Did I plant too many seeds?

[Crow_Wildstorm]

Hello, new gardener.
I bought some carrot seeds. I bought a pack of 15 starter pots. Now in the packet there was obviously way more seeds than that, so I just divided it up and put probably 10-15 seeds in each hole.
I’m going to thin by clipping the smaller sprouts, but was this way too much? Will they even grow now?

 

[YumYum]

What are you calling starter pots? You put 10-15 carrot seeds into one hole? If so the surrounding seedlings may get damaged by thinning if your not careful.

I use a big deep pot for carrots. Alot easier than ground planting but requires more watering. I put in about 10" of potting mix, spread out seed (you might have 75% germination), then cover with 1/2" of potting mix. Fairly easy. Around 4" high thin them out. At harvest just pick up the pot and pour it into a wheelbarrow and grab the carrots.

Carrots will grow now. You can probably sow carrots way up into June or something.

 

[Crow_Wildstorm]

What are you calling starter pots? You put 10-15 carrot seeds into one hole? If so the surrounding seedlings may get damaged by thinning if your not careful.

I use a big deep pot for carrots. Alot easier than ground planting but requires more watering. I put in about 10" of potting mix, spread out seed (you might have 75% germination), then cover with 1/2" of potting mix. Fairly easy. Around 4" high thin them out. At harvest just pick up the pot and pour it into a wheelbarrow and grab the carrots.

Carrots will grow now. You can probably sow carrots way up into June or something.

I have 3in paper starter cups, the kind that break down. I’m going to transplant them into a small garden box bed later if they sprout.

 

[YumYum]

I have 3in paper starter cups, the kind that break down. I’m going to transplant them into a small garden box bed later if they sprout.

Carrots really don't like to be transplanted. I've noticed if the root gets disturbed then the likelyhood of the root forking goes up.

 

[YumYum]

And by the way, I do my green onions in the same type of pot about the same way. After they get so big I thin, then later on I put more potting mix in to raise the soil level to blanch the stalk which makes the white part alot bigger.

 

[Meadowlark]

Have you considered an alternate approach?

Instead of starter cups and all that entails just purchase a seed tape of carrots. Costs a little more but when you consider the cost and effort of starting indoors, seed tape is very cheap. The seed is already spaced properly for you. All you have to do is lay it down on a good seed bed and cover very lightly. Keep it moist and you will soon have carrots.

There really is no advantage to starting carrot seed indoors...carrots do not transplant well and further they are hardy down to light freezes.

 

[Tetters]

I think carrots are best sown outside - as thinly as possible. Here I find that it helps to raise them off the ground in a deep tray of some kind, or raised bed if you have one. This helps to keep the carrot fly away.
Very fine soil, preferably sieved is best, then you get nice straight carrots. Sowing thinly saves having to thin out so much afterwards.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Agreed, sow thinly. I take a few seeds in the palm of my left hand and then take a pinch from them between my right thumb and forefinger. then I move my hand along the row rotating my thumb and finger so I gradually drop the pinch. Try as one might there are usually places more fall, so I run the hand fork up and down the row a couple of times to spread them and mix them into the surface.
I use a similar technique when I plant in boxes, small seeds like that can be spread as thinly as possible over the surface and then lightly mixed in. They say 'plant 1/4" deep, some end up on the surface, some 3/8" deep, it doesn't matter, there are always enough in a depth they can germinate.
When you thin out carrots remember a carrot fly has an amazing sense of smell and can smell disturbed foliage and pulled carrots a long way off, best done late evening on a murky, rainy day.

 

[Crow_Wildstorm]

Carrots really don't like to be transplanted. I've noticed if the root gets disturbed then the likelyhood of the root forking goes up.

I’ll definitely remember that for next time. I might as well see how they turn out since the works already done lol.

 

[Crow_Wildstorm]

I think carrots are best sown outside - as thinly as possible. Here I find that it helps to raise them off the ground in a deep tray of some kind, or raised bed if you have one. This helps to keep the carrot fly away.
Very fine soil, preferably sieved is best, then you get nice straight carrots. Sowing thinly saves having to thin out so much afterwards.

Very fine soil, got it, I’ll remember that.

 

[Crow_Wildstorm]

I think carrots are best sown outside - as thinly as possible. Here I find that it helps to raise them off the ground in a deep tray of some kind, or raised bed if you have one. This helps to keep the carrot fly away.
Very fine soil, preferably sieved is best, then you get nice straight carrots. Sowing thinly saves having to thin out so much afterwards.

Very fine soil, got it, I’ll remember that.

Have you considered an alternate approach?

Instead of starter cups and all that entails just purchase a seed tape of carrots. Costs a little more but when you consider the cost and effort of starting indoors, seed tape is very cheap. The seed is already spaced properly for you. All you have to do is lay it down on a good seed bed and cover very lightly. Keep it moist and you will soon have carrots.

There really is no advantage to starting carrot seed indoors...carrots do not transplant well and further they are hardy down to light freezes.

Oh cool, that sounds easier, I’ll check out the seed tape next time.

 

[Crow_Wildstorm]

Agreed, sow thinly. I take a few seeds in the palm of my left hand and then take a pinch from them between my right thumb and forefinger. then I move my hand along the row rotating my thumb and finger so I gradually drop the pinch. Try as one might there are usually places more fall, so I run the hand fork up and down the row a couple of times to spread them and mix them into the surface.
I use a similar technique when I plant in boxes, small seeds like that can be spread as thinly as possible over the surface and then lightly mixed in. They say 'plant 1/4" deep, some end up on the surface, some 3/8" deep, it doesn't matter, there are always enough in a depth they can germinate.
When you thin out carrots remember a carrot fly has an amazing sense of smell and can smell disturbed foliage and pulled carrots a long way off, best done late evening on a murky, rainy day.

Thank you for the advice, this is helping a lot!

 

[Toddz]

Very fine soil, got it, I’ll remember that.

Oh cool, that sounds easier, I’ll check out the seed tape next time.

You can buy blank seed tapes on Amazon for making your own seed tape with what ever you want to grow.

There's a very limited selection for seed tape varieties. I made my own this year for my beets, carrots, radishes and lettuce. I can give you a link if you want it.