Trouble getting carrot seeds to germinate!

[Buff Shallots]

I'm on my fourth sowing of THOUSANDS of carrot seeds in the hopes of at least one little row of them actually someday turning into carrots!

I keep the bed moist (as per all the articles on carrots I've read), and haven't sown them too deep.

Is there a secret carrot seed trick?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Not sure of any tricks but...

They germinate the best at about 85 degrees F. Make sure to keep them moist and well drained and plant them shallow (about 1/4") and cover them with fine, well aged compost to ensure sprouts emerge. This prevents crusting of the soil.

I've also used seed tape and pelleted carrot seeds before, this seems to work well. Less thinning later. Don't be tempted to start indoors and transplant because they tend to fork when this is done.

Hope this helps!

 

[Buff Shallots]

Thank you OaklandCityFarmer. I mistakenly thought they were a cool-weather crop, like spinach, lettuce and snow peas.

Maybe I'll wait several more weeks to sow again. It's been in the 40's and 50's here pretty consistently for weeks.

 

[Reinbeau]

Yea, it's just a bit too early around here - how are you enjoying our cold windstorm?

 

[Tutter]

You can also mix them with some sand, to distribute evenly, then some organic coffee grounds to fool your carrot pest nemesis. Some people mix with grounds exclusively, I find the sand works well.

 

[Buff Shallots]

Reinbeau, this wind is making me crazy, and turning my four Buff Orpington chickens into Frizzles!

 

[Reinbeau]

That's a great image! I'm so tired of it myself, and I'm not even on the coast! I've got carrots to plant, I'm just biding my time.....

 

[Buff Shallots]

Reinbeau, in a recent Cape Cod Times, they had a big page feature on bee keeping. One of the staff writers decided to try bee keeping and wrote a story on the class she took, the people who are part of a club on Cape, and her experience with getting shipped bees and introducing them into the coop. She promises to write more as the season progresses. I thought of all you BYC beeks!

 

[Reinbeau]

She must belong to Barnstable County Beekeepers - I get their newsletter, we get it sent out from our club, the Plymouth County Beekeepers Association. Hubby and I are thinking of joining that club, too. I'm going to clip this and put it into a new thread, we're hijacking this thread!

 

[Buff Shallots]

Reinbeau, it's okay - it's my thread and I can hijack it if I want to... (isn't that a song?)