by Sowing carrots is a troublesome task. Largely because 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. This is the method that amateur gardeners use most often in their practice. Now in specialized stores you can see packages with rolled tapes with carrot seeds. However, firstly, such seeds are more expensive than usual, and secondly, the list of varieties that manufacturers pack in this way is extremely limited. In such a situation, the only thing left is to prepare such a tape yourself.
Materials
For work we will need:
- Toilet paperOn the one hand, it must be thin enough to quickly soften in the ground after planting, and on the other hand, strong enough not to tear during the process.
- Carrot seedsYou can read about which varieties are best suited for different purposes in our separate article.
- A sharpened wooden stick. This could be a slightly sharpened match, a cotton swab, a bamboo skewer or a toothpick. If possible, try using each of these “tools” in order to choose the one that is most convenient for you.
- Flat dish. The size depends on your preferences, 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 be located at a sufficient distance from each other.
- Starch for paste (potato or corn) – literally 1-2 tbsp.
- Bowl for the 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 sufficiently long blades.
- felt-tip pen or marker. Useful for signing the names of varieties and hybrids.
Step 1
Prepare the paste. Boil 1-2 cups of water. Place a small saucepan or shallow enamel bowl on the stove, pour 1 tbsp. of starch into it, pour boiling water and stir everything until smooth. If you do the opposite, i.e. first boil the water and then pour the starch into it, then the mixture will be lumpy and it will be more difficult to stir. Cool the paste to room temperature and pour into a bowl. Stir the sticky mass periodically during and after cooking so that it does not harden.
Some gardeners use flour paste instead of starch paste to make paper strips. Its main advantage is that the mixture does not need to be boiled and then cooled. 1 tbsp of flour is poured into a glass of warm, but not hot water and mixed until smooth. The consistency of the glue should resemble pancake batter.
Step 2
Based on the dimensions of the surface on which you plan to dry the tapes (for example, the length of the tabletop), unwind 80-120 cm of the canvas (it will be simply inconvenient to work with longer strips) and fold the tape like an accordion. If you use perforated toilet paper, your task will take a little less time, and the “accordion” will turn out neater.
Step 3
Cut the accordion-folded ribbon lengthwise into 3-4 equal parts. If you are not too confident in your eye or do not have scissors with long blades at hand, use a ruler and a marker to mark the lines of future cuts. The number of ribbons obtained will depend on the width of the roll. Since it varies among different manufacturers, focus on a width of 2-3 cm.
If you don’t need to keep a large distance between rows, you can skip cutting the paper altogether. You’ll just slightly adjust the seed placement pattern. Instead of placing the seeds in one row and in the center of the tape, you’ll place them in two rows along the edges of the wider strip.
Step 4
Unfold the tapes on the table and use a match or a toothpick to glue the seeds to the paper. To do this, carefully dip the stick in the paste and then bring it to the plate with the seeds. Pick up a seed and lower it onto the paper tape. Place each subsequent seed at a distance of 3-4 cm from the previous one. The larger the seeds, the greater the interval between them should be. Leave a little space for the signature at one end of the tape and let the paper dry.
It is best to start preparing the strips for sowing carrots in the evening. If you do this, then by the morning you will be able to free up all the surfaces occupied by the drying strips of paper.
Step 5
When you are finished, label the seed tape so you don’t get confused about the varieties. It’s best to do this with a felt-tip pen or marker, because a pen or pencil can tear the paper.
Step 6
Roll the tapes into a “snail”, starting from the end where there is no signature. Put the resulting rolls in bags and hide them in a dry, dark place “until better times”.
How to sow carrots on toilet paper in open ground
Place of sowing. You should not sow carrots in places where crops that leave behind large plant residues, such as late cabbage, green beans, and corn, have previously grown.
Parsnips, parsley, celery, dill, beets, chard and radishes are not the best predecessors for carrots. It should also be remembered that it is better to return carrots to their previous place no earlier than after 3-4 years. Early cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and peas are excellent predecessors for carrots.
SoilsCarrots do not tolerate over-watering and stagnant water and prefer loose and breathable soils with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction.
Sowing time. Carrots are a cold-resistant crop and a temperature of 9-15°C is enough for their germination, so in the middle zone the root crop is sown from mid-April to mid-May. However, even small night frosts of up to -2°C will not be scary for carrots. The first shoots appear within 10-15 days after sowing.
Sowing technologyWhen it’s time to sow, lay out the paper strips on the bed at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other, sprinkle the tape with soil and water generously with warm water.
Carrots have a well-developed root system and therefore do not require frequent watering. Water the plantings 1-2 times a week at the rate of 30 liters per 1 sq. m of beds. This crop is most demanding in terms of humidity in the first half of the growing season. Then the rate can be reduced, and 2-3 weeks before the expected harvest date – and stop altogether.
The idea of using toilet paper tape to sow carrots was so popular with gardeners that for many of them this method has become the main one. If you have never sowed carrots this way before, be sure to try it! What methods for sowing carrots do you use?
