[Snoop]

My heart sinks when I read this on a seed packet.

Today's plummeting was triggered by looking at a packet of carrot seeds that I was thinking of sowing in the ground (they're the round rather than the long ones).

What do you do to keep soil moist?

[penance]

um, water it

[Snoop]

um, water it

I asked for that!

But it is a real question.

Even in cool and cold periods of the year, wind can dry out the soil. And any watering or rain can cause a hard crust to form.

[Kristen]

Water the drill before sowing the seed - so water under the seeds is plentiful and can keep seeds moist - even if top few mm appears dry.

I water with a Haws rose - the sort that delivers water upwards to then fall downwards and is "as fine as rain" - it doesn't tend to cake the surface.

[JayG]

Your seeds will only be a centimetre or so beneath the surface and need moisture at that level to germinate.

Water well before sowing, then a gentle watering afterwards to settle the soil around the seeds without disturbing them.

What happens next depends on the weather; stick your finger into the soil to see how far down it has dried out and water again if you think the seeds are high and dry.

[Trillium]

After you've sown the carrot seeds, topped them with a bit of soil, top that with a thin layer of sand (maybe 1/4") and gently water. The sand will keep the surface below from crusting and hold in moisture. New shoots can easily penetrate the sand.

[Hey Jude]

Great tip Trill, thanks!

[Snoop]

After you've sown the carrot seeds, topped them with a bit of soil, top that with a thin layer of sand (maybe 1/4") and gently water. The sand will keep the surface below from crusting and hold in moisture. New shoots can easily penetrate the sand.

Fantastic tip. Thanks a million. I'd never have thought of this. I was debating about covering with straw but I could do with adding a bit of sand to the soil anyway. So this is a brilliant idea.