The question of why carrots do not sprout, and what to do in this case, is always considered relevant among gardeners. After all, every summer resident or farmer counts on a high yield. And for this it is necessary to adhere to the basic rules of planting, preparation of seed material, etc.
Optimal planting and germination times
After planting the seeds, the sprouts hatch in 14-30 days, depending on the temperature regime (climatic conditions). So, in the southern regions of the country, seedlings can appear even after a week, and in the northern regions - after a month. The optimum temperature for this culture is + 8-10 degrees outside, + 16-20 - in the greenhouse.
However, the germination rate depends not only on the temperature of the soil and air. To accelerate the process, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the requirements of agricultural technology, crop rotation and preparation of seed material.
Why don't carrots sprout?
Carrots may not emerge for various reasons, but there are a number of key factors that have a negative effect:
- Violation of sowing dates. If the seeds are laid ahead of schedule (and it differs for different regions), then the material may freeze. If you plant them later than the appointed time, then in the absence of the required level of moisture in the soil, the seeds become barren. This happens because the shell does not dissolve, so the sprouts cannot hatch. During autumn planting, seeds should not be planted too early, as they will begin to germinate against the background of warm weather, and when the cold comes, they will die. If carrots are planted in early spring, then the first shoots can form in 20 days, if in June - then in a week. That is, a favorable warm temperature is necessary for carrot grains.
- Unsuitable soil. It turns out that each carrot variety prefers a certain type of soil. That is why when planting it is necessary to carefully study the information on the package. However, there are general requirements for the soil - it should not contain a large amount of organic fertilizer, namely manure and chicken droppings. It is also undesirable to plant a crop annually in the same place - you need to take a break of 3 years.
- The quality of the planting material. Carrot seeds can remain viable for up to 4-5 years, but these indicators are conditional, so the choice should be stopped at a maximum of 2-year-old seed. Better yet, buy pelleted grains (they are covered with a special shell with nutrients, due to which they are distinguished by increased germination).
Often carrots do not germinate due to low-quality seeds, which are barren inside. To check this, it is enough to pour them into a saline solution, stand for 10-15 minutes. Defective grains float to the surface of the water.
Before buying, be sure to inspect the seed material. Quality seeds are dense, with a rich shade and without a wrinkled surface. The peculiarity - carrot grains are composed of essential oils, therefore they have a distinct aroma.
- Seed preparation. Due to the large amount of essential oils, humidity does not penetrate well into the seed, so special preparation is necessary. After rejecting the material in saline, the seeds are thoroughly washed under running water, after which they are placed in a well-moistened gauze and placed in a container with water.
The temperature of the liquid should be 55-60 degrees, the duration of soaking is 10-20 minutes. Then the seeds are dried and after 20-24 hours they are planted in the garden. - Crop rotation disturbance. It has already been said that it is impossible to sow a crop in one place every year. This is largely due to the fact that harmful microorganisms and insects remain in the soil, which destroy the carrots. The best precursors for fast germination are potatoes, beans, onions, cabbage, garlic, pumpkin. You can not plant after the growth of parsnip, caraway seeds, celery, parsley and especially beets.
- Planting depth. Carrots can be planted in autumn and spring. In the first case, to increase the level of germination, seeds are laid to a depth of 5 cm, in the second - a maximum of 2 cm.
- Improper care of seedlings. Carrots love moisture, so the main reason for the lack of germination is the lack of moisture. To maintain moisture, after watering, seedlings are covered with plastic wrap or other non-woven material. But you cannot water the seedlings abundantly. Watering should be carried out from a watering can with a spray, otherwise the seed is simply washed away. It is important to carry out weeding and remove the covering material in a timely manner.
What to do if carrots are not sprouted?
If the seed has not sprouted, it is necessary to accelerate its growth. Different methods are used for this.
Nutrition with macronutrients to accelerate growth
You need to feed the soil before planting the seeds, but if you haven’t done this, fertilize between the rows. For this, chicken manure and granulated urea are used. But remember not to give too much fertilizer.
Be sure to loosen the soil so that oxygen penetrates to the seeds. Even before sowing, you can add a little peat and sand to the soil, which greatly speeds up the germination process.
Polyethylene use and moisture rules
Carrots are afraid of the cold, so they insulate it. She needs a certain level of humidity, which is maintained through the covering method.
How to do it:
- after planting, cover the seeds with agrofibre or film;
- if it is hot during the day, open the seedlings, but always wrap them at night;
- it is not necessary to irrigate the first week after planting, so that the aerial part will increase;
- as soon as the first shoots appear, be sure to remove the polyethylene, otherwise the shoots will turn yellow and die.
Reseeding
When the seeds are sown at a temperature of 14-16 degrees, the first sprouts should appear after 15 days. If the temperature during planting was above 20 degrees, then the seedlings are formed in a week.
If there are no seedlings at the indicated time, you will have to reseed, as the main reason may be poor seed material. To do this, it is enough to fertilize the land and sow new grains in compliance with all requirements.
Landing rules
To exclude the fact of lack of germination, it is necessary to prepare the soil correctly and in advance (in the autumn period). What is needed for that:
- digging;
- add potassium sulfate (20 grams is enough for 1 sq. m);
- fertilize with superphosphate (put 30 grams per square meter);
- you can purchase a complex fertilizer - nitroammofosku (75-80 grams per square meter);
- loosen the soil in the spring;
- it is advisable to add a little peat and sand.
Pelleting
This is an important event to accelerate germination. Seed material is enriched with nutrients, microelements. For this, special mixtures are sold in which grains are soaked. As a result of such actions, a strong shell forms on the seeds, which resolves after planting in the ground.
Why pelleted seeds are better:
- they protect plants from pests and pathogenic microorganisms;
- fast germination is ensured;
- soil is fed;
- the development of the root system is accelerated;
- the tops are developing faster.
Some modern dragee coating products contain harmful substances. But this is not a reason to refuse them, since these substances will be consumed during the formation of the root crop. As a result, the fruits will not harm the human body.
Germination
There are two universal methods of germinating seeds that accelerate germination:
- Stratification. Place the seed material in a cloth bag, after which a hole must be made in the soil, the depth of which is 18-20 cm. Place the cloth bag in it and fill it with warm water. Then cover with a layer of soil and cover with snow. Keep the seeds for 14-15 days, then remove, combine with an equal amount of sand and sow in the garden. Stratification is carried out in late March - early April.
- Soaking in vodka. Thanks to the alcoholic composition, a large amount of essential oils are neutralized, which delay the germination of sprouts. As in the previous case, you need to put the grains in a bag, then put it in high-quality vodka for half an hour. Then rinse, dry and plant.
How to sow carrots to sprout quickly?
If you adhere to the agrotechnical rules for planting carrots, the root crop will rise quickly enough. Follow these guidelines:
- The site should be well lit and as open as possible.
- The soil is fertile, loose, acidity is neutral.
- Digging is carried out along the depth of the shovel bayonet.
- When using humus, adhere to these standards: per 1 square. m maximum 7-8 kg of organic matter is introduced.
- To reduce the acid reaction, the soil is subjected to liming with dolomite flour. You can make chalk, wood ash.
- For heavy soil, the soil is mixed with peat in an equal ratio (it is advisable to add a little sand).
- Sowing is done in the grooves. Their depth should not exceed 3 cm.
- The distance between the grains is 4-5 cm, between the rows - 13-16 cm.
- To facilitate the sowing process, especially in windy weather, you can use the trick: mix the seed material with sand, and then make not grooves, but grooves in which the seeds are placed.
- For the same purposes, you can cook jelly of medium density from potatoes. Put the grains in it, mix, pour into the grooves.
- Another option is to weld the paste, apply it on toilet (not colored) paper pointwise (in places where the seeds will be located). Place the created tape in the groove.
- It is necessary to feed culture 2 times. The first fertilizer application is carried out 3 weeks after the formation of sprouts. The second - 30 days after the first fertilizer. First, wood ash is used (a couple of glasses per bucket of water), then the following solution is prepared: urea - 15 grams, superphosphate - the same amount, water - 10 liters.
- To accelerate germination, agrogel is used, which is laid out on moistened soil.
- Sowing seeds is not recommended from the edge of the garden, which eliminates the risk of washing out the seed material during watering or rain.
- Experienced vegetable growers set up a kind of bed for carrots: the lower layer is hard, the upper one is soft. To do this, a wooden board goes deeper into the ground, on top - a loose substrate.
- You can use special growth stimulants. For example, the drug Albit in the form of a paste (1 ml is enough for a bucket of water), Energen Aqua in capsules (for 10 liters of water - 2 units), Zircon in the form of a solution (for 5 liters of water, 100 drops).
In this video, you will learn what to do to speed up the germination of carrots:
Knowing why carrots do not sprout, and the rules for their cultivation, you can achieve a positive result. Be sure to adhere to the requirements of agricultural technology, select high-quality seed, follow the recommendations described above, which greatly optimizes the germination time.
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