Easy handling carrot seeds! So small that we tend to make too much of it. And then, thanks for the clarification! Here are some quick tips to apply to save time.

 

When To Sow Carrots?

Le carrot seedlings are quite capricious, but the good season in the garden lasts from March to June. From February-March, in fact, it is possible to sow under cover or Nantes frames of early varieties. In some areas in the south of the country, like here in the southwest, a veil is even enough to protect the seedlings from the still cold nights.

 

In the open ground, it is better to wait until the middle of April and May, as soon as the earth has warmed up enough.

 

We use fresh seeds. You don’t need to use those from previous years. Old seeds have more difficulty germinating because they quickly lose their germination capacity. Therefore, it is better to part with old packaging, especially if it has been poorly preserved. I put the sachets for my side in spice or jam jars, practical to use and sealed tightly. Also check the expiry date on the packets of seeds you buy.

 

Which Carrot Varieties To Sow At The End Of Winter?

Early or early carrots are sown from February to early April, directly into the ground in mild climates or under tunnels and frames in colder regions. You can sow

 

• short bell-type varieties such as ‘Marché de Paris’, ‘Ronde de Paris’, ‘Parmex’…
• semi-long varieties ‘Caracas’, ‘Mignon’, ‘Cascade’
• long varieties “Touchon”, “Amsterdam”, “Laguna”, “Primo”

Which Carrots Should We Sow Summer And Winter?

From May to early July, it is the turn of sowing summer and winter carrots (retention carrots) to come into play. For the summer the most classic are “De Carentan” and all the “Nantaises”.

 

Some varieties for winter “Chantenay with red heart”, “Colmar with red heart”, “Giant of Tilques”, “Jeannette”, “Long smooth of Meaux”, “Saint Valéry”.

 

How To Prepare The Soil Before Carrots?

First of all, consider crop rotation, that is, do not sow carrots on land that has already had the same vegetable for the previous three years. Also, avoid growing carrots immediately after growing other root vegetables.

 

Navels like deep but very fine soil on the surface

 

• Then prepare with a fork-shovel or a grelinette a fairly loose deep (about 25 cm) and healthy soil.
• Remove the larger stones to collect straight roots. If the root encounters an obstacle, it tends to bypass it and twists or forks. If there are too many pebbles in your board, add soil and compost to submerge them deeper.

How To Sow Carrots?

If the soil is well prepared, there is no need to dig

 

• We sow in rows about 1520 cm apart and place the small seeds less than a centimeter deep.
• Cover them with a thin layer of potting soil.
• Then run a lawn roller or barrel with the back of the rake.
• Finish by wetting gently with a spray head turned upside down, you will better control the water flow. If the nights are still cool, cover with a veil that imposes until small plants appear.

Vegetation requires a minimum soil temperature of 10 to 15°C, necessary to break dormancy. This vegetation can therefore take a long time to come. The space is quickly taken over by unwanted weeds which must be closely monitored and removed if necessary.

 

As carrot seeds are very small and difficult to handle, mix them with sand, coffee grounds or other seeds such as radish and lettuce for example so they are easier to sow.

 

You can also use the tip of a knife to adjust the number of seeds in the palm of your hand. This will save you a tedious thinning job later.

 

Maintenance then comes down to regular digging to aerate and loosen the topsoil. Harvesting can take place within about 3 to 4 months for the keeper varieties. No more delays, the carrot core is hardening.

 

Onions And Radishes In Combination

Onions and pink radishes are planted (for the former) or sown (for the latter) at the same time as carrots! This is good because the onion protects the crop from the carrot fly. As for the pink radishes, they grow faster, so they can be harvested before and then leave all the space the carrots need.

Carrots Grow Slow

Carrots take a long time to grow, so they should be sown as soon as possible. It takes at least two and a half months (90 days) of cultivation before you can harvest the early carrots. Summer carrots take 3 months in the ground and up to 5 or 6 months to fully mature storage carrots. They then keep better throughout the winter.