How To Sow - Carrot Seeds

Carrot seeds – can we get a raise of hands if you either dread sowing carrot seeds, or dread thinning them out?  I don’t have much patience for these guys, but it’s quite literally 1 of 2 things my husband will eat from the garden, so here we are… sowing carrots 😊 

Let me preface by saying that generally speaking - carrots do not do well when transplanted. Why are they sold at nurseries? Profit - that's why. So let's avoid that, and learn how to sow them ourselves - and for a fraction of the cost!

First things first - sourcing your seeds. Make sure you are sourcing your seeds from a reputable company with excellent germination rates - we personally prefer Botanical Interests. I have purchased from other 'big named' companies, but have been let down several times from low germination rates & even improper labeling - oopsie!

Shop their seed collection here: https://lets.growepic.co/sunwoodlane

Use code SunwoodLane5 for 5% off!

Quick tips on growing carrots from seed – 1) they like moisture until they germinate. Don’t let your soil dry out before they’ve sprouted – very important here.  2) don’t plant the seeds too deep - literally sprinkle on the surface!

Once you designate a carrot section, give it a good watering…like really good…

Using a piece of wood, or your shovel, lightly press into the bed to create rows.

Here’s where it could go one of two ways – You either, A) Focus on the spacing now or, B) Focus on thinning later.

What I mean is -  some people sow carrots heavily, which is totally ok…if you’re ok with thinning them out later.  If you have the space for this, then great! You can thin along the way. But for those that have garden beds and want to use their space wisely, then we’ll want to make sure they have enough space. 

I personally prefer to sow lightly so that the thinning process isn’t so hectic.  I’ve learned - I don’t have the patience to thin seeds when sown heavily, Lol…. So, I prefer to sow lightly, and thin lightly…

If you’re like me  - enjoy the zen of the garden, but also don’t have the patience for tedious tasks, then this might work for you too!

Jumping back to the next step – Once your rows are made, do a light sprinkle of seeds and watch your spacing here.  If they land close together, that’s ok – you’ll just have to thin them once they’ve sprouted – (more on that in a month or so!)

Sprinkle a very light layer of soil, very very light – very. light. Then give it a good water.  I then cover with mulch, or you can lay cardboard on top until they start sprouting. This will help retain the moisture level, make sure to come back and water every now and then until sprouted.

Happy gardening!

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