easy sow carrots

[Lazy Gardener]

One thing I do to help my carrots along: after sowing and watering them in well, I cover the bed with a layer of cardboard. I keep this cardboard moist, and check the bed daily. This speeds germination and cuts the weed competition.

 

[CrealCritter]

I like that idea!

A cheap roll of single ply, works well for tiny seeds, carrots, lettuce, German chamomile, etc...

 

[CrealCritter]

One thing I do to help my carrots along: after sowing and watering them in well, I cover the bed with a layer of cardboard. I keep this cardboard moist, and check the bed daily. This speeds germination and cuts the weed competition.

I usally use some old sawmill junk lumber like 1x4's. I've also used carboard but it's not heavy enough to stay put during southern IL strong spring storms without some staples. I also make my own staples out of lenghts of electric fence wire and a pair of linemans pliers. What they want for 12" garden staples is rediculas.

 

[sumi]

I bought carrots seeds last year and discovered it's seed tape, which was really nice! But the carrots turned out to be some freaky shapes and sizes, so I think the problem here is the soil

 

[CrealCritter]

I bought carrots seeds last year and discovered it's seed tape, which was really nice! But the carrots turned out to be some freaky shapes and sizes, so I think the problem here is the soil

Could be a number of things but my personal experience is to double dig (till) the row where your going to.plant carrots. I do this by tilling a deep as I can, raking out the loose soil, then tilling the trench again as deep as I can. I'll then rake the soil in the trench and remove any larger rocks or other junk like bits of tree roots. Then I'll add a good amount of orgainic matter like deep beding from the chicken coop and till that into the loose soil in the trench, I'll spray the trench well with BT. Finally I'll rake about 1/2 of the soil back into the trench then lay down a fair amount of orgainc matter, then the rest of the soil and till it in well.

Thin and weed well after sprouting, otherwise they are pretty carefree.

I found carrots need a good foot if not 18" of deep loose soil to grow straight and long. Keep BT/Palmolive original on hand and apply every other week or so, to the green tops and after a rain this helps control worms (catapillers) which can also cause mishaps.

Hope this helps. Preparing a carrot row the first time is a lot of work but it's easier the following seasons because you've got most of the big chunky stuff out already and the soil tills a lot easier.

 

[sumi]

Thanks @CrealCritter! That is helpful.