Question How many days does it take for it to sprout after sowing? This is a question asked by many gardeners, especially beginners. It is equally important to know what conditions will be comfortable for carrot growth and what to do if shoots do not appear. This is exactly what this article will discuss.
Factors affecting germination
Carrots, like other crops, have a number of requirements for soil, weather conditions and self-care. By following simple recommendations, the gardener will be able to achieve rapid germination and good quality harvest.
Seed quality
Today, gardeners can choose between regular seeds and those covered with a protective layer. As practice shows, it is granular seeds that germinate more quickly, but the emergence of seedlings may be delayed by a week. Granulated seeds are seeds that are covered with a nutritious coating. They are recommended to be selected for spring sowing. If you plan to sow at a later date, it is better to use regular seeds. 
Important! If used for sowing carrots planting material, collected independently, and not purchased in a store, you need to remember that its quality decreases as it is stored.
You need to buy seeds in specialized stores that have appropriate quality certificates. After all, when purchasing planting material on the market, a summer resident can never be sure what result he will get.
Soil type
In order for carrots to sprout quickly, you need to correctly select and prepare the soil for planting. You will need fertile, light sandy loam soil with low acidity.
You need to prepare the bed in the fall. Stones should be removed from the soil so that they do not interfere with the development of root crops in the future. If the soil is poor, you can fertilize it or Acidic soil is neutralized with chalk, and wood and river sand are added to heavy soil.
In the spring, about a week to a week and a half before sowing the seeds, the soil is loosened, lumps of earth (if any) are broken up, and the surface is then leveled. After these manipulations, the bed is watered with warm water and covered with a film, which will prevent the soil from drying out and allow it to warm up well.
Important! It is recommended to grow carrots in the same bed for no more than three years in a row.
Carrot - vegetable crop, which has no special requirements for the previous inhabitants of the garden bed. But it’s still better to sow it after or
Weather
Carrots love light very much and cannot tolerate even minimal shading. Therefore, in order not to wonder why carrots do not sprout, you should pay attention to the area where you plan to plant them. It is also quite drought-resistant, which allows gardeners not to worry about the need for frequent watering. Another pleasant addition for the gardener is that this root crop is quite cold-resistant, that is, you can be sure that it will not die even during prolonged cold spells or mild frosts. But this does not mean that such conditions are optimal for the growth of this vegetable crop. Carrots grow quickly in warm conditions, in the absence of strong winds and in conditions of regular, but not oversaturated soil moisture. 
When do carrots emerge after sowing?
After sowing, the first shoots appear in about two weeks. The crop germinates especially easily in warm soil. In this regard, it is better to sow seeds in mid-April or early May. You can sow this root crop earlier, but then the germination of the sprouts will be delayed a little - the first stem may appear even after four weeks.
Did you know? Carrot juice was once used to treat heart and liver diseases. Also, the juice of this root vegetable relieves fatigue and spring vitamin deficiency. To do this, you need to drink it three times a day, half a glass.
What to do if sprouts do not appear
Carrot sprouts may not appear if they lack some of the conditions presented above. For example, if the weather conditions have been quite cold during the week, you need to wait until it warms up, when the seeds can begin to grow quickly.
How quickly carrots sprout also depends on the degree of soil moisture. You need to pay attention to the area where this crop is planted. Frequent and strong wind is able to dry out the soil very quickly, including the seeds. Spunbond, which should be used to cover the bed with crops, will help to avoid this. This way moisture will be retained in the soil, and the looseness of the top layer will be maintained.
If planting material was introduced into unheated soil, this may also be the reason for the lack of seedlings. This issue can be resolved by creating greenhouse effect in the garden. The soil is covered plastic film, filming it daily a short time. As soon as the sprouts break through, the film must be removed so that the greens do not overheat and rot.
Did you know? Carrot cultivation began in Afghanistan. Today, it is there that the largest number of species of this vegetable crop grows.
Carrots are one of the most popular root crops among gardeners. This biennial plant is highly valued for its high taste, dietary, nutritional and other characteristics. That is why any information related to this vegetable is important for all summer residents; for example, it is important for them to know how many days it takes for carrots to sprout.
When the first shoots appear
Carrots are a cold-resistant biennial plant that belongs to the celery family and can bear fruit once in a lifetime. For its seeds after sowing, the light regime is very important, since good illumination of the area in which this vegetable crop will grow is the key to rapid and full growth.
If, after sowing the seeds, the seedlings that begin to appear are shaded, this can have a bad effect on the normal formation of root crops. Also, this wonderful vegetable requires loamy or sandy loam soil, which must also be quite loose and fertile. Groundwater should be located far from the surface of the area where the seeds will grow after sowing.
It is customary to sow seeds in the spring - this term falls in April - May; it is also possible to sow seeds in November or December. In order to properly prepare the beds for planting and achieve rapid seed germination, the soil must be fertilized before sowing. To do this, if the soil turns out to be clayey, it is necessary to apply fertilizers such as peat and coarse sand at the rate of half a bucket of each fertilizer per square meter. In addition, experts advise feeding the soil with mineral supplements. If you have to deal with sandy soil, then to feed it, it is recommended to use 2 buckets of peat, the same amount of turf soil, half a bucket of compost or humus, plus the same mineral supplements.
After such thorough preparation, you can begin sowing the seeds. You need to sow carrots in high and narrow beds. The grooves should be at a distance of up to 10 cm. After this, they are watered with warm water, and should also be sprinkled using chalk or ash for these purposes. Seeds after sowing, even if the soil on the site is well fed beforehand, will germinate quite slowly. Usually, up to several weeks pass before the first fragile shoots appear, and in cold weather this period can even increase significantly.
Germination after sowing is greatly influenced essential oils, which are contained in the seeds. Gardeners strive in every possible way to reduce germination time, for which they use one proven method. To do this, the seeds need to be soaked for about a day, replacing the water with fresh water several times. After completing this manipulation, they must be dried well so that they become free-flowing, and then they can be planted on the site.
You have to wait quite a long time for carrots to sprout. For example, as practice shows, at a temperature of about +8 degrees they can appear in the garden after about 25, and sometimes even 30 days.
At the same time, unwanted weeds also appear, therefore, in order to find seedlings among them in the future, it is customary to sow carrots at the same time as spinach or lettuce seeds. As soon as you see the first sprouts hatching in the garden, you can weed the carrots and loosen the soil. Seeds can begin to germinate already at an air temperature of about +3 degrees, and they can also withstand severe frosts with honor - even down to -40 degrees. This is very important for those regions of Russia that have a harsh cold climate.
Video “Carrots in granules - quick germination”
How to grow carrots quickly and with maximum yield? If you don't know, then this video is for you.
Beginning summer residents sooner or later face the problem of poor germination of carrot seeds. Yes and experienced gardeners They know how it sometimes appears for a long time and unevenly. To solve this problem, you need to take into account all the features of this orange vegetable.
Optimal conditions
Carrots are classified as frost-resistant crops, so they can be planted in early spring, and in winter. In the second option, the seeds will lie in cold soil until it warms up to the optimal temperature.
The best time to plant carrot seeds is from mid-April to the end of May. It all depends on:
- growing region;
- varieties;
- weather conditions.
You cannot delay the time of planting too much, because carrots do not like heat and low temperatures. At temperatures above +27 degrees, the seeds simply will not sprout.
In order not to worry about future seedlings, many gardeners determine sowing dates based on the following observations:
- frosts are no longer expected;
- It’s consistently warm at night;
- the air temperature does not drop below +14 degrees;
- soil temperature is more than 8 degrees.
If all these conditions are met, then you can safely plant seeds. It is better to plant carrots in beds where tomatoes, cucumbers, onions or potatoes used to grow, with garlic, radishes or peppers next to them. Such a neighborhood will prevent pests from appearing and will have a positive effect on the growth and quality of the future harvest.
Many gardeners prefer early sowing of carrots, despite the more for a long time growth. It's all about simply saving time: in the spring there is enough work in the garden beds even without this crop. There is no need to worry that seeds or sprouts will not withstand frost. Many hybrids can withstand temperatures down to -3 degrees; seedlings will only survive drops to -7 degrees and below.
These are not the only advantages of early sowing: seedlings appear much faster in the spring due to high soil moisture, and the risk of pest damage to the crop becomes minimal.
When do shoots appear?
Some varieties of carrots are capable of sprouting when the soil temperature rises to +6 degrees, but this one temperature regime minimum for the appearance of the first shoots.
At optimal temperature– from +19 to +22 degrees – the seeds will sprout within two weeks. If the soil warms up to +9 – +11 degrees, then the wait for germination may take up to 20–22 days. Carrots planted in cold soil take a very long time to sprout. If the soil temperature drops to +6-+7 degrees, then seedlings can be observed no earlier than after 30–40 days.
The period of growth of carrot seeds in granules is slightly longer than that of ordinary seeds. But when proper care sprouts appear after 3 weeks.
As soon as 2-3 small leaves appear, the crop needs to be weeded and thinned. Optimal distance between root crops should be about 3 cm. After 2 weeks, thinning is repeated, this time leaving the plants at a distance of 6 cm from each other. The plants will then already have 5–6 leaves, which can be collected into a bunch of greenery.
What affects germination?
Carrots, like any other crop, present special requirements to care, weather conditions and soil. But it will sprout only if the seeds are of high quality. There is now a huge amount of different seeding material on the market, which differs in variety, quality and cost.
Buying big batch seeds, you need to check it carefully. You should not purchase seeds that have traces of dampness, are damaged, or stick to your hands. The shelf life also affects germination: it should not be more than 5 years. And carrot seeds that have been stored for 2-3 years germinate best.
To increase the germination of a crop, attention should be paid to Special attention soil preparation. Carrots love light sandy loam soil, preferably slightly acidic. Preparing the beds should begin in the fall. The first thing to do is clear the soil of stones.
Additional fertilizer is a must, especially if we are talking about poor soil. Organic matter in the form of compost or humus is suitable. Chalk will save soil with high acidity. If the soil is heavy and you want to plant carrots, you can dilute it river sand, peat or ordinary sawdust.
Lighting also affects the germination of carrot planting material. This root crop prefers light, so it is not recommended to sow it in beds even with minimal shade.
Why doesn't it germinate?
Very often there are situations when even the best quality seeds germinate very slowly and unevenly. There are several reasons for the emergence of seedlings with delays, but all of them are in one way or another related to improper storage of planting material or soil characteristics.
Carrot seeds are stored only in a dry and cool place, because frost is destructive for them, and heat and humidity can cause untimely growth. The best option for storage - paper bags or burlap. Keep the seeds in plastic bags- not the best best idea. In such conditions they have almost no chance to survive and germinate.
Slow germination of carrots is often associated with the composition of the soil, to which the vegetable is very picky. In heavy clay soils seeds do not germinate well. If you dilute such soil with sand, the germination process will go much faster. Loose soil makes it easier for seeds to attach and take root.
Excess moisture is also a minus. Despite the fact that carrots are a very moisture-loving crop, high humidity can trigger seed rotting processes.
She grows well without frequent watering, for which many summer residents fell in love, who do not have the opportunity to garden every day.
Fertilizers can also have a detrimental effect on planting material if they are applied to the ground immediately before sowing.
If the sprouts do not appear at all, then the reason may be the seeds themselves, deep sowing or insects. The most common reason is low-quality or expired grains. Sometimes seedlings do not appear simultaneously, but in small islands. This suggests that some of the seeds in the batch were not of the best quality.
In order not to make a mistake when choosing quality seeds, you need to pay attention to their appearance. They should be full, bright, without wrinkles or spots. Fresh carrot grains have a strong aroma due to the high content of essential oils. If they do not smell of anything or the smell of rot is detected, then you should refuse to purchase this planting material.
It is important that the carrot seeds match the soil in the beds and the climatic zone of the site. The packaging of purchased planting material always contains information about where it is recommended to grow this variety. There is no need to trust universal seeds: no root crop will grow equally well in all climatic zones. You need to purchase only those seeds that suit the growing climate.
A simple calibration, which is done during pre-sowing treatment, will help you check the planting material. To do this, pour water into a glass room temperature, add a pinch of salt and drop the seeds. If some seeds float in this saline solution, you can part with them: they are of poor quality. The remaining material must be washed and processed before sowing.
An important feature is the predecessor plants. Quite often, carrots do not germinate in the soil where they grew last year:
- caraway;
- dill;
- parsnip.
You should not plant carrots in the same place where they grew last season. There is a big risk that young seedlings will not receive enough nutrition from this soil.
Orange root vegetables often do not germinate due to deep sowing. Seeds, as a rule, fall into loose soil, and the crust formed on the surface simply prevents seedlings from appearing. To avoid this unpleasant situation, you do not need to cover the carrot seeds with soil. It is enough to sprinkle them with a small layer of sand or dry humus. To prevent a crust from forming on the surface of the earth, watering should be done before planting, and not after.
Shallow sowing can also cause poor seed germination. If it rained after planting, some of the carrot seeds could simply be washed away with water. Often such seeds are carried away by ants, who spring time especially active. The minimum sowing depth for carrot grains is 2 cm, and the maximum should not exceed 5 cm (this applies to winter planting).
If the reason why the carrots did not germinate has been established, then urgent action must be taken. The most reasonable solution is to replant the seeds, but this time avoiding all previous mistakes. Late sowing ends in early June, so there will be time.
How to accelerate growth?
To speed up the germination of carrot seeds, it is important to special training before sowing. Usually the seeds are calcined and soaked with growth stimulants. This procedure makes the root crop resistant to various pests and helps it easily survive the dry season after planting.
There are two ways to carry out pre-sowing preparation. The first option lasts quite a long time: the seeds are placed in a textile bag and hung near a warm radiator for a month. The second option involves heating the seeds with warm water (about 50 degrees) for 3–4 hours.
After this, the seeds are disinfected in a manganese solution and soaked. This disinfection lasts about 15–20 minutes, and soaking lasts a day. After these simple manipulations, the seed germinates open ground already after 7–10 days.
Carrots often germinate slowly due to the fact that they spend all their energy on developing the root part. In order for the ground part to rise faster, many experienced summer residents go for a trick.
Carrot seeds are not watered for one week after sowing. Such a hunger strike forces the root crop to take root deeper, and after 10 days you can see what the first carrot shoots look like.
To speed up the growth of carrots, many gardeners use special stimulants. These solutions contain:
- magnesium;
- copper;
- iron;
- cobalt.
They are sold everywhere in specialized stores. To obtain good results germination and accelerate growth, you just need to prepare the solution according to the instructions and soak the planting material in it before sowing.
If pre-sowing preparation was carried out according to all the rules, but the carrots still germinate poorly, you need to look for other reasons for slow growth. Most carrot seed germination failures are soil related.
In the spring, about a couple of weeks before sowing, the soil needs to be loosened, watered generously with warm water and covered with film. When loosening the soil, you need to gently press it so that air pockets do not form: they make it difficult for the first roots to receive nutrition from the soil. But you shouldn’t actively compact the soil, so as not to interfere with the germination of grains.
A trick in the form of a greenhouse will help warm the soil well and prevent it from drying out. In addition, the film helps in windy weather by keeping the top layers in a loose state. Such protection must be removed every day for a while. As soon as the first shoots appear, the film is completely removed, otherwise the sprouts may burn or rot.
If the film is not laid on a bed with sown root crops, then the first to emerge will be not the crop shoots, but the weeds. Untimely weeding refers to common mistakes when caring for vegetables, which inhibit the growth of seedlings.
You will learn how to achieve quick germination of carrot seeds in the following video.
Secrets of gardeners
In early spring, when thawed patches appear, gardeners take carrot seeds and put them in a textile bag. This bag, watered with several liters of warm water, is buried in the area to a depth of about 20 cm. After 10 days, the seed can be dug up; it will already have hatched. All that remains is to mix it with sand and sow. Shoots will appear in a week.
There is another way to germinate seeds - using paper. Sheets of plain white paper are spread on the garden bed, where carrot grains are placed. From above everything is covered with the same sheets and covered with earth. The secret is simple: the paper plays the role of a kind of protection against washing out the seeds by rain. Plus, during the decomposition process, paper will become a good fertilizer.
Dried carrot grains have become a real find for experienced vegetable growers. In order to receive fast shoots and good fruits, the crop needs microelements and nutrients. It is the coated seeds that have a special shell containing the entire list of substances necessary for the vegetable. In fact, seeds in such a shell already have a “starter kit” for the successful development of roots and the green part of a young plant.
Planting such carrot drops provides several advantages:
- there is no need for pre-sowing preparation;
- rapid germination;
- pest protection;
- no need to thin out seedlings;
- always a great harvest.
The big advantage of pellet seeds is that it is convenient to sow them at the required distance from each other, they are not lost, and this significantly reduces consumption. Don't be afraid that the whole set harmful substances will end up in the root crop: the seed will have time to completely use them up.
Despite the huge number of advantages, such seeds have nuances that you need to be prepared for. The seed is not free, so it will not be able to germinate if the granule does not dissolve in the soil. Sometimes, after collecting root crops, whole granules are found in the ground.
Experienced vegetable growers moisten the bed before sowing and then water it three times a day. Don't worry if these carrots sprout 4-5 days later than usual - this is normal. Granulated seeds always germinate with a slight delay. Over time, they will distill the planting material without the shell and will delight you with a large harvest.
Some gardeners carry out seed pelleting on their own. For this you need:
- nutritional mixture;
- sticky composition;
- ash;
- glass jar.
The nutritional composition includes peat, humus and mullein in a ratio of 6: 3: 1, previously sifted through a sieve. For every kilogram of mixture add 1 tsp. superphosphate. The sticky composition is made from clay, starch or gelatin (2 tablespoons per liter of water). A teaspoon of mineral fertilizer is added to the adhesive.
The seeds are placed in a glass jar, a small amount of the sticky mixture is added and lightly sprinkled with the nutrient mixture. To form right size shells (for carrots this is 3-4 mm), the jar must be rotated while adding the nutritional composition. To prevent the resulting grains from sticking together, they are sprinkled with ash. It is advisable to do this kind of panning a month or two before planting, because the pills are stored for no more than 3 months.
Germination dates - what is it?
The time that passes from the moment the seed is sown in the soil until the first shoots peck is the time of germination. Depending on the factors affecting germination, the timing varies. When planting, you need to take into account all the factors that accelerate seed germination and negatively affect it.
If you want to reduce the germination time, the gardener needs to meet all the conditions regarding soil type, temperature and humidity during sowing of the crop. Don't forget that there are various varieties With different terms seed germination.
How long does it take on average for carrot seeds to germinate?
Prepared
There are several ways to prepare seed material, which determine the duration of the appearance of the first shoots of the crop:
- material treated before sowing ( , ) requires less time for the formation of the first shoots. The germination period is reduced to 14, or even 10 days (if the temperature is maintained at 12 degrees);
- if factory-treated seeds are sown, that is or be standard (15-25 days). This is due to the fact that before the seed begins to germinate, the granule must dissolve in moist soil. To speed up the dissolution process of granules with nutrients Regular and abundant watering of crops is required about 3 times a day (depending on the weather). Then the time for emergence of seedlings will decrease.
Unprepared
Based on official agronomic and agricultural data, the germination time of carrots varies and ranges from 15 to 25 days in open ground conditions. If carrots are sown in a greenhouse, the germination time is reduced and ranges from 9 to 12 days.
When sowing carrots, you should take into account that the soil temperature after sowing should not fall below 4-5 degrees, since this is the lower temperature threshold required for seed germination.
If the temperature level remains 4-5 degrees after sowing, then you can expect the first shoots in 40-45 days. Under the same environmental conditions, the germination time of carrot seeds varies depending on the previously carried out processing (preparation) of the seed.
Factors affecting germination
In addition to the fact that carrot seeds should be properly prepared before sowing for speedy germination, it is important to take into account some factors that affect germination.
Planting depth
If, when sowing carrots, the seeds were planted shallowly, there is a risk of them being washed out of the soil by rain. If you find yourself deep in loose soil, and after that the surface of the area where the carrots were sown is “covered with a crust,” then this will significantly slow down the emergence of the crop.
Landing dates
Due to non-compliance with planting dates, it is difficult to obtain a good harvest or at least seedlings, since both the temperature and humidity at a particular period may be unsuitable for seed germination.
If you plant carrots too early, the crop will probably die due to too much low temperatures or a very small percentage of the seed will germinate.
If you are late with sowing, the growing season will be delayed, and optimal conditions for the development of culture will not be achieved.
For the central and middle parts of Russia, sowing dates vary between April 20 and May 5; for the southern part of the country, sowing is carried out from March 10 to 20.
Seed quality
It is important to calibrate the seeds yourself and remove from the seed those that definitely will not germinate. To do this, just pour carrot seeds into water and see which ones remain on the surface. They should be removed from the seed.
Soil type
Carrots are one of the crops that are very sensitive to soil type and fertilizers applied before planting. It is preferable to sow the crop on sandy loam soil. If in the year of sowing carrots the soil was embedded fresh manure, then you should not sow carrots in this area. In such a situation, it is recommended to sow after 2 years from the date of application of unrotted manure. They prefer soil fertilized with peat, humus, ash or mineral fertilizers.
Carrot variety
For each variety, the timing of seed germination is individual. The manufacturer describes the characteristic timing of the appearance of the first shoots and other parameters of the crop, for example, planting pattern or harvest time (end of the growing season). Before purchasing seed, it is recommended to carefully.
Landing location
It is undesirable to sow the crop in shaded areas, because for quick and good development requires a lot of light and heat. If after sowing the carrots do not receive enough light, this will significantly slow down their development. It is worth considering not to sow carrots after celery crops, so as not to attract pests that feed on plants from this family. The soil area must be level, because Seeds from a slope can be easily washed out with water.
Weather
Much depends on weather conditions if carrots are sown in open ground. The main factor influencing germination time is temperature. The higher the air and soil temperature after sowing, the better, the faster the first shoots will appear. Rains after sowing will serve well and will contribute to the rapid emergence of the crop.
Carrots will not begin to sprout until the essential oils contained in the seed are removed from it. Regular watering is required to remove them as quickly as possible.
Errors that slow down the emergence of seedlings
To achieve good and fast germination and, naturally, maximum yield, mistakes that slow down the emergence of seedlings should be avoided. You cannot neglect the required conditions for crop germination, sow it on acidic, loamy soils, use organic, unrotted fertilizers, sow the crop in the shade or not provide required quantity moisture.
Those factors that influence the duration of the appearance of the first shoots are indicated above. If you want to get a good crop harvest, it is important to follow them all. Pre-sowing seed treatment measures cannot be ignored. With their help, you can not only cull low-quality seed, but also improve germination by providing the material with moisture and nutrients.
How to speed up the emergence of seedlings
To reduce the time it takes for crops to appear, you can use the following methods:
- soak. Before planting, seed material is soaked in warm water. To do this, you need to take gauze and moisten it with water (temperature 23 degrees), lay out the seeds and wrap it in a piece of gauze. Leave for 3 days. The temperature should be 22-24 degrees;
- With the help of hardening, they achieve not only an increase in the vitality of plants, but also an improvement in germination. The duration of hardening is 1.5 weeks. The seed must be placed in the refrigerator (temperature + 3 degrees);
- second method of soaking. You will need a bandage or gauze, which is used to make a bag for the seeds. After this, the bag of seeds is dipped in vodka and left for 15-20 minutes. An important point This procedure involves thoroughly washing the seed after it has been in vodka.
Growing carrots is not a very difficult task; you just have to take into account all the peculiarities of the crop and the advice of experienced gardeners. The greatest amount of effort is required at the stage of sowing and germination; further care It won't be difficult to get carrots.
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All gardeners who grow carrots in their beds know how long it takes for sown seeds to sprout, or they may not sprout at all. There are special reasons for this. Find out why this happens, as well as how many days after sowing carrots sprout in the beds, and what to do to speed up the process of seed germination.
Carrots can be sown in home garden beds in early spring (the main method) and in the fall, before winter. Spring sowing begins when the snow has completely melted, upper layer The soil will dry out a little and become crumbly, while the lower layers will remain moist. Despite the fact that carrots are a cold-resistant crop, it is advisable to warm the soil for it, for which purpose the beds should be covered with film 2-3 days before sowing.
The timing of seed sowing depends on climatic features region, the ripening time of the selected variety (manufacturers often indicate the approximate sowing time on the packaging) and the current spring weather. There is a deadline for sowing work - June 15; planting later is not advisable, since the root crops will not have time to ripen before the cold weather.
With the winter sowing method, you can sow carrots after the onset of light frosts, but you need to do it before the cold weather arrives so that the seeds do not have time to germinate. For the winter, the beds must be sprinkled with a layer of humus and covered with mulch from fallen leaves, hay or straw, or choose modern version– agrofibre. Before winter, you can only sow seeds of late varieties of the crop, which are cold-resistant; others may freeze.
When do carrots emerge after sowing?
Dry carrot seeds, not soaked in water and not sprouted, germinate rather slowly. In general, they begin to germinate already at a temperature of 4-6 ºС, but the speed of this process also depends on how warm the soil and air are - the warmer they are, the faster the carrots will sprout and vice versa - in cold soil you will have to wait a long time for seedlings (sometimes up to a month).
The average germination time for carrot seeds in warm soil is 1 week, in cold soil – 3 weeks. If there are no carrot shoots after planting 1-1.5 months after sowing, then the carrots will have to be replanted.
Factors affecting germination
How many days will pass from the moment of sowing until the emergence of seedlings on the surface of the earth depends on many factors.
Quality of planting material
The unsatisfactory quality of carrot seeds used for sowing is one of the main reasons why seedlings are poor or non-existent. To get good seedlings, the seeds must be fresh. It is very important. The most suitable seed should be no older than 5 years, and even better, no older than 3 years. Seeds that have been lying around longer lose their viability more and more every year.
Fresh seeds can also be identified visually: they bright color, full-bodied, without spots and wrinkles, with a sharp, characteristic carrot smell. If it is absent or there is a smell of rot, it is better not to use such seeds.
It also matters whether the seeds are treated with special substances or not. From the practice of vegetable growers, it is known that purchased pelleted seeds show better germination than untreated seeds and are better protected from pests. It is recommended to buy them only in specialized stores where they monitor the quality of the products.
In addition to the germination rate, carrot seeds must be suitable climatic conditions areas where it will be grown. Therefore, before buying carrots of the variety you like, you need to find out for which zones it is intended. If such information is not on the packaging, it can be found on the Internet.
Soil type and fertility
This factor also affects how quickly the seeds are able to sprout. Ideal soil The conditions in which carrots will feel best are light and fertile sandy loams with neutral or slightly acidic acidity. In heavy soil - clay or rocky - carrots will sprout worse, and the root crops will be uneven. In order for the soil to become lush, it is dug as deep as possible in the fall (ideally with a walk-behind tractor) and harrowed.
Poor soils also reduce germination rates and yields. To increase their fertility, humus or compost is added to them in the fall. If the soil is acidic, lime is added to it; if it is clayey, sand, sawdust and peat are added.
In the spring (1-1.5 weeks before the planned sowing), the ridges are dug up again and the ground is leveled. After this, they are watered with warm water and covered with film to warm up.
Planting depth
This indicator is influenced by the time of sowing - spring or autumn. In the spring they are sown to a depth of 1-2 cm, and in the winter - 4-5 cm, so that the carrots do not freeze. It is not recommended to sow deeper than the recommended depth standards, since the sprouts simply will not be able to break through to the surface or will sprout late and be drowned out by weeds.
Weather
The appearance of carrot shoots may be delayed if it is cold in the spring, the air is cold and the soil has not yet warmed up sufficiently. In this case, covering the beds with film or spunbond will help.
Humidity
For carrot seeds to swell and sprouts to grow, they need moisture. If it is not enough, you should wait for a delay in germination. Moisture from the soil can be lost due to strong spring winds, which dry it out. The solution to the problem is to irrigate the area with heated water and cover the beds with film or agrofibre. They should be left on the site until seedlings emerge, but removed daily for a short time for ventilation.
What to do if sprouts do not appear for a long time
If after a month or a month and a half the seedlings have not appeared on the beds, it is recommended to re-sow. To increase the germination rate, it is recommended to subject the seeds to pre-sowing treatment: soak them so that they swell. To do this, they are left for a day in warm water, and then dried a little. At this time, essential oils are removed from them, which prevent germination, and seeds immersed in the soil in the beds sprout much faster. In addition to soaking in warm water, solutions of stimulating drugs are used. The liquid is prepared in accordance with the instructions. The holding time is also indicated there.
Or you can do bubbling: put it in a bag, put it in water and connect an aquarium compressor. The treatment should be carried out for 1-1.5 days. Bubbled carrot seeds germinate already on the 5th day, and untreated ones - after 14-21 days.
If even after preparation the carrots do not sprout, you need to cover the ridges with film so that the temperature inside rises. Keep it until the first sprouts form, then remove.
