Keep soil moist till seedlings established

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?

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.

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.

Great tip Trill, thanks!