Carrots (Planting)

[veggiecanner]

I made a gang dibber so I didn't have to make to use my finger to make all the holes. You can see a picture of it in my home made tools thread on here.

[Durgan]

Hey, Carrot seed as you all know is very small. It does not require a hole for planting.

A surface a bit flat and the seed placed on top then pressed in just a bit, Say walking along a board just over the seeds is sufficient. The seed should for all intents and purposes be almost visible. A bit of water from a can sprinkled on the row will supply enough soil to just cover the seed.

[veggiecanner]

I find if I don't cover the seeds at least a little too many are lost to birds.

That's whay i made 2 different lenths on my gang dibber.

[Durgan]

Originally Posted by veggiecanner

I find if I don't cover the seeds at least a little too many are lost to birds.

That's whay i made 2 different lenths on my gang dibber.

Da board, eliminates bird damage, which I don't have, thank goodness.

[veggiecanner]

Originally Posted by Durgan

Da board, eliminates bird damage, which I don't have, thank goodness.

That makes sense if you don't have slugs. I cann't use much in the way of wood or mulch in my garden in the early spring.
I found a few living in leaves that were as big as my thumb yesterday. The boards might be ok if i turn them over daily though.

[Horsea]

Originally Posted by veggiecanner

That makes sense if you don't have slugs. I cann't use much in the way of wood or mulch in my garden in the early spring.
I found a few living in leaves that were as big as my thumb yesterday. The boards might be ok if i turn them over daily though.

Yes, aren't slugs repulsive! I got around this potential problem: I planted some carrot seeds yesterday using a modified Durgan board method. Because I am planting in raised soil supported by a framework, the boards lay on the edges of the raised bed and don't touch the soil. I'm going to reverse those boards every couple of days, anyway.

This time round, I seeded Bolero in pelleted form. Whoever invented pelleting will have my affection forever. However, I also want to grow Muscade (from Baker Creek) and they are not pelleted. If they were to offer pelleted heirloom varieties of carrot, I would gladly pay 3X the price. It is truly worth it, because there is no waste of seed; and there's no need to thin.

Good luck to everybody here trying to find the perfect carrot-seeding method.

[bhpigeon2]

Originally Posted by veggiecanner

That makes sense if you don't have slugs. I cann't use much in the way of wood or mulch in my garden in the early spring.
I found a few living in leaves that were as big as my thumb yesterday. The boards might be ok if i turn them over daily though.

Use something like burlap instead if you are a skeptic about the board system's effectiveness. Three layers would suffice. Purpose is to keep the seed at about the same degree of dampness from shortly after planting to emergence. Both systems have been around for a long time and work equally well with beets and parsnips.

bhp2

[Durgan]

The burlap has to be watered several times daily to prevent drying out under a hot sun. How do I know? I tried it one year. Also burlap has to be pegged or wind causes movement. Burlap is totally impractical.

Slugs under the board is hardly an issue. Simply lift the board with a cross piece so there is some air space. No slugs is the result.

This is not theory or babble but the result of practical testing.