Is it possible to grow carrots from seedlings: what every gardener should know

Carrots are valued for their high content of provitamin A and vitamins B, C and E, calcium, pectin and fiber.

One properly grown carrot will cover an adult's daily requirement for vitamin A. But how can you get a harvest a few weeks earlier so that you can enjoy this tasty and healthy root vegetable for yourself and your family at the beginning of summer? Growing it from seedlings will help.

Is it possible to use the seedling method?

Any gardener knows that carrots cannot be transplanted. The slightest damage to the root causes the root crops to grow ugly. Therefore, growing this crop through seedlings is not practiced. In addition, the plant has a long taproot, which requires a deep cup, and there is little space on the windowsill in the spring.

However, it is possible to get a carrot harvest from seedlings. And there are several ways to do this.

Method one: paper tubes

You need to roll the paper into tubes with a diameter of 2-3 cm, fill them with soil and put them in a glass or other tall container. Sow a carrot seed in each tube. If the germination of the seeds is questionable, it is better to sow several, and then simply pluck out the weak sprouts.

When the time comes, you need to make a deep hole in the bed, place a paper tube with grown carrots in it and cover it with soil. This simple method helps to get a carrot harvest 2-3 weeks earlier.

It is important to choose paper for the tubes that will easily decompose in the soil. It should be thick enough to hold its shape after sowing, but not so thick that it does not decompose in the garden bed. Newsprint folded in 2 layers is suitable. However, it is not recommended to use magazines with color pictures, as the colored paint may contain toxic impurities.

Method two: bouquet-bush

With this method, you need to sow 5-7 seeds in a tall container. When the time comes, carefully remove the soil lump from the cup or bucket and plant it in the garden bed. It is important not to damage the root system during transplantation.

There is no need to thin out the carrots, they will grow in a "bouquet". This method is suitable for growing small carrots for consumption in spring and early summer. If you have a greenhouse, small root vegetables can be pulled out as early as mid-May, and in open ground in early June.

This method cannot be used to grow large carrots, as the bush will be cramped, but you don't have to mess around with tubes. And the bushes take up less space, and the harvest will be enough for a spring vitamin salad.

• Related news:
• carrot
• growing
• vegetables
• garden
• 4 April 2023

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