I'm growing carrots from open pollinated seeds this year. Only about 1/8 of the seeds I've planted have come up - and I followed the planting instructions to a "T". Does anyone have suggestions on how to make carrots grow really well? What about the soil they like? Will Miracle Gro make any difference?? Any and all suggestions would be great appreciated!!!
:) Glenda
Growing carrots that are just pitiful. :( Help please...
They are a cool weather crop. What are your temps. up there?
So far, high 70's and lows in the 50's at night. :- /
Carrots need loose, deep soil. Keep them moist while germinating, we would just sprinkle the seed row every day until the seeds germinated.
I had trouble with germination with seeds from one company. Also, if the seeds are old and weren't stored properly, the germination will be poor.
Hmmm.... Interesting. They were not kept moist. That could be the problem.......you think?
Should I turn them under and start over? What do you think???
The slulgs ate my first crop of carrots this year, so I have sown more seed - have kept them moist by covering with a floating row cover, and misting them three times a day when it hasn't rained. I have a nice bed of carrots coming along now - I still have them covered to keep the slugs at bay. Once I think they can make it on their own, I'll uncover them and spread som Sluggo-Plus around to kill the slugs. My seed packet said carrots can be planted up to mid-summer, so I took a chance. I have another package of seeds for Fall planting. Hubby and I love carrots!
Whew, so there's hope! Thanks Honeybee! ....You know, my Mom use to put small dishes of beer around her small garden and all the slugs headed for the beer and drowned their sorrows. lol Sorry for the pun. I couldn't help myself. lol It worked for her though. :)
Glenda - my neighbor gave me some beer. I put some small dishes of it in my strawberry bed and did drown some slugs, but I have such a large garden that to cover it all with dishes of beer would be a problem - especially when we have had so much rain. I have found coffee grounds kill slugs - my neighbor gives us those, too.
Besides, using that much beer on slugs would be alcohol abuse!
I also worry about the dogs drinking it! I can just picture my daughter's face if she picked up her darling pooch as drunk as a skunk! - We take care of her dog during the day - her dog and mine are both Maltipoos (crosses between poodles and maltese)
Glenda,
You might wanna build up your soil if possible, so it will be loose. First, I sifted homemade compost into my carrot center. Then I added a 5-gallon bucket of used coffee grinds and 40 lbs. of Black Kow composted Kow manure (aged). Once this was all mixed together, I could plunge my hand into it up to my forearm.
Yep. Carrots don't wanna work hard to grow down into your planting medium.
These are Nantes Half-Longs. They grew to approximately 4" long and were very sweet.
Linda
Yes, they need to be kept damp. I think most seeds do when they are germinating. I grew carrots for the first time this year. I used homemade "seed Tape" made with toilet paper. I had given up on them but when they got ready they did germinate but it took a lot longer then I expected.
Lisa
I see what you mean by the "beer hazards"...... Drunk dogs, slugish slugs, Honeybee hangovers, who knows what could happen!!! heehee I'll remember the tip about coffee grounds - all handy info! :) Yep.....I think average/inadequate soil and no moisture is the problem. I can fix that. Youbetcha! :-D
1lisac, what are the directions for making your ""seed Tape" made with toilet paper"? Sounds like the easy way to plant them!
.......Well, I'm off to the garden!! You all are the best!!! :)
I always cover my carrot seeds with a board while waiting for the seeds to germinate. It keeps the moisture in and it usually only takes a week to germinate.
Glenda- I had seen seed tapes in different catalogues but they seemed like a lot of money for what you got. Then I read how to make seed tapes on the DG thread. They are really easy and useful for small seeds especially. They can also be made ahead of time. Just take 3 feet of toliet paper (you can use any length you like) lay it on a flat surface, place the seeds towards the edge of the TP at the space that is recommended fold the TP in half lengthwise, and mist withh water. When they have dried you can roll them up to store them or take them directly to the garden. I almost surface sow them meaning I just barely cover them up, but they do need to stay damp while they are germinating. If you are going to use them right a way you may want to soak the seeds in water and peroxide before you use them to make the tape. It may be my imagination but that really seems to speed up germination. I really wish we had your temps down here, because it is hot!!!
Hope this helps ,
Lisa
Lisa~Brilliant idea! Will have to search for the thread on this.
Lisa, that's awesome! It took me FOREVER to plant each little seed by hand.... I will look for the thread too. If you or stephanietx find it, please post it on here! I will do the same!
Thanks!!! :-D
Glenda
So the seeds actually STAY on the TP? Seems like they would fall out when rolling.
No, they do stay, because you wet the TP after you fold it and then let it dry. After it is dry you can rol it or take it to the garden. I REALLY like it for small seeds because it eliminates the need for thining, it can be done anytime, my kids like to do it, and it takes all of about 10 seconds to sow the seeds in the garden. I would really like to make seed mats also but I don't know what kind of paper to use. Any ideas?
Lisa
Lisa, any way you can either find the old thread about the seed tape from TP (I tried searching yesterday with no luck) or start one giving some step by step instructions on how to do it?
Of course, my DH asked me what kind of TP to use!!
Here's a good article about how to do it:
http://centralfloridagreenguide.com/2008/02/28/sfg-series-making-seed-tape/
and here's another which sounds a little less fussy:
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-19-643,00.html
I'm going to try it when my carrot seeds arrive, because I've had no luck at all planting them in the usual way! One lousy carrot for a whole row of seeds!
Thanks for those links! I think I'm going to try this in the fall.
Stephanie-I ask the same question so don't feel bad and I'm not male. Any type should be OK. In my head cheaper is always better. I will look for the thread. I have a horse that grain coliced and is now foundering and stocking up so my time on the computer is limited, but I will try to find. It is really so simple it is silly.
Lisa
I like that seed tape idea. I'm going to try that next time. I usually just throw the seeds in and then have to thin and sometimes don't get around to it. This year, I was extra careful when seeding to space them out and not put too many. I did a good job for once, but I like the seed tape idea even better. I used store bought seed tape last year, but it wasn't my favorite carrot and there was only one variety available in the tape. In addition, the seed tape had the seeds spaced about one every inch, so thinning was still necessary. I like that I can use any type of seed I like and space them how I want with homemade seed tape.
Another good thing is that you can put whatever seeds on the tape that you want like carrot-radish-carrot-radish, etc.
Just off the top of my head, after reading through this post, I'm thinking the best TP would be the cheepie (HIGHLY) biodegradeable kind that we HATE to use because it just disintegrates when it gets wet!
Which means we probably need to spray a fine mist to dampen it before we let it dry again. This way, when we lay it out in the garden and GENTLY mist it again with our hose sprayer, it'll dissolve rather quickly. Hitting it too hard at either spray point could dispurse seeds everywhere.
Linda
Thanks so much for the links, greenhouse_gal. I am going to try this for sure, as I Always have trouble with carrots. I like the carrot, radish idea.
I thought I read that double ply TP is best.
Sue
I just used whatever TP we had and when you fold it and spray it and let it dry it sticks together. Don't try to move it while it is wet it will fall apart. I didn't have any problems with the seeds falling out it was so simple and easy.
lisa
Oh, Lisa! Thanks SO much for the tip about homemade seed tapes. That's what I'm going to do when I plant my fall lettuce crop. Not only are the seeds small, but they don't like to be covered too deep, which I obviously did to part of my spring crop this year. We can probably keep our fall lettuces going all winter, so your name will be blessed as we keep crunching lovely salads for months! Thanks again for a brilliant tip.
Can anybody think of a larger type of paper that can be used to make seed mats?
Lisa
Paper towels would work. Cheesecloth wouldn't break down in the soil like tp or paper towels.
I started small seeds like this.
1 Gallon Plastic Zip Loc Bag (or multiples)
Roll of Paper Towels (Do not use the brown paper towels. The softer, cheaper and fluffier the paper towel is the better)
1 Straw
Small seeds, large seeds, whatever seeds.
Tear off a length of paper towel that when folded over fits inside the gallon zip-loc bag.
Lay the paper towel flat on table.
Moisten 1/2 of the paper towel.
Starting on the wet side of the paper towel Place seeds on paper towel at the space you require (3", 4", 6" apart)
Fold the the unused side of the paper over the seeds.
Carefully lift and place inside the baggy
Add additional water to moisten the paper towel thoroughly
Close the baggy with the straw inserted 1/2 way into the closure.
Using the straw (or just blowing into a corner of it slightly opened) you can inflate the baggy and then close the baggy the remaining way while quickly pulling out the straw. Should look like a little pillow.
Place this in a warm and/or sunny location. The top of the fridge is a warm place! In a few days the seeds should sprout. The baggy will deflate over time and you can re-inflate it as necessary.
Once the seeds germinate, you can then take the entire sheet out of the baggy and place it in it's location in the garden. Lightly cover with soil as required by the seed type.
This works great for small seeds, square foot gardening methods, clump planting, etc. The seed roots and stem will grow through the paper towel.
Qinx,
That is too cool! What kinda veggie seeds have you germinated using your "Seed Pillow Germinator?"
I need to start my squash and cabbage seeds for the fall plant out.
Linda
Neat way to do. I get the idea that the seeds need air to germinate, hence the straw. I germinated some seeds once in a plastic bag with air removed. Didn't know about the straw idea. They germinated anyway so some air must have remained in the bag.
BeeBonnet,
I think the straw is only used to inflate the "pillow," then it's removed and the baggie is sealed with some air inside. I don't think the straw stays, otherwise, the pillow would not stay inflated....
For getting air OUT of baggies of food, I zip the bag closed, then push open a tiny partin the middle, and suck the air out, then close quickly.
Same for blowing air in.
And maybe two layers of open paper towels, to make a bigger seed area. ,rather than folding one in two. Hmm, what bags would work for that? White trash bags?
I've done this, but with placing seeds right close to the edge of the paper towels, and setting the whole thing at an angle, so the roots go down, and the leaves go up. A little more trouble.
Mola,
They'll know which way is "up" once they're in the ground!