Sowing carrots is a troublesome task. Largely due to the fact that the small and light seeds of this vegetable are very difficult to distribute evenly over the surface of the bed. Sowing seeds on strips of paper significantly simplifies the process, and at the same time allows you to save time, which is so lacking at the beginning of the gardening season.
There are several ways to sow carrot seeds. However, the most popular of them is sowing on paper tape. It is this method that amateur gardeners use most often in their practice. Nowadays in specialized stores you can see packages with rolled ribbons of carrot seeds. However, firstly, such seeds are more expensive than regular ones, and secondly, the list of varieties that manufacturers package in this way is extremely limited. In such a situation, the only thing left is to prepare such a tape yourself.
- 5 ways to sow carrots: proven methods from our readers
Even such a simple thing as sowing carrots in the spring, all summer residents do it in their own way. Which of these methods will you use?
Materials
For work we will need:
- Toilet paper . On the one hand, it should be thin enough to quickly soften in the ground after planting, and on the other, strong enough not to tear during the process.
- Carrot seeds . You can read about which varieties are best suited for different purposes in our separate article.
- Pointed wooden stick . This could be a slightly sharpened match, a cotton swab, a bamboo kebabs skewer or a toothpick. If possible, try to use each of these “tools” in order to choose the one that will be convenient for you.
- Flat dish . The size depends on your preference, but keep in mind that working with small saucers is not so easy. To prevent several seeds from sticking to the stick at the same time, they should lie at a sufficient distance from each other.
- Starch for paste (potato or corn) - literally 1-2 tbsp.
- Bowl for paste. Take one that is comfortable for you to work with. If you use a match, the paste container should not be too deep.
- Scissors . Well sharpened and with fairly long blades.
- Felt pen or marker. Useful for signing the names of varieties and hybrids.
What is this method and why is it good: its advantages
Planting carrot seeds on a tape has one undeniable advantage over the usual sowing method - the sprouted carrots do not need to be thinned out, since the seeds are already located at the required distance and there are no extra shoots. Due to the fact that there is no need for thinning, the gardener’s labor and time are saved, and the plants themselves grow faster, are large and even.
There are several more advantages of this method of sowing over the classic one: you can sow seeds at a table in room conditions, which even an elderly person can easily do; they can be placed at the required distance and depth (when planted on a tape in the ground). The exact number of seeds that will be required to sow carrots on a tape allows you to save planting material and money for its purchase.
When planting carrots in beds, the work time is significantly reduced, since you just need to lay out the tape in the prepared grooves and sprinkle it with soil.
Carrot seeds on tape can be purchased ready-made - some manufacturers specially produce them for the convenience of vegetable growers. They indicate the release time and length, from which you can calculate how many of them will be needed to fill the allocated area for this crop. But you can also make a ribbon for planting carrots at home.
What glue is better to use
For working with planting material, a natural-based glue, called paste, is best suited. They cook it in advance so that it has time to cool down: you cannot work with hot paste.
Wheat flour paste recipe:
- put on medium heat and bring 0.5 liters of water to a boil;
- add 4 tablespoons of flour;
- cook, stirring with a spoon, until thickened.
If you do not stir the paste during cooking, it will thicken unevenly and lumps will appear. It will become impossible to work with such glue.
Recipe for starch paste:
- dilute 2 tablespoons of starch in 100 ml of water;
- boil 0.5 liters of water in a separate container;
- Without removing the container from the heat, pour the diluted starch into it, stirring with a spoon;
- boil;
- cool to room temperature.
A paste is prepared in approximately the same way to dilute seeds in it for subsequent sowing into furrows using a syringe. Some craftsmen use missing jam instead of paste, but the seeds from the paper may fall off during storage.
Synthetic adhesives, including PVA, should not be used for gluing seeds. The sprouts will not be able to break through such a strong layer.
Sowing carrot seeds on toilet paper without paste
When preparing carrot ribbons, you can do without paste. You won't need to glue the seeds, but to do this you will need to make it from two-layer toilet paper. The sequence of actions will be as follows:
- Lay out a piece of two-ply toilet paper on the table.
- Bend its upper edge inward to the height of deepening the seeds into the soil.
- Take a needle and split the paper into 2 layers along the entire length.
- Fold back the top layer and place the seeds inside at the required distance.
- Having returned the top layer back, spray with a spray bottle.
- Leave for some time to dry. Since toilet paper has a porous structure, the seeds will not fall out when wet and then dried.
Varieties that can be planted on tape
The method of growing carrots through the paper stage does not in any way limit the gardener to the list of possible varieties: it is only important that the seeds used are of high quality. Moreover, even pelleted seeds can be planted using this method, but one must take into account that the crops will require more moisture for germination.
Seeds of many varieties are sold already glued to paper tape.
Try seeds from trusted producers:
