Why carrots don't sprout
Carrots are an unpretentious crop to care for, but not everyone succeeds in sowing well and getting a high-quality harvest. If carrot seeds do not germinate, you need to look for the cause of the problem.
Why carrots don't sprout
Sowing dates
One of the most common reasons for poor germination of carrot seeds is non-compliance with planting dates. Usually, sowing is carried out before winter and spring. Each period is characterized by a certain ripening period of the variety.
Sowing before winter
When sowing before winter, frost-resistant varieties and hybrids are used. The optimal sowing time is late autumn (second and third ten days of November). By this time, small frosts have passed. In frozen soil, seedlings do not germinate ahead of time. Embedding depth - 5-6 cm.
Sowing scheme for the winter:
- Sow dry seeds into the soil, sprinkle with fertile soil (black earth).
- Additionally, add humus soil: it contributes to the friendly germination of seeds.
- After the snow falls, sprinkle the bed with it. Such seedlings are not afraid of even the most severe frosts.
Sowing in spring
Planting seeds in open ground is carried out after the snow melts and the soil becomes loose. 2 days before planting, the soil is covered with a film so that it warms up slightly. First, they pull out the grooves, spill them with water, then plant the seeds to a depth of 2 cm. Sprinkle the seedlings with fertile soil, then cover them with a film to protect them from spring frosts.
The germination period of carrot seeds during spring planting is 20-25 days from the moment of sowing, provided that the temperature remains within 5 ° C-8 ° C.
For sowing, choose a warm, windless day. It is better to carry out this procedure in the morning or in the evening.
When shoots appear
From the moment of planting, it takes from a week to 3 months for the emergence of seedlings. The timing is influenced by the temperature of the air and soil.
Usually good planting material after planting begins to break through the soil at a temperature of 5 ° C-6 ° C. If it is cold outside, the hatched seeds will germinate no earlier than 15 days after sowing.
In warm conditions, when the air temperature reaches 20 ° C, the first seedlings appear in 7-9 days.
If the carrots do not emerge 4 weeks after sowing in a stable heat, re-plant the seeds. Possibly, poor-quality material was purchased or it was destroyed by parasites living in the soil.
Frequent mistakes
There are several reasons why carrots do not grow well. All of them are associated with the wrong planting and the choice of planting material.
Don't sit too deep
Seed quality
Poor quality seeds are the most common reason why carrots have not sprouted. First of all, they give preference to zoned varieties and hybrids. Several other factors are also taken into account:
- The degree of freshness. Carrot seeds can be stored for up to 5 years. But with each subsequent year, the germination rate decreases.This is the reason why it is better to use material that is less than 3 years old. The best is last year's seed.
- Appearance. It is easy to identify high-quality seeds by their appearance: they should be dense, without wrinkles and bright colors. Due to the content of essential oils, carrot seeds have a pronounced smell. You should refuse to buy seeds with the smell of mold and rot.
- Climatic zone. It is important to use varieties and hybrids that are regionalized for the local climate. This helps the carrots to sprout quickly. Information on the recommended climatic zone for growing can be found on the seed package.
- Priming. The germination rate of carrot seeds largely depends on the quality and composition of the soil. Each variety requires its own composition, so when buying a particular species, you should familiarize yourself with its soil requirements.
Planting depth
Seedlings of carrots do not appear due to non-observance of the depth of seeding. The minimum seeding depth is 2 cm, the maximum is 5 cm.
If you plant the seeds at a shallower depth, the seedlings will freeze and will not germinate. At greater depths, seedlings are not able to germinate through a thick layer of soil.
Illiterate care
It is important not only to respect the planting time and planting depth, but also to ensure proper care. It depends on how quickly the carrot shoots break through the soil. Seed material trapped in open ground is exposed to moisture and temperature:
- First of all, the crops are covered with any non-woven cover. Agrofibre is excellent for this purpose. If there is no such covering material, use a transparent film for the greenhouse. Such a shelter provides seedlings with protection from waterlogging, prevents the growth of weeds and prevents the soil from drying out.
- The peculiarity of the culture is, first of all, the growth of the root system, and only after that - the green mass. In order for the carrots to sprout quickly, the soil moisture is stopped. The lack of moisture prompts the seedlings to build up the aboveground part. The first 7 days after planting, the garden is not moistened.
- Irregular weeding and untimely harvesting of covering material is another reason why carrot seeds do not germinate. It is necessary to optimize the care of crops: remove weeds in a timely manner and periodically check the emergence of seedlings under the film. Seedlings that stay under the film for a long time quickly turn yellow, rot and die.
Crop rotation
Carrots do not sprout due to violation of the principles of crop rotation.
The best predecessors for this culture are:
- potato;
- tomatoes;
- pumpkin;
- onions, garlic, herbs.
Poorly carrots emerge after parsley, parsnips, celery.
Recommendations
There are several ways to speed up the sprouting process.
Soaking and stratification
Carrots grow well if you carry out a number of actions:
- Place the seeds in a cloth bag.
- Dig a hole in the garden with a depth of 20 cm, lower the seed into it, spill it abundantly with warm water and sprinkle it with earth.
- Cover the soil with snow from above.
- Soak the seeds in the soil for 2 weeks.
- Mix them with dry sand and sow in the ground.
Natural stratification increases seed germination. Within a week after sowing, seedlings appear together.
Application of granular seeds
The germination process is accelerated using pelleted seeds. The planting material in granules is provided with all the necessary microelements for full germination.
The advantages of granular seed are as follows:
- carrots emerge quickly;
- seedlings are protected from pest damage;
- crops are normalized.
Do not be afraid of oversaturation of seeds with nutritious components. At all stages of growth and development, the sprouts completely consume them long before the development of root crops.
Soaking in vodka
Soaking them in vodka helps to speed up the process of germination of carrot seeds.The alcohol-based drink removes essential oils from the seed surface, which are one of the reasons for poor and long-term germination.
The seeds are placed in a cloth bag, then dipped in vodka for 30 minutes. After soaking, they are washed in warm water, dried and sown in open ground.
Conclusion
For carrots to sprout quickly, it is not necessary to buy expensive seeds from the best producers. It is important to purchase good quality seed with a valid expiration date, sow it to the required depth and provide proper maintenance on time.