![]() ![]() On the same note, wait for a few weeks before thinning carrots. Carrot seedlings are delicate and small and you can easily pull them out accidentally when weeding. You’ll want to sow your winter carrots 10-12 weeks before the first frost (that’s mid-July in my area) – and this will give you a nice fall harvest.Īfter carrots seeds germinate, make sure you give them some time to grow before you start weeding (if you have any weeds, that is). Secondly, carrots will germinate much faster when it’s hot outside – mine germinated in 4-5 days in mid-July.Īnd thirdly, they will need much more water than you would use in spring, at least in the seedling stage. And you CAN grow carrots in no-dig soil that, at this stage, may look a little hard and compacted – you just need the top layer to be fluffy. Extra things to consider when planting carrots in the summerįirst of all – it can be done. You just have to be careful not to leave the wood on top of the rows for too long, or you’ll get leggy, spindly seedlings. The best part about this method is that you can use these same principles for getting stellar germination for any of the plants you’re struggling to grow directly in the ground. It ensures easy, repeatable success with germinating carrots and any difficult seeds.It allows water to seep through the cracks when watering.It protects the delicate seeds from heavy summer rains and hail.It provides a constantly cool and dark environment that’s perfect for germination.It doesn’t allow birds to come feast on an easy meal.It doesn’t allow humidity to escape from underneath the wood.And in the dry months of July and August, keeping the ground constantly moist is a challenge. Unfortunately, they can only be direct sown, as they hate having their roots disturbed or transplanted.Īs for summer weather, carrots WILL germinate in the summer heat – they like temperatures as high as 85☏ (30☌), but they hate dry, crusty soil. They will germinate at 40☏ though, but it will take a really long time – even as long as 21 days. They need warmth to germinate – about 70☏ (20☌), which they don’t get in early spring. My spring carrots didn’t germinate so well because I experimented with fleece, so I returned to my trusted wood method.Ĭarrots are fickle seeds. Here’s a video I made describing this exact method. When enough seeds have germinated, remove the wood boards but continue your watering routine.Water consistently (morning and night) for at least 5 days, and check daily for germination.Water without removing the wood boards or cardboard – the water will run through. ![]() Add the wood boards or cardboard on top of your rows.Do your sowing in the evening, so your seeds have a chance to establish and swell with water.Sow the carrots and cover them lightly with compost- don’t press down too hard.Make shallow drills – 2cm / 1-inch max – in the fluffy compost (I like to press a wood board’s edge in the compost, and voila – rows are done).Pre-water the compost a couple of days before sowing your carrots, and the day of sowing.Add fresh compost to your raised bed, filling it to the top – no digging required (your soil levels likely dropped after the previous harvest).Germinating carrots in the summer time basically looks like this: Use thick cardboard or multiple layers and secure it with rocks so that it doesn’t get blown away. If wood is not an option for you at the moment, you surely must have some cardboard lying around. It’s an effort, but you’ll be able to reuse the wood for this purpose for decades to come. If you don’t have wood boards lying around, you can buy them and cut them to fit the width of your raised beds – you’ll only have to do this once, and any wood will do. In my experience, any shading cloth or fleece row cover material is too light to keep any real moisture or allow the ground to remain cool. Now, if you’ve never tried this before, I suggest you go with the wood boards. Use this method for improving carrot germination You can accomplish this by using wood boards on top of your rows, cardboard, or fleece row covers. The key to great germination is keeping the ground moist, cool, and shaded. In this article, I’m going to show you how to get homogenous rows of carrots even in the hottest summer months – no patchy empty spots! And it’s so easy – no digging or crazy setups involved.Ĭarrots take a long time to germinate in spring when the weather is cool, but only take days to germinate in summer. So, if you’ve had trouble germinating carrots, don’t dismiss them just yet. Their roots will fatten up and you’ll get a much sweeter crop than you did in spring. But it’s worth it because as the weather cools down, in fall, carrots will begin to thrive. Germinating carrots is difficult enough without the added stress of summer heat. As an Amazon Associate earns from qualifying purchases.
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