Thanks ! I have been doing alot of these same tricks and they really do work! When I was a kid , I would want to plant carrots ...and them the rabbits would eat them all ...and my dad would go to the store and buy carrots ...put them in the garden and tell me to go check on my carrots ... I would always think I had grown the best carrots ever! I never knew the truth until I was a teenager LOL
I watched this once before and remember covering those carrots to sprout them...I did it this year only I used card board. I just went out and checked under that cardboard and yehooooo..Sprouts.... I would have left the card board on if I hadn't rewatched this...Thanks,,,,,I love carrots.
Thank you! I was just wondering if cardboard would work. Much cheaper (free) and lighter, plus it stays wet. As long as the cardboard is brown and not colored. Although I don't think it would matter for only 11-16 days. :)
I’ve used cardboard after watching this video a second time. This method of covering the seeds does work well! I did find a lot of earth worms under the board and cardboard but hope they don’t eat the seeds lol
Your tips live on!!! Love going back to an older video and it’s all still relevant! Excellent tips! I realized that last year (our first year planting carrots) we didn’t even get a single sprout because of several factors! 1. It was already too warm out 2. Planted way too deep 3. Didn’t protect them while they germinated! Lady… you are good! Love your simple but brilliant explanations! - Erin
This works. I also pressed a broom handle in the soil and sowed the carrot seed in the little trench and used the broom handle to firm them in. Just in case that the board would be in the way of the emerging seedlings. I usually have very patchy germination. Thanks.
This is the very first video I saw of yours Jess and it was after that traumatic time in my life. This is also what brought me back to the garden after a total failure the year before. We grew so much food on our balcony the year I found your RUclips channel and now we have a few acres on a ridge and are building a 5,600 sq ft raised bed garden and our own hodge lodge backyard farm. I’m so grateful for you, Jess. Just wanted you to know. This was a sweet walk down memory lane for me - remembering the emotions evoked from seeing your garden for the first time and it wasn’t even full and lush yet. The next video was a mid-summer garden tour and when I tell you I. Was. Hooked. I binged your channel for MONTHS and you were my greatest resource for my garden. I love watching from the beginning. You taught us so much along the way and continue to inspire us to dream big and steward well. We love you, Jess! Cannot wait to hug you someday and thank you in person. ❤️
A game changer for me, is germinating under a coffee sack. Any burlap will do, but double it up if you’re using fabric vs. a sack. Soak your soil, plant your carrots, place a damp burlap sack on top, then spray it with water. Keep it on there (and remoisten if it gets totally dry), till you see most of your seeds have sprouted. Then you can take it off and viola! Beautifully germinated carrots! (I say this as a person in MS, who couldn’t get germination because the soil always dried out. Not a problem with the coffee sack method!)
Being from Mississippi too I will have to try this. Thanks for commenting this idea, I had carrots that I wanted to try to plant but I haven't done so yet.
@@GossMania Best results I've ever had w/ carrots doing this. I could never get them to be strong. I will say growing them over the cold season has made a huge difference, but also just having them germinating so well and so easy makes me want to try the carrots that can take warm seasons. I wouldn't have dreamed of starting carrots in the Spring. Those would have always dried out and never done anything before. Add burlap and BAM!
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. You have enriched my families lives. That is no small thing. I acknowledge you are living in the service of others. May God bless you.
Excited!! My husband eats so many carrots. We are moving to Oklahoma this year and looking forward to growing most of our food. You're family touches my heart and I am a big fan ❤
I’ve had success starting carrots on Jiffy pellets, then placing them on top of my soil and gathering the soil around the pellets. They germinated and grew so much faster than direct sown seeds started 3 weeks earlier.
@@robinlugosi7076 I think it's those expanding peat pots. Those little hard brown disks get bigger. I have never seeded carrots in them. I may have to try it out.
This is my favorite method as well. Make sure to dust soil or something over if you don’t press them in. I’ve lost a lot of sprouted seeds stuck to the board. Homegrown carrots are the best , great video
@@ij1373 hope your 2020 garden was great, I am trying this method with carrots, I have never had any luck with them, though I consider myself a decent gardener.
Thank you for this tip. I didn't have a piece of wood big enough so I used cardboard and weighed it down with wood. I had excellent germanation in just 5 days! I failed every other time I have tried to germanate carrots here in South Florida. Thank you again.
My great grandfather made a paste of flour and water and put a drop on a strip of toilet paper and using tweezers place a carrot seed on the drop of paste and leave the strip out to dry. Once it was dry he rolled it up and put it away for spring planting. He did this with all his tiny seeds during the winter months and he had more time on his hands on the farm in Oklahoma. He said that it kept the spacing between plants perfect so no thinning was needed and it helped speed up his planting time too. I have yet to try his method but I am thinking this next winter will be a great time to start.
This was super cool. I like reading through the comments too. I'm gaining so much knowledge. I did not know winter gardens were possible in my zone. This proves me wrong.
I'm late planting, but I was really excited to see my little carrot babies sprouting up when I moved my board. I tried carrots a couple years ago and was sad they didn't grow. Thanks for the tip!
I was just saying yesterday that I want to figure out how to grow carrots cus i usally only get like two thanks for this tip I will be trying this . Have a good day everyone
AS always Jess, very well done. I have struggled with carrots in Zone 5 and I plan to use this method this year. You are such a natural in the garden and in teaching.
Earlier in the year I followed your guidelines to plant carrots here in Yakima. It went so well and I got a wonderful crop of carrots. Next year I will plant even more now that I can do it. Thank you for your guideline. I was about to start a summer crop, but noted germination won't do well over 80, and that's definitely us. My husband said I should try a few anyway. Guess it won't hurt, but I won't get my hopes up. Thanks for your guidance.
Thanks for a great video. I have germinated my carrot seeds in the standard plastic germination boxes. I put 10 or so seed in the moistened soil 2" compartments, put the clear plastic top on and let them germinate. I leave them in the compartments long enough to form tiny but sturdy carrots. When I'm ready to I plant them, I water the compartments just enough to make them easy to gently pull apart or you can pull the clump out of the compartment and flick them with your finger until the starting mix falls off. You don't want them too wet or dry when you pull them apart. I learned this with tomato starts and decided to use it on carrots. When you're ready to plant you poke a hole in the ground, put the tiny carrot in the hole and close in the soil. It's easy and there is no thinning.
I am so impressed! You seem to have a lot of very practical and technical knowledge and are able to communicate it concisely and interestingly to the public. Thank you for taking time to make these videos!!! We are trying a go at homesteading and your videos have helped SO much!!! Thanks again!
Darn it! Just seeing this. I planted my carrot seeds last week. My carrot growing is definitely hit or miss. I had some carrots that made it through the winter 😐 pulled them and added them to dinner the other day. I’m thinking I may try that again this fall and leave them in the ground over winter again. I ended up with the biggest carrots I’ve ever grown! And so sweet!
Hi jess. Thank you for your explanation on growing carrots. I live in FL and have never been able to grow carrots. I don’t have a farm I just grow in container for now until I can get my homestead 😊. That’s my plan. Right now I’m just saving lives in the hospital and planting my gardens have been such a stress reliever. And I really appreciate yo and you videos. Thank god for you Gilbert👍
Summary: Use a potting mix, not natural soil; water soil first; place on top of soil every 1 1/2"; gently press in; do not cover; cover with a 1x8 board; check for sprouts in 5-6 days until you see sprouts; row cover was inconsequential -- just a coincidence for this bed; water only if you have no rain and water only around the board; mist with a sprayer if you have to water; if you remove board and a big rain is coming, use board at an angle over the seedlings. I will add from my own experience: harvest before your temps reach 85 deg or more or they will be less sweet and bitter.
Just sow one carrot seed every 4 inches apart on moist toilet paper, then fold the paper in half, then roll the paper up . take it to the moist soil then unroll the paper along the soil ,(flat) cover very lightly with soil them spray water . Greetings from the UK. Great video.
Thank you for such a great tip! This will be my first season gardening, and I love carrots. Along with celery, they MAKE the Chicken Noodle soup! You have such a great spirit and your passion for grown shows in your smile. God bless you!
I was taught to mix sand with tiny seeds like carrots, so you aren't as likely to sow them too thick. Not as reliable as getting pelleted seed, but it helps. First time I've seen the board method...thanks!
I tried this last spring when I started some new “no dig” beds. It worked perfectly! It was so fun watching them grow and the best part was helping my three year old grandson pull up handfuls of big orange carrots!
Thank you for this tutorial! My dad is a very experienced gardener and I’ve learned so much from him. I feel like I can share this with him and he can learn something.
My first year trying to grow vegetables: carrots and kale. They all stayed in the baby stage all summer. Thank you for this advice; I'll try carrots again. Your wisdom helps a lot. It never occurred to me to prevent seeds from washing away. Must find a board...
Thank you for these hints. I live in Florida and our temps often reach above 80. I am trying to grow carrots for the first time and I have some very small plants growing in my 4x4 raised bed. Your info helped me understand when is the best time for me to sow carrot seeds in this climate. Happy growing!
I loved this video! It was particularly helpful how you clearly explained every step and answered anticipated questions (all of my questions from the first half were answered in the end!). I also loved that you filmed the sowing first and then followed up with the sprouts in the same video so we knew how long it took! Thanks for the great info! Can't wait to try this technique this year.
When I saw this video of you gently planting the carrot seeds on top of the soil with a a board over it, Wow! Great idea to keep the soil cooler and damp. So, I did the same thing with sweet peas and pole beans. I water the soil first and then gently pushed the seeds down but not buried. Checking progress 5 days and 6 days later...the beginnings of the shoots coming through. The boards I used was an old pallet that I cut up and used those 6" pieces to cover everything. The seeds that did not come up yet, I left the small pieces of wood over those that needed more time to germinate. Tine to check on it today. Thanks Jess!!
Awesome tip. I am doing straw bale and am putting my carrots in along with my sweet potatoes. I will cover my top. Thank you. Sorry their own bale. You could drag that board over the ground first then make the line. All would be even . Love your site, and your family. Blessings !!! Thanks again.
I've had luck with sphagnum moss. So I'm make a trench like you made with the board sprinkled the seeds in the trench and covered with the moss. Holds the seeds In place and keeps them wet.
This is the video and info I needed today. Carrots have always stumped me - how to sow efficiently and to avoid painstaking thinning. Thanks for sharing this, I will be trying this method later this summer when the weather cools.
Thanks for the board idea. I've usually struggled with germinating and growing carrots. The last couple of years I planted carrots with an old bedsheet laid on top until germination, which worked really well.
Finally a new way to try sowing seeds! I am surprised by the 1.5" spacing but I hate thinning. I've tried broadcasting, carrot seed tape, and spacing too close without much luck. I only get about 2 dozen carrots. We have a long rainy spring in zone 7 BC so this is the perfect time. Morning temps are still cool at 7 degrees but it the wood will help. thank you! I will post after I try your trick. I agree with Donna you are a great teacher and your experience and enthusiasm shines through.
Maybe it's my climate, but this seems crazy to me! Carrots are one of the easiest things for us to grow, we had so many we couldn't even pawn them off by winter, maybe 300-400 lbs of carrots in two long beds. Also the idea of hand sowing carrots makes me feel tired haha. I'm thankful for my push sower (is that a word?) for exactly this!
@@RootsandRefugeFarm I'm in Manitoba, Canada (zone 2b). Sooo I've been watching in envy as you guys get things underway, and I was so confused last year when you talked about fall planting 😂😅! My last frost date is projected for June but most people plant end of may here. For carrots we just sow and go really, just took it for granted! Never gets too hot for them I guess. We don't have much of a growing season but root veggies certainly thrive!
The best way I’ve found to germinate carrots is to make 1/2” soil blocks out of leaf mold, compost, worm castings, and top soil, place one seed onto each block by putting the seeds into a bowl and using a sharpened stick to dip in water and pick seeds up with, then drop one seed on top of the soil block. The soil blocks should be in a flat with drain holes 1/8” up from the bottom, and then mist the flat with a hose sprayer on mist setting until thoroughly wet. Put the flat in part shade or in the garage and mist them every morning or night. If your seeds are any good at all you’ll have seedlings in less than a week at 70°. Check them every single day and plant them in the garden bed the second or third day (at most) after they sprout. I just sprouted and planted 180 oxheart carrot seeds in the garden started this way and 95% of them sprouted, grew, and transplanted successfully. 180 seeds, 180 seedling, 180 soil blocks, individually planted in the correct placement, no thinning required.
My first time gardening my carrots were perfect. Now I'm having trouble lol. It's been 10 years and I'm ready to try again with the same variety I started with my first garden. Ingot hybrid long Nantes type.
My grandson is eagerly awaiting the same kind of carrots, he picked them out of the catalog. :) I use tree bark pieces from our wood pile, not totally flat but seems to work great for many different seeds. Also, propped up a little it gives a bit of protection as seeds come up. Here in California protection can be too much heat or too much rain when they are coming out of the ground. :)
You did a great job explaining this I never had much luck with carrots. I really like the idea that this video gave me. I like that you used roof panels for the sides raised beds. Subbed.
I’ve used this board/fence panel method several times. Works great here in Oregon, especially if you talk nicely to the seeds as you plant them, with or without a southern twang.
Absolutely fantastic information! I have NEVER been able to grow a proper carrot...but I was doing a lot of things "wrong":) Thanks so much for a full carrot lesson. Much appreciated.
Thank you, Jess. I love learning how you do things. Would you consider doing a video on your irrigation system? If you already have, could you (or anyone) let me know where to find it. Thanks.
Thank you ! Awesome video. After 9pm here in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (spring and the first windless and not too cold night in about a week) off I went into the garden and did a small area as per your advice!
Thank you - I'll definitely have to try the board method in the future. I live north of Seattle and sowed carrot seeds in the fall, on my deck in a large planter (3ft x 18 inches and about 12" deep) - it took about 3 weeks for them to germinate, but clearly I put out way too many seeds. I had to spend a huge amount of time to thin them and still find they are too close together. I was only half way through your video when I was inspired to go out and thin them some more (nice little snack of baby carrots)! They have survived well through the winter and I'm sure our rainy Seattle winters have a lot to do with that. My biggest problem earlier on was either a rat or a squirrel (I suspect a rat - I encountered one on my deck at night around that time) was sitting on the edge of the planter and eating the carrot tops around the outside edges. Once I put some bird netting around it, the problem has mostly been resolved.
Last year I found a carrot with roots in the refrigerator. I put it in the ground. It grew a top,flowers then seeded. Free seeds!
You saved a nickel.
Great job
@@kriskulczynski8957You missed the point. It's always good to know how to collect seeds....just in case....cuz crap happens sometimes.
Omg. So awesome. I love learning new things. You gave me an idea. Thank you for sharing.
What’s the advantage between
using seeds and using roots to grow
Are they heirloom? If not then that's not going to do you much good.
Thanks ! I have been doing alot of these same tricks and they really do work! When I was a kid , I would want to plant carrots ...and them the rabbits would eat them all ...and my dad would go to the store and buy carrots ...put them in the garden and tell me to go check on my carrots ... I would always think I had grown the best carrots ever! I never knew the truth until I was a teenager LOL
So lovely memories of childhood and your father so smart to make you happy 😂
This is the first year I've been able to successfully grow carrots thanks to this video! Woo-hoo!
I watched this once before and remember covering those carrots to sprout them...I did it this year only I used card board. I just went out and checked under that cardboard and yehooooo..Sprouts.... I would have left the card board on if I hadn't rewatched this...Thanks,,,,,I love carrots.
I'm rewatching it today also, for the same reasons; when to take the board off as they are sprouted.
I use cardboard as well!
I came to see if cardboard will work as I have lots of it and my carrot bed is huge and in the greenhouse! Thanks! Happy gardening!
Thank you! I was just wondering if cardboard would work. Much cheaper (free) and lighter, plus it stays wet. As long as the cardboard is brown and not colored. Although I don't think it would matter for only 11-16 days. :)
I’ve used cardboard after watching this video a second time. This method of covering the seeds does work well! I did find a lot of earth worms under the board and cardboard but hope they don’t eat the seeds lol
I read to plant carrots in SE TN and this video was perfect timing! Thanks!
Do you read out loud to them? Do they prefer fiction or non-fiction? Any tips appreciated.
All I can say is "Wow". That was a great idea with the Board.
Jess, you are so articulate, a natural born teacher. TY for sharing your knowledge with us.✔️
Your tips live on!!! Love going back to an older video and it’s all still relevant! Excellent tips! I realized that last year (our first year planting carrots) we didn’t even get a single sprout because of several factors! 1. It was already too warm out 2. Planted way too deep 3. Didn’t protect them while they germinated!
Lady… you are good! Love your simple but brilliant explanations! - Erin
My mom taught me the board trick 40 years ago. Glad to see it is still applicable. To thin, I use snips and then take the cut tops and add to a salad.
Great tips for sowing and growing carrots! Thank you! ❤
Thanks for that. Last year I planted carrots. I got one carrot for my efforts and it wasn't even where I planted them 😂
Me and my little helper grew carrots last year in Texas never thought we could grow them. But they did great.
This works. I also pressed a broom handle in the soil and sowed the carrot seed in the little trench and used the broom handle to firm them in. Just in case that the board would be in the way of the emerging seedlings. I usually have very patchy germination. Thanks.
I tried this but with a ceramic floor tile & worked perfectly! They germinated in 3 days😁
Thank you very much!🙏
I planted carrots using your method and they sprouted in 7 days! Thank you for sharing this method with us.
So glad to hear this!
Haven’t had luck with carrots germinating in the past so very excited to try this! Thank you!
I honestly avoided carrots because of these reasons, but now I think I can do it. Thank you Jess! God bless!
This is the very first video I saw of yours Jess and it was after that traumatic time in my life. This is also what brought me back to the garden after a total failure the year before. We grew so much food on our balcony the year I found your RUclips channel and now we have a few acres on a ridge and are building a 5,600 sq ft raised bed garden and our own hodge lodge backyard farm. I’m so grateful for you, Jess. Just wanted you to know. This was a sweet walk down memory lane for me - remembering the emotions evoked from seeing your garden for the first time and it wasn’t even full and lush yet. The next video was a mid-summer garden tour and when I tell you I. Was. Hooked. I binged your channel for MONTHS and you were my greatest resource for my garden. I love watching from the beginning. You taught us so much along the way and continue to inspire us to dream big and steward well. We love you, Jess! Cannot wait to hug you someday and thank you in person. ❤️
A game changer for me, is germinating under a coffee sack. Any burlap will do, but double it up if you’re using fabric vs. a sack. Soak your soil, plant your carrots, place a damp burlap sack on top, then spray it with water. Keep it on there (and remoisten if it gets totally dry), till you see most of your seeds have sprouted. Then you can take it off and viola! Beautifully germinated carrots!
(I say this as a person in MS, who couldn’t get germination because the soil always dried out. Not a problem with the coffee sack method!)
@@TheTinkerersWife Thank you! Hope it helps!
Being from Mississippi too I will have to try this. Thanks for commenting this idea, I had carrots that I wanted to try to plant but I haven't done so yet.
Hey Blondie this is great will use up my burlap feed sacks doing this 😁
@@danielleterry180 You're gonna love it! It's made carrots a no-sweat seed situation! Keeps from washing the seeds around and all!
@@GossMania Best results I've ever had w/ carrots doing this. I could never get them to be strong. I will say growing them over the cold season has made a huge difference, but also just having them germinating so well and so easy makes me want to try the carrots that can take warm seasons. I wouldn't have dreamed of starting carrots in the Spring. Those would have always dried out and never done anything before. Add burlap and BAM!
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. You have enriched my families lives. That is no small thing. I acknowledge you are living in the service of others. May God bless you.
Excited!! My husband eats so many carrots. We are moving to Oklahoma this year and looking forward to growing most of our food. You're family touches my heart and I am a big fan ❤
Fantastic! Going to try it!! Thank You!!!
A veritable! crescendo!! of punctuation!!!
First time carrot growing this year. Thanks Jess, wish me luck! 🤞🏼🥕
I planted mine by ‘piping’ a slurry of cornstarch and seeds last year. Worked great!
Just tried this today. Let us pray.
I’ve had success starting carrots on Jiffy pellets, then placing them on top of my soil and gathering the soil around the pellets. They germinated and grew so much faster than direct sown seeds started 3 weeks earlier.
ROBYN DUDLEY thank you! That seems very straightforward and easy enough to try. Happy planting!
What's a jiffy pellet
@@seahorsesalt4386 I second that question
@@robinlugosi7076 I think it's those expanding peat pots. Those little hard brown disks get bigger. I have never seeded carrots in them. I may have to try it out.
I use jiffy pellets (peat pellets) quite often but have never used them to germinate carrots!! Will definitely be trying this next time around!
I love your down to earth, effective and smart teaching and gifts. Thank you
This is my favorite method as well. Make sure to dust soil or something over if you don’t press them in. I’ve lost a lot of sprouted seeds stuck to the board. Homegrown carrots are the best , great video
i was worried about this, how much of a dusting do you do? is there something other than soil you use?
Thank you for this well done video. I will be planting my carrot seeds according to your method this year !
Seemed more like medium-rare to me, but maybe you watched it on a slower playback speed? 🥩
We grew rainbow carrots 3 yrs ago! Did it with my child care kids :)
Just now seeing this video. Thanks Jess will plant carrots this spring!!!
Cool! I've tried,but likely sowed too deeply. So I'll try again. My cherry tomato seeds are up! So game on, Happy 2020 growing everyone!!🥰
Hey ! Im growing some. Rainbow carrots and cherry tomatoes too! (Warrens yellow and cherry falls )
I think I put them to deep in the ground. And where I'm at it's hot. so will try this..
@@ij1373 hope your 2020 garden was great, I am trying this method with carrots, I have never had any luck with them, though I consider myself a decent gardener.
Thank you for this tip. I didn't have a piece of wood big enough so I used cardboard and weighed it down with wood. I had excellent germanation in just 5 days! I failed every other time I have tried to germanate carrots here in South Florida. Thank you again.
The German nation thanks you for the mention! Way to stick with it in spite of your small wood problem. Stay tenacious!
Lol, let me rephrase, it's less about me having a small wood problem and more that the container is so darn big.
@@dansobien8196 😆
I got Parisian carrots sprouted. Crossing my fingers they workout. Thanks for the inspiration as always.
My great grandfather made a paste of flour and water and put a drop on a strip of toilet paper and using tweezers place a carrot seed on the drop of paste and leave the strip out to dry. Once it was dry he rolled it up and put it away for spring planting. He did this with all his tiny seeds during the winter months and he had more time on his hands on the farm in Oklahoma. He said that it kept the spacing between plants perfect so no thinning was needed and it helped speed up his planting time too. I have yet to try his method but I am thinking this next winter will be a great time to start.
Perfect timing for me Jess, I just sowed my carrots and your helpful hints were what I needed to hear. 😎
This was super cool. I like reading through the comments too. I'm gaining so much knowledge. I did not know winter gardens were possible in my zone. This proves me wrong.
I'm late planting, but I was really excited to see my little carrot babies sprouting up when I moved my board. I tried carrots a couple years ago and was sad they didn't grow. Thanks for the tip!
Watched your video and 10 minutes later I was cutting a piece of wood the fit my raised garden bed. Can't wait to see the results.
I was just saying yesterday that I want to figure out how to grow carrots cus i usally only get like two thanks for this tip I will be trying this . Have a good day everyone
Thank you for the germination tip! We are in Zone 7B and planted Easter Sunday with the boards and the seeds sprouted in 7 days.
AS always Jess, very well done. I have struggled with carrots in Zone 5 and I plan to use this method this year. You are such a natural in the garden and in teaching.
Wonderful tip! Thank you 😊
Earlier in the year I followed your guidelines to plant carrots here in Yakima. It went so well and I got a wonderful crop of carrots. Next year I will plant even more now that I can do it. Thank you for your guideline. I was about to start a summer crop, but noted germination won't do well over 80, and that's definitely us. My husband said I should try a few anyway. Guess it won't hurt, but I won't get my hopes up. Thanks for your guidance.
Thanks for a great video. I have germinated my carrot seeds in the standard plastic germination boxes. I put 10 or so seed in the moistened soil 2" compartments, put the clear plastic top on and let them germinate. I leave them in the compartments long enough to form tiny but sturdy carrots. When I'm ready to I plant them, I water the compartments just enough to make them easy to gently pull apart or you can pull the clump out of the compartment and flick them with your finger until the starting mix falls off. You don't want them too wet or dry when you pull them apart. I learned this with tomato starts and decided to use it on carrots. When you're ready to plant you poke a hole in the ground, put the tiny carrot in the hole and close in the soil. It's easy and there is no thinning.
I am so impressed! You seem to have a lot of very practical and technical knowledge and are able to communicate it concisely and interestingly to the public. Thank you for taking time to make these videos!!! We are trying a go at homesteading and your videos have helped SO much!!!
Thanks again!
Darn it! Just seeing this. I planted my carrot seeds last week. My carrot growing is definitely hit or miss. I had some carrots that made it through the winter 😐 pulled them and added them to dinner the other day. I’m thinking I may try that again this fall and leave them in the ground over winter again. I ended up with the biggest carrots I’ve ever grown! And so sweet!
I appreciate this video. I’ve been gardening for over thirty years and carrots is one frustrating seed. I hope this trick fixes my problem.
Hi jess. Thank you for your explanation on growing carrots. I live in FL and have never been able to grow carrots.
I don’t have a farm I just grow in container for now until I can get my homestead 😊. That’s my plan. Right now I’m just saving lives in the hospital and planting my gardens have been such a stress reliever. And I really appreciate yo and you videos. Thank god for you
Gilbert👍
Summary: Use a potting mix, not natural soil; water soil first; place on top of soil every 1 1/2"; gently press in; do not cover; cover with a 1x8 board; check for sprouts in 5-6 days until you see sprouts; row cover was inconsequential -- just a coincidence for this bed; water only if you have no rain and water only around the board; mist with a sprayer if you have to water; if you remove board and a big rain is coming, use board at an angle over the seedlings. I will add from my own experience: harvest before your temps reach 85 deg or more or they will be less sweet and bitter.
Just sow one carrot seed every 4 inches apart on moist toilet paper, then fold the paper in half, then roll the paper up . take it to the moist soil then unroll the paper along the soil ,(flat) cover very lightly with soil them spray water . Greetings from the UK.
Great video.
Jess do you have a video showing the build or a tour of this greenhouse? Would love to see if so!
Thank you for the carrot germination tip. Worked great!
Thank you for such a great tip! This will be my first season gardening, and I love carrots. Along with celery, they MAKE the Chicken Noodle soup! You have such a great spirit and your passion for grown shows in your smile. God bless you!
Have used this method since I watched this and it works GREAT!!
this video was right on time. Has anyone told you today that, ...."you-rock".
You’re the first! Thank you!!
Thank you! Excellent video! I am planting carrots for the first time. Great comments below too!.
I was taught to mix sand with tiny seeds like carrots, so you aren't as likely to sow them too thick. Not as reliable as getting pelleted seed, but it helps. First time I've seen the board method...thanks!
I tried this last spring when I started some new “no dig” beds. It worked perfectly! It was so fun watching them grow and the best part was helping my three year old grandson pull up handfuls of big orange carrots!
Thank you for this tutorial! My dad is a very experienced gardener and I’ve learned so much from him. I feel like I can share this with him and he can learn something.
You convinced me to do the board over the seeds. Thoroughly shown and explained. Thanks!
I'm in 7b also! Woohoo! Finally, a RUclips gardener who knows my particular struggles! Subbed!
We are in 7a. Is there a huge difference in that 5 degrees?
@@amandacurtis7245 Zone 5 here....short growing season for us. Not a lot of spare time for failures!
My first year trying to grow vegetables: carrots and kale. They all stayed in the baby stage all summer. Thank you for this advice; I'll try carrots again. Your wisdom helps a lot. It never occurred to me to prevent seeds from washing away. Must find a board...
Thank you for these hints. I live in Florida and our temps often reach above 80. I am trying to grow carrots for the first time and I have some very small plants growing in my 4x4 raised bed. Your info helped me understand when is the best time for me to sow carrot seeds in this climate. Happy growing!
This remains one of my favorite videos. Hope to see you soon again. Respect from Africa 🇿🇦
I loved this video! It was particularly helpful how you clearly explained every step and answered anticipated questions (all of my questions from the first half were answered in the end!). I also loved that you filmed the sowing first and then followed up with the sprouts in the same video so we knew how long it took! Thanks for the great info! Can't wait to try this technique this year.
Hailstorms come to mind!
You hubby is a lucky man. Love my veggies!
When I saw this video of you gently planting the carrot seeds on top of the soil with a a board over it, Wow! Great idea to keep the soil cooler and damp. So, I did the same thing with sweet peas and pole beans. I water the soil first and then gently pushed the seeds down but not buried. Checking progress 5 days and 6 days later...the beginnings of the shoots coming through. The boards I used was an old pallet that I cut up and used those 6" pieces to cover everything. The seeds that did not come up yet, I left the small pieces of wood over those that needed more time to germinate. Tine to check on it today. Thanks Jess!!
Awesome tip. I am doing straw bale and am putting my carrots in along with my sweet potatoes. I will cover my top. Thank you. Sorry their own bale. You could drag that board over the ground first then make the line. All would be even . Love your site, and your family. Blessings !!! Thanks again.
So many great tips. Last year I had only tops and 1/4 inch carrots. This year I WILL have carrots thanks to you ! Thankyou
I've had luck with sphagnum moss. So I'm make a trench like you made with the board sprinkled the seeds in the trench and covered with the moss. Holds the seeds In place and keeps them wet.
Lisa great idea, thank you for sharing.
This is the video and info I needed today. Carrots have always stumped me - how to sow efficiently and to avoid painstaking thinning. Thanks for sharing this, I will be trying this method later this summer when the weather cools.
Carrots are my arch nemesis! Thank you!
Patiently waiting for my carrots...and now I know why they never popped up. Thank you sooooo much! I'm going to try this tomorrow morning.
Thank You I've never had luck with Carrots before. I will try this. God Bless and Peace Be With You All ☮️🙏❣️
T Seaman I never tried them and I can’t wait to try this in our new garden Beds we are building
Thanks for the board idea. I've usually struggled with germinating and growing carrots. The last couple of years I planted carrots with an old bedsheet laid on top until germination, which worked really well.
Planning to add carrots to our garden this year. I never remember to sow them early enough. Thanks for the tips.
I wish I had seen this video before I planted my seeds. It makes sense to wet the soil before planting. Lesson learned.
Now I know why my grandmother did that. Excellent video! Im not sure why but I could listen to you all day.
Finally a new way to try sowing seeds! I am surprised by the 1.5" spacing but I hate thinning. I've tried broadcasting, carrot seed tape, and spacing too close without much luck. I only get about 2 dozen carrots. We have a long rainy spring in zone 7 BC so this is the perfect time. Morning temps are still cool at 7 degrees but it the wood will help. thank you! I will post after I try your trick. I agree with Donna you are a great teacher and your experience and enthusiasm shines through.
The board is genius. This is one I’ve never heard before.
Love this demo. Have not grown carrots in 20 years. Also thanks for saying God bless you.
I needed this video. Carrots are on my grow list for this year! 🥕
Enjoyed your wisdom on carrots. Will give it a try .... Excellent
Hey Jess, since we didn’t get to see you seed start, could you do a video talking about what you’re growing this year? Thanks 😊
Thank you so much sharing this video. Your knowledge and tips are so very helpful! Blessings!
Thank you for the video!! So far I've grown three carrots that were big enough to eat. Maybe this will be my carrot year!
Maybe it's my climate, but this seems crazy to me! Carrots are one of the easiest things for us to grow, we had so many we couldn't even pawn them off by winter, maybe 300-400 lbs of carrots in two long beds. Also the idea of hand sowing carrots makes me feel tired haha. I'm thankful for my push sower (is that a word?) for exactly this!
stschubs where are you from?
Goodness I WISH! Where are you from?
@@RootsandRefugeFarm I'm in Manitoba, Canada (zone 2b). Sooo I've been watching in envy as you guys get things underway, and I was so confused last year when you talked about fall planting 😂😅! My last frost date is projected for June but most people plant end of may here. For carrots we just sow and go really, just took it for granted! Never gets too hot for them I guess. We don't have much of a growing season but root veggies certainly thrive!
The best way I’ve found to germinate carrots is to make 1/2” soil blocks out of leaf mold, compost, worm castings, and top soil, place one seed onto each block by putting the seeds into a bowl and using a sharpened stick to dip in water and pick seeds up with, then drop one seed on top of the soil block. The soil blocks should be in a flat with drain holes 1/8” up from the bottom, and then mist the flat with a hose sprayer on mist setting until thoroughly wet.
Put the flat in part shade or in the garage and mist them every morning or night. If your seeds are any good at all you’ll have seedlings in less than a week at 70°. Check them every single day and plant them in the garden bed the second or third day (at most) after they sprout.
I just sprouted and planted 180 oxheart carrot seeds in the garden started this way and 95% of them sprouted, grew, and transplanted successfully.
180 seeds, 180 seedling, 180 soil blocks, individually planted in the correct placement, no thinning required.
P
You have to much time on your hands to even begin to worry about starting carrots and then transplanting them out.
wow, way too time consuming! I'm trying the wood!
My first time gardening my carrots were perfect. Now I'm having trouble lol. It's been 10 years and I'm ready to try again with the same variety I started with my first garden. Ingot hybrid long Nantes type.
“Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”
- Paulo Coelho
My grandson is eagerly awaiting the same kind of carrots, he picked them out of the catalog. :) I use tree bark pieces from our wood pile, not totally flat but seems to work great for many different seeds. Also, propped up a little it gives a bit of protection as seeds come up. Here in California protection can be too much heat or too much rain when they are coming out of the ground. :)
You did a great job explaining this I never had much luck with carrots. I really like the idea that this video gave me. I like that you used roof panels for the sides raised beds. Subbed.
I’ve used this board/fence panel method several times. Works great here in Oregon, especially if you talk nicely to the seeds as you plant them, with or without a southern twang.
Absolutely fantastic information! I have NEVER been able to grow a proper carrot...but I was doing a lot of things "wrong":) Thanks so much for a full carrot lesson. Much appreciated.
Going to plant carrots in a few days. I will use this method. Never had much luck with carrots, but I feel this may be the year. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Jess. I love learning how you do things. Would you consider doing a video on your irrigation system? If you already have, could you (or anyone) let me know where to find it. Thanks.
We havent made a video yet but we are going to make one soon! Its from HOSS.
@@RootsandRefugeFarm Thank you!
Thank you ! Awesome video. After 9pm here in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (spring and the first windless and not too cold night in about a week) off I went into the garden and did a small area as per your advice!
Thank you - I'll definitely have to try the board method in the future. I live north of Seattle and sowed carrot seeds in the fall, on my deck in a large planter (3ft x 18 inches and about 12" deep) - it took about 3 weeks for them to germinate, but clearly I put out way too many seeds. I had to spend a huge amount of time to thin them and still find they are too close together. I was only half way through your video when I was inspired to go out and thin them some more (nice little snack of baby carrots)! They have survived well through the winter and I'm sure our rainy Seattle winters have a lot to do with that. My biggest problem earlier on was either a rat or a squirrel (I suspect a rat - I encountered one on my deck at night around that time) was sitting on the edge of the planter and eating the carrot tops around the outside edges. Once I put some bird netting around it, the problem has mostly been resolved.
Thank you! I just ordered rainbow carrots from MIGardener yesterday. This will be my first time growing carrots. I’m so excited!
Thank you very much to add the temperature in celsius! Greetings from Austria!