Experienced gardeners often grow two crops of carrots, an early crop and the main crop. The early crop is grown for immediate use, while the main crop is harvested for more long-term keeping and use during fall and winter.
Since carrots tolerate cool growing conditions, the early crop is sown in April. Sowing for the main crop typically runs from June to early July, so we’re very near the optimum planting time.
The most common mistake beginning gardeners make when sowing carrot seeds is planting them too deep.
The seed packages usually say something like "place the seeds in a furrow, cover with soil and press the soil down firmly." This makes it sound like you have to dig a small trench and heap garden soil over the top.
In most soils, carrots should be covered by about one-quarter of an inch of soil. That’s not very deep and it’s hard to resist planting them deeper if you’ve never grown them before.
Carrot seeds are very small and if planted too deep, they will run out of energy before they emerge and begin photosynthesis. On the other hand, they will not germinate if exposed to sunlight. That is why they are covered with soil rather than just being pressed into the surface of the soil.
The best method is to make a very shallow, long depression or furrow into the soil. Place the seeds as evenly as you can into the furrow. You have to be patient at this step because the tiny seeds can be awkward to handle to get the spacing just right.
Cover the seeds with a small amount of loose garden soil. Then sprinkle a small amount of sand over the row. Any kind of sand will do. This will help keep the soil surface from crusting over, allowing the tiny seedlings to push through the surface more easily. Press the soil down firmly enough so the seed has good contact with the soil particles.
Carrot seedlings are very small, with their first leaf looking like a green thread. Since it can take anywhere from one to three weeks for them to emerge, the different colored sand will also help you keep track of where you can expect to see your new carrot seedlings. For many years I used a brilliant, pure white sand that was used specifically for professional golf course sand traps. That really showed up against the dark garden soil.
Carrot seeds often have uneven germination with some seeds coming up within a week while others take closer to three weeks. To help even out germination, gently water the seeds often to keep the soil moist.
Following these tips, you’ll be on your way to a bountiful crop of carrots.
