: That'll do it!!

I am fairly sure I was following instructions not to sow too closely - I should have stuck to my "pour it in" method and "something is bound to come up".

It has worked ever year up till now.... the seed is cheap by comparrison with organic carrots in the shops 

[nemie]

I planted 500 carrot seeds in one pot, they looked so small so i thought in you go and hope for the best, I'm going to plant some more in the ground today, take a chance see what happens.

[Riala]

500??

I put 3 in one pot.... is your pot an old bath tub?

[Kristen]

"germinating them first before putting them in the ground"

I have grown them in Richy's Paper Pots

[BarrowBoy]

I planted a packet of seed (1500 apparently) in 3 rows 8 weeks ago i have kept them under fleace watered when required....i weeded it yesterday and had about 12 little shoots only about 2 inches tall....in the middle of the rows amongst the weeds are 4 carrots growing with leaf thats 6 inches tall at least...how does that happen?

Do carrots like to be well watered?

[Riala]

500??? in a little paper pot?

Am I doing something wrong? I do 3 to one pot and they usually all come out.

[Jay Dubya]

Hi, i've allways had a thing about seeds, i'm never sure how fresh they are. When you sow and they don't come up whats the first thing you say? what have i done wrong. You never think how fresh is that seed. Sometimes you throw it in and it comes up like bugs on a bumper, do the same thing next year with different seed and nothing. With a lot of sed now coming from places like China can we trust it to be what it says on the packet. So don't be too hard on yourself next time nothing shows think about the seed. And just to add isn't it strange how all the seed you save yourself always comes up!!

[sunshineband]

We just braodcast ours and cover them slightly with compost and tampe them down a bit. Seem o come up like mustard and cress. Must be those children's grubby paws adding that little je ne sais quoi  

[The Norfolk Turkey]

We planted our first ever carrots this year, when I say we it was me and my three year old. Having never even seen carrot seeds before, we were both surprised at how small they were. So they got planted in healthy (very healthy, my three year old is gung-ho about everything) pinches in fibre pots which then went in the cold frame to germinate. We got loads come through and then muggins tried pricking them out into the beds. So far so good, they look very impressive for green flowery bits, but Ill let you know what the carrots turn out like when we start picking!!

[Paul Plots]

I planted a packet of seed (1500 apparently) in 3 rows 8 weeks ago i have kept them under fleace watered when required....i weeded it yesterday and had about 12 little shoots only about 2 inches tall....in the middle of the rows amongst the weeds are 4 carrots growing with leaf thats 6 inches tall at least...how does that happen?

Do carrots like to be well watered?

Watering....

I think mine are germinating sporadically because they are drying out in between watering. The soil is clay and each evening when I visit the plot it has turned to a light dusty colour before I add another dollop of water.

I usually grow at least four very long rows across the plot as we eat them by the bucket load every day - they usually last through the winter in the ground.

Growing them on a new half plot with not-so-good soil may have lots to do with lack of success. I am pretty sure I'd never cope with several hundred paper-pots so I'm sticking to sowing direct...and going back to using my old plot where the soil is brilliant for carrots....crumbly and deep!!

Watering once they are well establish should be avoided (so I am told) as it can encourage forking of the roots... but if it's bone-dry there's little choice.