How to sow carrot seed

[terrier]

Accepted way to grow a row of weed free carrots.. use spade to open V shaped trench, fill trench with compost and sow seed in compost.
OK thinks I, that sounds easy.

1. Marked out row, pushed spade in one spit depth, rock spade to make V trench, remove spade.. trench fills up with loose soil. Decide soil is too dry.

2. Use watering can to dampen soil, go and have cup of tea while water soaks in. Marked out row, pushed spade in one spit depth, rock spade to make V trench, remove spade.. soil now stuck to spade and trench infills with lumps of golfball size mud balls.

At which point it starts hissing down with rain.. I think someone up there is having a laugh at my expense

[Iamhanuman]

lol at your familiar experience
it is gardening between showers this week i think!!
my sowing never ever goes the way it is supposed to
i always sit back afterwards and ask myself if anything is ever going to come of it!!

but it usually does!

[SarzWix]

Oh no, don't say that Terrier, that's how I was planning to sow my carrots

[Mchanen]

Looks like the weather's going to be miserable and wet over next few days- at least where i am.

I'm hoping the weather will be nice to me on wednesday after work so i can go out into the garden and plant some of my seeds into pots.

[snohare]

soil now stuck to spade and trench infills with lumps of golfball size mud balls.

Oh yes, that sounds so familiar, terrier !
Personally, I just love growing carrots in buckets, don't you ? A lot of folk seem to do that...funny that, isn't it
Pinchbars are easier, if you have the right soil.

[SarzWix]

Oh well, at least I'm prepared for disappointment now I was just going to fill the drills with MP compost, but then I discovered how many stones there are in the soil so then I thought "aha, the v-shaped trench made with spade!". Have to think again... Maybe just an ordinary spade width and depth trench, filled with sieved soil mixed with MP compost & sand.... Hmmmmmmm......would get 2 rows per trench....

[Two_Sheds]

I don't do a V-shaped trench, just a shallow drill, and fill that with compost.

[susiewoosie]

Mine are all growing in lovely pots

[tootles]

I had a great carrot sowing idea in difficult soil (won a voucher for it too).
Use a large dibber to make deep holes, fill with good compost/seived soil and sow seeds.

Marvellous idea - rubbish in practice!!! If your soil is good enough to make deep dibber holes easily then chances are your soil is fine anyway!!!

[terrier]

I had a great carrot sowing idea in difficult soil (won a voucher for it too).
Use a large dibber to make deep holes, fill with good compost/seived soil and sow seeds.

Marvellous idea - rubbish in practice!!! If your soil is good enough to make deep dibber holes easily then chances are your soil is fine anyway!!!

Problem is it grows the weeds faster than the carrots, so I was trying to get a weed free line so as not to disturb the carrot seedlings.

[tootles]

God, whatever I do I get weeds.
I could replace my whole garden with sterilized disinfected soil and there would still be an army of nasties smiling smugly at me from the seed drills.

[snohare]

Problem is it grows the weeds faster than the carrots

I suppose that is why we are all so enamoured of growing seedlings on inside before we plant them out. You don't see us having this conversation about cabbages, do you ?
The man (or woman) who invents a good root trainer system for carrots and the like will make their fortune. Go to it, Grapes !

[Alison]

I don't do a V-shaped trench, just a shallow drill, and fill that with compost.

Me too, but I'll probably regret it when I'm trying to weed in amongst the carrot seedlings.

[terrier]

The man (or woman) who invents a good root trainer system for carrots and the like will make their fortune. Go to it, Grapes !

I say to the carrots Sit and STAY.. and they never move from that spot.. how well do you want them trained?

[snohare]

ROFLPMSL
Now try it with walking onions !