Carrot germination time?

[Kirk]

Basically how long does it take for carrot seeds to germinate and begin to show?

Have 2 varieties, ordered the same day, delivered the same day, from the same place. One was "Rocket" the other "Tendersweet".

Dug the bed over, raked the bed, already have added compost and manured to it, so all pretty fine and ready. Marked up 2 rows and made a shallow trough in each, sowed Tendersweet in first then Rocket in the second. Both rows within 10 minutes of each other. About 6-8 between rows.

Concern is: I have a nice fairly solid green row of Rocket seedlings about 1cm high, I have not a single Tendersweet showing anywhere. Equally not a weed seedling either.

The alternative question being: Are Rocket's called Rocket because the grow fast? Searched Google and so far very little, as in just about nothing, on them.

[KevinM67]

When did you sow them Kirk ?

[Kirk]

At a guess maybe 2 weeks ago, maybe only 10 days.
Honestly cannot recall and it would not have bothered me except for the apparent 100% difference in what I see.

One solid row of green carrot seedlngs, one row of absolutely nothing, not a green anything.

I was simply starting to sow the assortment of things/seeds that I had - the spinach is growing well, didn't expect that. Suspect I will end up with a a lot of spinach.

[AkionTotocha]

What's the expirey date on the carrots? Could be they used old stock of tender sweet, as my Paris market atlas carrots expired at the end of last year, and throwing them in a spare bucket a month ago produced nothing.

[Marcusp]

Had the same problem last year. Sowed tendersweet and had about two seedlings come up. Tried re sowing the row twice with hardly any germinating.

Sowed another variety autumn king and almost a 100% germination rate.

Replaced tendersweet this year with amsterdam forcing for an early crop to see what happens

[Kirk]

Had the same problem last year. Sowed tendersweet and had about two seedlings come up. Tried re sowing the row twice with hardly any germinating.

Sowed another variety autumn king and almost a 100% germination rate.

Replaced tendersweet this year with amsterdam forcing for an early crop to see what happens

Always seems strange but that is "good" news.
As best I know they were all new seed, no reason to think otherwise, and not had a problem previously. Sounds like Tendersweet and UK do not really get on that well.

As said the big problem/puzzle was a nice green row of seedling in one and total bare earth in the next. Just so completely different. I am going to have to start considering thining out the Rocket before long, they are growing so happily.

Will leave for another week or two, just in case, then either surface sow more Tendersweet or get an alternative. Probably the alternative.

[Penellype]

My thought would be that the clue is in the name - Rocket sounds like a fast growing variety.

I don't get worried about carrots not germinating for at least a month if they are planted outside. Remember it was very cold last week and that will not have helped them germinate. I'd expect them to appear in the next week or so.

[Kirk]

Did ask if they were called Rocket because they grew fast, seemed an option to me but sort of 100% of one and 0% of another seemed the a little odd. No comments on that aspect and as said nothing came up during a search - except Tozer seem to be about source, and they are saying nothing.

Did noticed today that the parsley I looked at yesterday had done nothing, and so I put some more down actually has sprouted this morning. Going to have a lot of parsley now. Still a bit amazed by the spinach.

[Jungle Jane]

I'd give it another week or so for the others to come up,two weeks isn't long at all,they must be named rocket for that reason,shame they don't name others tortoise etc so we can get a clue.

[vixylix]

Mine (cosmic purple) took about 6 weeks but they came up in the end 2 days after I sowed new seed. Now I'll probably have to thin loads out. Be patient

[Kirk]

Be patient

I tend to follow the rule: "Lord grant me patience, BUT hurry up with it!!!"

Anyway I have 1.
Just at present a single little green shoot that bears great resemblance to a carrot seedling growing in the right place in the bed of Tendersweet. It is I suppose an infinite numerical improvement on yesterday.

It had better taste good.

[snakeshack]

It's been 4 weeks and none of the 4 varieties I planted have shown yet ,I put it down to the unseasonably cold April,but now I'm a little concerned as all my seeds are new and the parsnips I showed on the same day are already showing

[w33blegurl]

Mine have not done well this year either. Several rows sown about a month apart of carrots and parsnips and very little to show for it. Of course it did not help that one of the friendly neighbourhood cats has been using my finely raked over lottie bed as a loo and I think has dug over a lot of my seeds!! Bah! I expect it of my own cats in the garden but not on the lottie! Will be netting next time. As others have said through, the weather has been somewhat unpredictable this year so that may be part of the issue!

[Penellype]

Make sure you keep carrot seeds and seedlings watered in dry weather as they really don't like drying out.

[Containergardener]

Mine are only just showing after weeks, the extra warmth has brought stuff on a bit at last.