Carrot experiment

[vette-kid]

So I'm 50/50 with direct sow on carrots. The best performers have been coated seeds. While eating time in the internet I came across another method I thought I would try. Basically planting the seeds on wet paper towel and then moving to the garden once sprouted. I place the paper towel on a piece of cardboard with another wet towel on top of the seeds and then plastic over that to keep the moisture in. I have 5 varieties this way. Once they do sprout I'll probably just leave them on the paper towel, as it should fall apart pretty easily. We'll see how it goes. Anyone else use this method?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Cool! I planted my carroti seed in the ground in September. I believe you about the germination rate. I had a tape of them as a lark for the winter garden having not had much suggest with them in the past. This year they are doing quite well, fingers crossed, but are agonizingly slow to grow. I used a little boric acid in my clay. It has really helped the radishes and beets too.

 

[vette-kid]

Yeah, I've been experimenting with different crops and learning what I can grow. Cold weather crops can go all winter long here as we don't spend much time below freezing. I have some carrots in a container that I didn't thin and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a franken-carrot in there. I think our rains make it difficult to start seeds outdoor unless you cover them, and that takes a bit of work and I had a lot get washed out. Do I've been looking into other methods. I'd this doesnt work I'll build a brace so I can used the board method.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Yeah, I've been experimenting with different crops and learning what I can grow. Cold weather crops can go all winter long here as we don't spend much time below freezing. I have some carrots in a container that I didn't thin and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a franken-carrot in there. I think our rains make it difficult to start seeds outdoor unless you cover them, and that takes a bit of work and I had a lot get washed out. Do I've been looking into other methods. I'd this doesnt work I'll build a brace so I can used the board method.

I stopped fertilizing the garden about midway through the summer growth cycle in part because the peas and crops like carrots do not work well with a lot of nitrogen or rich soil and I did not know what that meant exactly so I let it alone. I still probably have it too rich, but time will tell. The garden is maturing, but I imagine I will wait until April to pull the carrots. Well- I mean I will watch the temps and when they get the hot foot I will take them up.

My best use of the garden soil is to get it elevated. The clay just stays so wet all the time. I am sure the germination is effected somehow, but the rates are good enough. I overplant a little and then thin it. I would definitely do a winter garden, as it is so much lesswork, at least here anyway. No to low bugs, fungi and bacteria hate the cold. Weeds are those low types with no grass type weeds because it is dormant season, plenty of rain, etc. Very little to do, but it grows about 25% of the summer rate, so start early. I have enjoyed it.

 

[roadrunner]

I'm experiencing a very high germination rate with one 2.4-gram package of Nantes carrots from Livingston Seed company. I simply cast them onto the ground and water.

However, I do clear away the mulch, before casting. I do that because all the detritivores will eat much of the very small seedlings before they have a chance to break thru the mulch, but when I clear it away, the detritivores stay off the bare soil; I then re-mulch after the plants get a few inches tall.

I'll have to post some pics later....

 

[vette-kid]

I don't see an online store for them? Amazon only?

 

[roadrunner]

I don't know...I got them at a local nursery here in Jax

https://www.plantranchnursery.net/contact.html

 

[vette-kid]

We have lift off!! Less than a week and MOST of the seeds have sprouted. Looks like a very high germination with the exception of the board on the bottom of the stack. Somehow it was a little dry.

Have to go out of town for a few days and will move them out when I get back.

 

[vette-kid]

I had planned on five varieties, but only ended up with four. Of those, three sprouted nearly 100%. For some reason the tendersweets did not sprout. I can't really explain this as they are the ones that seemed to sprout better with direct sow.

The sprouts seemed to already be working their way through the paper towel. I did not want to damage them pulling them out, so I simple laid the entire paper towel on the soil. Hopefully they will root through and the towel will fall apart. It's a bit of an experiment still, but so far it's pretty good. Germination had been high and much easier than seed trays and much faster than direct sow (minimizing the amount of time you have to worry about then washing out).