No sign of carrots, leeks and onions, almost 3 weeks on - give up and plant some more

[josie33]

Planted carrots, leeks and red and white onions around 3 weeks ago and no sign of life yet. I'm thinking that the ground was still too wet and the seeds have rotted away. Should I be patient or sow another batch?

Could I add chicken manure pellets?

[rustylady]

Whereabouts are you Josie?

[josie33]

I am in Berkshire

[bretty666]

Hi..im.guessing they were all seeds?! This is what i did with my sleeks last year when i had the same problem..i always leave my string lines in from start to finish so this helped...get whatever tool you use to make your seed mini trenches? Tills maybe ? I dont know what they are called but basically the line in the dirt you plant your seeds in...and go over it again but not smack band in the middle of the string line..do it to one side of the string and plant again you may end up with two lots growing so you will jave some thinning out to do if that is the case??

[Kristen]

Tills maybe ?

Drills ...

[Nannysally99]

I have no carrots up yet, not worried, soil temp needs to be a bit warmer. I can remember how quick the later plantings came up last year

[bario1]

Three weeks is probably minimum germination time for outside at this time of year - wait a while longer before re-sowing.

[Two_Sheds]

the soil isn't warm enough yet for carrots

[Kristen]

the soil isn't warm enough yet for carrots

I normally grow in containers because my soil is heavy, but have mixed in a lot of sharp sand in an area for carrots this year.

Worth putting a cloche over it and/or some black plastic on the soil to raise temperature?

Quick Google suggests that optimal soil temperature for Carrot seed germination is 20-25C, and close to that is 15-30C. I shouldn't think my soil temperature is anything like that yet!

[Dorothy rouse]

Mine are beginning to appear, they were sown about 2/3 weeks ago, outside, but I am in the South.

[Shadylane]

I always start leeks and onions(seed) inside. They take a couple of week at room temp, so outside they would take a lot longer.

[josie33]

thanks. i will leave them abit longer but as the carrots are an autumn variety i was hoping to put somethig in their place later in the year. i hope they get going soon!

[Alison]

thanks. i will leave them abit longer but as the carrots are an autumn variety i was hoping to put somethig in their place later in the year. i hope they get going soon!

What variety are they?i always grow an early variety like Nantes from a spring sowing in the tunnel which I harvest during the summer and Autumn King for am main crop which I usually start harvesting in about October and then pull them out the ground over the winter as needed.


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[RaptorUK]

I normally grow in containers because my soil is heavy, but have mixed in a lot of sharp sand in an area for carrots this year.

Worth putting a cloche over it and/or some black plastic on the soil to raise temperature?

Quick Google suggests that optimal soil temperature for Carrot seed germination is 20-25C, and close to that is 15-30C. I shouldn't think my soil temperature is anything like that yet!

Some useful info here: Temperature effect on vegetable seeds - percentage germination you will still get good germination rates at 10C, it just takes longer.

[Two_Sheds]

optimal soil temperature for Carrot seed germination is 20-25C

"Will germinate at temperatures as low a 40 F. Will germinate in about a week at 75 F (23c)"
World Carrot Museum - Carrot Cultivation Guidance and advice

If I sow in early spring nothing comes up, so now I wait until mid-late April or even May, and germination is much better