DIY Network

Seed Smarts, Watering, Fertilizer Seed Smarts, Watering, Fertilizer From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-119

Learn the basics for sowing carrot seeds and get valuable guidelines on watering and fertilizer....

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	A lightweight row cover -- or burlap -- lets in light ... and locks in moisture!
	Peer beneath the cover a couple times daily to check for seedlings -- and remember to remove the cover completely as soon as any are visible.
	Start thinning the seedlings when their roots are about the same thickness as your little finger ....
	Water evenly ... but don't overdo it!
	Grass-clipping mulch will help keep your carrots weed-free!

• For seeds sown in the summer, you'll need to keep the soil from drying or from being compacted by pounding rains. If the seeds are compacted, the seedlings will not be able to break through the soil. During hot weather, you will need to cover your bed of carrots to help keep the seeds moist until they sprout. In the heat of summer, extra shade can keep the tiny seedlings from burning off at the soil line
  
  
• Because carrot seeds are slow to germinate, you can keep the beds moist by covering them with moist burlap or a floating row cover. This lightweight row cover lets light in and also keeps moisture in. Make sure the cover fits loosely and be sure to check the cover twice a day to see whether the seedlings have begun to emerge. Remember to remove the cover as soon as you notice any of the seedlings making an appearance.

• After a month, when the seedlings are large enough to handle, about 1 to 2 inches tall, you'll need to thin the seedlings 4 inches apart. You should thin the seedlings when the roots are about as thick as your little finger. You will have to pull up a few carrots to check the root size. It is important to thin the seedlings before crowding impairs their growth. Carrots that grow too close together will be stunted, excessively slender or deformed.

• You can use floral shears to snip off the tops of unwanted plants. Be sure you cut the tops as close as you can to the soil level, cutting the tops off at this stage will prevent any new root growth; pulling them could disturb the remaining seedlings. Thin large selections again in three weeks to 4 to 6 inches apart depending on the size of the variety of carrot you planted.

• While they may not show it, carrots need a good supply of water and prefer slightly damp ground. Make sure carrots get 1 inch of water every week from rain or by watering. Uniform watering is important for good root enlargement. If no rain falls for 7 to 10 days, apply 1 inch of water. Remember to water evenly but do not over-water. Over-watering can cause carrots to crack and split, while under-watering makes them tough and woody. Carrots that develop in dry weather will also be fibrous and woody. Root cracking will also occur when the soil varies excessively between wet and dry. Reduce watering when carrots are three-quarters their final size to lessen the chance of the roots splitting.

• There is a watering trick you can use to make your carrots grow long and slender, but you can only use it one time! When the little plants reach about 1 inch tall, withhold water until they start to wilt. This forces the roots to grow deeper. Then resume normal watering.

• You should weed regularly but you have to be careful and not disturb the young carrots. Be sure to do shallow weeding -- deep hoeing can injure the roots. If you add a mulch of grass clippings this will help keep weeds down. It will also help to keep the soil moist.

• Once the carrots are up and growing, it's time to give them a boost with fertilizer. You should apply a mixture of fish emulsion and water. You mix one tablespoon of fish emulsion to one gallon of water. You then pour a small portion of the mixture around the roots of the plants With young plants it’s good to use a liquid fertilizer like this so you don't burn or damage the plants. Liquid fertilizer is absorbed easily by the foliage and roots, giving the plants the boost they need.