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Each gardener allocates space on his plot for carrot beds. And not only because it is a must-have vegetable for preparing dishes and preparations. And, first of all, because of the nutritional and taste qualities of aromatic carrots. It is useful for children and adults, helping to avoid vitamin deficiency in winter.
Varieties of carrots are divided according to ripening time. It can be early ripening, mid ripening and late ripening. Early varieties are good for growing in bunches to enjoy tender carrots in early summer. And late carrots are stored for a long time without losing their beneficial qualities. The beginning of the period when you can start enjoying carrots depends on the time of emergence of seedlings. How sow carrotsso that it sprouts and grows quickly? Experienced summer residents have an answer and useful recommendations for any question.
It is recommended to check the sowing date itself with the lunar sowing calendar. But it is always necessary to take into account the climatic characteristics of the region and the composition of the soil on the site. The germination rate of carrots depends on:
- soil fertility;
- its temperature at the time of sowing;
- seed quality;
- preparation procedures for sowing;
- sowing technologies.
We will consider all these nuances in the article.
Selecting and preparing seeds
Before purchasing seeds, you need to familiarize yourself with the list of carrot varieties. Choose the ones you like and read the description carefully. If the variety is ideal for your area, has been tested by many summer residents on their plots, and has good reviews, then feel free to buy the seeds. Another piece of advice is to buy sachets from trusted manufacturers and in specialized stores. In this case, you can be sure of their quality.
Plant carrots can be different ways. Each has its own advantages and features. But in any case, in order for carrot seeds to germinate faster, they need to be properly prepared before sowing. There are techniques to speed up seed germination and seedling emergence. After all, carrot seeds contain a large amount of essential oils, which slightly complicate the flow of moisture into the seed embryo.
To enable carrot seeds to germinate faster, they use “country” tricks:
- they are sprouted in a linen bag;
- bubble;
- soak;
- harden;
- use growth stimulants and much more.
You can choose one preparation method, or several, and then sow the treated or sprouted seeds of varietal carrots into the ground.
Germination in a canvas bag
It is not considered a very fast method, but it saves a lot of time during spring gardening. Preparations begin even when there is snow on the site. The seeds are placed in a bag, a small hole is dug in the ground, a bag of seeds is placed, buried and covered with snow. The place should be marked so as not to be lost after the snow melts. After a couple of weeks, the seeds are dug up. During this time they manage to germinate and are ready for sowing.Some vegetable growers mix varietal carrot seeds with dry sand to sow more evenly. In a week the carrots will sprout.
Bubbling at home
An effective method that accelerates the germination of varietal carrot seeds. With this method, they are treated with oxygen. As a result, growth processes in carrot cells are activated. 10 days after the procedure, carrot seeds are sown in the beds. To carry out bubbling you will need:
- glass bottle filled with warm water;
- aquarium aerator.
A hose and seeds are lowered into the water. Saturate the water with oxygen until sprouts appear.
The seeds are strained out using gauze and dried for 3 days. Now they can be planted.
Soaking before sowing
A very affordable and popular method of accelerating the germination of seed. It is filled with water so that it is a couple of centimeters above the layer. During the day it is necessary to change the water 4-5 times. For greater effect, experienced summer residents use an infusion of wood ash. The infusion is prepared as follows: pour hot water (1 liter) into a spoonful of ash and leave for two days, shaking after a certain period of time. In this infusion, carrot seeds hatch within a day. Now they need to be placed on a plate and covered with a damp cloth. This will help prevent the seeds from drying out. Store the plate with seeds at a temperature of +20°C. The fabric is periodically moistened, preventing it from drying out. As soon as sprouted roots and green sprouts appear, you can start sowing carrots.Planting prepared carrot seeds is much more profitable, because they will give faster and faster germination.
Hardening
This preparation option is also considered one of the best. Hardened varietal carrot seeds germinate better (they do not wait for the soil to warm up) and are more resistant to disease. You can freeze soaked planting material. To do this, it is placed for three days in a place with sub-zero temperatures or outside (from -1°C to -4°C). Some gardeners simply bury a bag of planting material in the ground.
If you prefer a softer method, then alternating keeping of carrot seeds at +20°C and zero is enough. They are kept in each temperature mode for 12 hours.
Use of growth stimulants
This is the correct and gentle method for germinating planting material. Ready-made sets of microelements are suitable, which can be purchased at garden stores. Make a solution according to the instructions and soak the planting material. The soaking time is also indicated in the description. After this, it is dried and sown in the ground.
Soil preparation and proper sowing
Emerging carrot seeds need fertile and loose soil. Therefore, the beds are prepared in advance. Adding sand and peat, as well as deep digging, helps to increase looseness. You should not add manure, it will have the opposite effect. The plants will weaken and the root crops will not be stored as well.
Now let's move on to the technology of sowing seeds in the ground.
Row spacing is left 20 cm wide.First, the furrows are shed with a solution of potassium permanganate or another disinfectant. Some people successfully use Fitosporin.
There are also many ways of sowing. Some gardeners prefer to sow only granulated carrot seeds. They are already processed and do not require preparation before sowing. Sowing such seeds is much easier, because they are larger in size than usual.
Other vegetable growers prefer sowing on tape. Some manufacturers produce planting material on tape. The finished tape is placed in the furrows and covered with earth. If there is time and desire, many gardeners themselves stick carrot seeds onto tape and then sow.
Another popular option is mixing seeds with sand. The main thing is not to forget that the sand needs to be dry. By adding radish seeds, you can be sure that you will loosen the beds on time. This is easy to do even if the carrot seeds have not yet sprouted. The radishes emerge earlier and will mark the grooves with the carrots.
Covering the beds with plastic wrap helps speed up the emergence of carrot shoots and their growth. You can cover before and after sowing.
Following these simple techniques will speed up the germination of carrots and give you the opportunity to enjoy delicious root vegetables earlier.
