How to sow carrots so that they sprout quickly?

Carrots are traditionally considered a capricious crop, since sometimes it takes a very long time to wait for the first shoots. There are several ways to speed up seed germination. In order to use them, you need to familiarize yourself with the features and instructions of effective options.

Carrots belong to the category of vegetable crops that are not customary to grow through seedlings. Seeds are planted directly in the garden and begin further care. The period from sowing to the first shoots is very important, because the quantity and quality of the future crop depends on how well the seeds germinate. Among the most common factors affecting the germination of carrot seeds, the following can be distinguished.

• Seed quality. When choosing seed, a number of features must be taken into account. Seeds should have a characteristic carrot smell, not have cracks, spots. The color of the shell is the brightest. Ideally, you need to plant last year’s seeds. Acceptable options are those whose age does not exceed 3 years.
• Soil characteristics and its fertility. The most suitable option for carrots is loose soil with moderate acidity.
• Seeding depth. If the seeds are planted in autumn, then the depth should not be less than 4-5 cm. Otherwise, they may freeze. During the spring sowing period, a deepening of 1-2 cm is sufficient.
• Weather. If in the period after sowing the seeds, cool and rainy weather began, then the bed is covered with polyethylene or a special material – spunbond. This is necessary because carrots prefer sunny weather.
• Moisture. In order for the seeds to swell and germinate, they need abundant and timely watering.

The rate of seed germination is affected by their pre-sowing treatment. It includes a whole range of activities that need to be carried out. They are as follows.

• Rejection. The essence of this event is to remove empty seeds. To do this, you need to collect water in a small container and pour carrot seeds into it. The good ones will sink to the bottom, and the bad ones will remain floating on the surface. It’s better to throw them away.
• Disinfection. To do this, it is necessary to dissolve 200 g of potassium permanganate in 1 ml of water at room temperature. Soak the carrot seeds in the solution for at least 15 minutes.
• The surface of the seeds may contain essential oils, which also slow down the germination process. To remove them, you need to soak the seeds in warm water for another 10 minutes.
• At the final stage, the seeds must be fished out of the water and placed on a damp cloth. (it is better if it is a material of natural origin). From above they need to be covered with the same material and left in this state for 1-2 days for the carrots to germinate. If everything is done correctly, then the germination process should begin.

After all stages of processing, the seeds can be safely sown in the prepared soil.

Planting time depends on the selected variety of carrots. There are three categories of varieties: early, medium and late. Depending on the category, the following planting time is set in the spring for quick emergence:

• for early varieties, the end of April or the beginning of May is ideal, when a stable air temperature is established (at least +3 degrees);
• medium varieties of carrots are usually planted in open ground from May 1 to May 20;
• late ones should be sown in the period from mid to late May.

Some gardeners prefer to sow carrots before winter. In this case, it can not be germinated, but it should be deeper into the ground.

As already mentioned, for carrots on the site choose the most sunny place. It is best to start preparing the beds in the fall, even if spring sowing is supposed. It is important to consider the predecessors that grew on this bed last year. The following vegetables are most suitable for carrots:

• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• cabbage;
• potatoes.

In the fall (after harvesting), it is necessary to prepare the garden step by step. To do this, you need to dig it on a shovel bayonet, remove all available weeds. After that, the stage of introducing the necessary fertilizers begins. Initially, you need to add compost, humus, wood ash to the soil. After two weeks, you need to dig the soil again and add mineral fertilizers again. Since carrots love loose soil, peat and sand can be additionally added to improve this indicator.

Carrot seeds should be sown in furrows. They can be made with a garden tool or a regular stick. The most important rule is not to go deeper than 2 cm. Otherwise, the seeds will germinate for a very long time.

It is important to understand that the ideal conditions for the rapid germination of carrot seeds are loose and moist soil with a temperature of +8 degrees and an air temperature of +15 degrees.

No less important is the technology of sowing seeds. There are certain tricks here, which are as follows.

• Carrot seeds must be sown in the grooves. The distance between them should be approximately 20 cm.
• The width of the furrows is about 5 cm, and the depth is not more than 2 cm.
• Seeds are planted one at a time at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. If you plant carrots too thickly, then this arrangement will cause rot and diseases.

Some gardeners sow 2 seeds each, which is a gross mistake. They will only interfere with each other. And when the carrots begin to grow, it will have to be thinned out and removed all unnecessary.

Subject to all of the above preparatory measures and conditions, carrot seeds should germinate fairly quickly. In some cases, this process takes several days. If gaps are still found in some places, then it is recommended to replant with prepared seeds.

And in order for carrots not to be attacked by pests, for example, a carrot fly, plants such as tobacco, sage or rosemary should be planted in the neighborhood. To get a good harvest, you need to carry out the right care.