For propagation, choose a variety that has shown itself to be the best in the conditions of your site.
For a long time I also experimented with new modern varieties and hybrids of carrots. However, only the good old variety 'Chantane 2461' has taken root on my plot, which annually produces the best harvests. Even the varieties 'Chantane Red Core', 'Chantane Royal', the hybrid 'Chicago F1' and others like them, which were bred specifically on the basis of 'Chantane 2461', in my conditions are inferior to it in terms of basic characteristics, although manufacturers claim their undoubted advantages in terms of compared to its ancestor. Over time, the enthusiasm for these experiments diminished, and I finally decided on 'Chantane 2461'.
It’s easy to find this and many other varieties on sale using the market, where you can always compare prices from online stores and choose carrot seeds.
Carrot Siberian lungwort, 2 g 32 rub.
seedspost.ru
Carrots Canada F1, 0.5 g Leaders of world selection 90 RUR
seedspost.ru
Carrot Nantes 4 (on a ribbon), 8 m (Ae) 36 RUR
seedspost.ru
Carrot (Ribbon) Chantenay Royal 38 RUR
Agrofirm Poisk
But in this article I want to talk not about the merits of the variety - everyone has different tastes (and growing conditions too), but about how I prepare my carrot seeds.
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Where do carrot seeds come from?
Beginners are often perplexed: how to collect carrot seeds and where are they located? The fact is that carrots are a biennial plant. In the first year of the growing season, the vegetable produces an above-ground rosette of tops and root crops.
In the second year of life, the plant produces tall stems, on which small flowers appear in June-July, collected in umbrella inflorescences. Each umbrella contains up to 2 thousand oblong seeds 3-5 mm in size, which ripen by the end of summer.
In the climate of our country, carrots rarely survive wintering, so the root crop is dug up, stored in the basement and planted next spring to obtain seeds.
Getting beet seeds
The technology for obtaining seeds from beets is exactly the same as from carrots.
Quail
Likewise, the beet seed variety should not be a hybrid. If you take a root crop of an unknown variety and origin for seeds, then in the first year a good harvest can grow from the resulting seeds. If the seed beet was a hybrid, the seeds following the first generation can produce anything.
Features of growing carrots for seeds
In the fall, after harvesting, several of the best root crops are selected for planting for seed. Vegetables most suitable for obtaining planting material:
- medium size, even in shape, without lateral processes;
- uniformly intensely colored;
- healthy, without rot;
- without mechanical damage, signs of damage by carrot fly larvae and rodents.
For selected carrots, the tops are not completely cut off; petioles 1.5-2 cm long are left so as not to damage the central growth bud. Root crops are stored in the basement in boxes with sand at a temperature of +2-6˚C, periodically discarding rotten or wilted specimens. If carrots sprouted during storage, they can be used; this does not affect the quality of the resulting seed material.
In the spring, carrots are planted in open ground, when the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up to a temperature of +10-15˚C. For better pollination, root crops are placed on the beds in nests of 3-4 pieces, or planted in rows according to a 30x60 cm pattern. The day before planting, root crops are disinfected by placing them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes.
Carrots are planted strictly vertically, with the sharp end down, the upper part of the vegetable should be at soil level. The earth around the plantings is lightly compacted.
Plant care is usual - weeding and loosening, timely watering. Mulching plantings prevents the formation of crust on the soil surface. For better growth and disease prevention, 2-3 weeks after planting, water the root crops with lime milk (500 g of slaked lime per 10 liters of water). During flowering, queen plants respond well to fertilizing with a solution of wood ash. Nitrogen fertilizers are not applied in summer; this negatively affects the timing of seed ripening.
Storing root vegetables
Root crops identified for growing seeds are stored separately from the rest of the crop. The tops are removed before this.
For storage, root vegetables are placed in boxes filled with damp sand and stored in a cool room. Most often they serve the cellar.
In the spring, the root crops are removed from the box and inspected again. If they begin to overgrow with tops, they are no longer touched. It is better to discard specimens that appear unhealthy so as not to expose healthy plants to the risk of infection.
When to collect seeds
2-2.5 months after planting, the root crops produce tall stems on which umbrella inflorescences appear. Peduncles are periodically shaken for better pollination.
Only the central shoot is left on the plant, the side branches with small inflorescences are broken off so that the plant directs all its forces to the maturation of the largest umbrellas. Fragile shoots bend under the weight of heavy inflorescences. To prevent the stems from being broken by the wind, they are tied to wooden supports.
Carrot seeds usually ripen in mid-to-late August (in September in the northern regions). Signs of maturity are darkening of the stems and umbels, folding of the edges of the inflorescences towards the center. There is no need to delay cleaning; overripe seeds fall off easily.
In years with high rainfall and cloudy days, the seeds do not ripen for a long time and remain greenish-brown in color. In this case, the inflorescences are collected before the onset of cold weather and ripen indoors.
How to care for seed carrots
In order for the seeds to be of high quality and ripen on time, the seed plant must be carefully cared for.
Carrots need to be fed at least twice. For the first time, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are applied. Such fertilizing is needed during the growth of tops. During the budding period, potassium fertilizers are applied. At this time, you can feed the carrots with ash or ash liquid.
Caring for seed plants also includes watering and regular loosening of the soil. Don’t neglect mulching: carrot roots feel much more comfortable under a layer of mulch.
In mid-summer, carrots will throw out a peduncle and bloom. To prevent the side shoots from taking away the strength of the central ones, they are removed.
Collection technology
The seeds of the root crop do not ripen at the same time. The collection is carried out selectively, without waiting for the inflorescences to dry completely. Choose a dry day; it is advisable that there was no precipitation the day before.
Collection rules:
- cut off umbrellas that are uniformly colored brown without green inclusions, leaving a stem length of 20-25 cm;
- tied into small bundles;
- put linen bags on the heads of the inflorescences or tie them with gauze (some of the seeds fall off when drying);
- the bunches are hung in a dry, dark place (in the attic, in the barn);
- dried for 7-10 days for final ripening;
- They are checked periodically and if mold appears, they are discarded;
- a sign of readiness - the grains are easily separated from the inflorescences.
Ripe, high-quality seeds have a uniform grayish-brown color and a glossy outer shell.
Step-by-step instructions for collecting seed
Carrot inflorescences ripen unevenly, so they will have to be harvested selectively in several passes. But if more than half of the umbrellas on the bush are ready for harvesting, the flower stalks are cut off completely.
Collection time
Throughout August, the flower umbrellas gradually darken, acquiring a brown tint, and the flowers curl inward. Without waiting for complete drying, they are cut off with a part of the stem approximately 20 cm long. The root vegetables themselves are unsuitable for food after flowering.
Preparing the plant for seed collection
The collected inflorescences are tied into bunches of several pieces and hung in a dry place to ripen. To protect against loss of grains when drying, make gauze bags and place them on the heads of the inflorescences.
Appearance of seeds
Well-ripened seeds have a brown color and a slight shine. Small and weightless, they freely fall out of the inflorescences after complete drying. Hard fibers located along the grains easily catch any debris.
Did you know? If you consume fresh carrots for a long time in quantities exceeding 250
–
300 g, the skin will acquire a stable orange tint for a long time.
Collection process
Before collecting seeds from inflorescences, it is advisable to wear leather or rubber gloves to avoid injury from sharp fibers. Next, the inflorescences are ground in your hands, while the dry grains easily spill out. The healthiest, strongest and highest germination fruits are obtained from the outer edge of the corolla, so there is no need to knead the inner core.
Selection of suitable and unsuitable seeds
Sorting of the obtained seed material at home is carried out in one of the following ways:
- The seeds, cleared of debris, are poured, stirring, into a solution of 30 g of salt per liter of water and allowed to stand for 10–15 minutes. Well-ripened, full-bodied grains will fall to the bottom, while unripe and empty ones will remain on the surface. They are drained, and the remaining ones are washed in clean water and spread to dry on cloth or paper.
- Dry sorting involves placing the seeds on a flat surface and passing an electrified plastic handle or ebonite stick over them several times. Empty grains will stick to it like metal shavings to a magnet. The height is selected experimentally, and it is usually 1–2 cm.
- Cleaning of debris and low-quality seeds can be done by winnowing in the wind or under a stream of air from a fan.
Please also pay attention to the description of the seeds of the best varieties of carrots.
Seed selection and preparation for storage
Separating seeds from inflorescences is done with hands wearing rubber or leather gloves over a spread sheet of paper. The best grains are located at the edges of the umbrella; the middle of the inflorescence is not used.
The seeds are covered with hard fibers; small debris easily sticks to them. For complete cleaning, planting material is sorted in several ways:
- The seeds are placed in a container with salted water (30 g of table salt per 10 liters of water). Rubbish and unripe hollow seeds float to the surface, and full-fledged seeds settle to the bottom. After calibration, the grains are washed with water.
- The seed material is laid out on a flat surface and held over it with an electrified plastic object. Light unripe seeds, husks and debris are attracted to it like a magnet.
- Seeds are cleaned using a fan. The disadvantage of this method is that with a strong air flow, the planting material may partially fly away along with debris.
Before storing, carrot seeds are disinfected in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, then washed with water. Dry the seed at room temperature in a room with good ventilation:
- the grains are laid out in a thin layer on a paper towel;
- stir daily, preventing them from sticking together;
- Drying is continued for 5-7 days until the seeds acquire a flowable state.
Getting tomato seeds
Getting tomato seeds is also quite easy. Here is the most common and correct method, one might say, a classic. On a bush of the variety (hybrids are not suitable) that we want to propagate, we select the smoothest and most beautiful tomato from the second and subsequent branches, mark it with a ribbon, wait for it to ripen, and place it on the windowsill for a week.
There is no need to wait until the tomato becomes soft; the tomato must be ripe, but not overripe, otherwise this can lead to seed germination or poor germination. If the tomato has been sitting for a week, cut it open and remove the seeds along with the pulp (liquid). Pour into a labeled glass, cover with a napkin so as not to raise flies, do not add water!
From multi-seeded tomatoes, the seeds are taken from the middle part of the fruit.
Leave the glass with seeds and pulp for 2-3 days. This process is called fermentation.
Many people skip it, although some authors believe that fermentation creates an acidic environment that kills a number of viruses and pathogens. But, in any case, fermentation helps remove the placental membrane from the seeds.
Sometimes mold appears during fermentation. It’s not scary, it doesn’t harm the seeds and has nothing to do with them at all, it’s just fermented juice. The mold film is easy to remove, and good, viable seeds should then sink to the bottom of the glass.
We wash the seeds with running water and dry them well on a paper napkin in a dry place, but not in the sun. It is recommended to dry for a week to two - the moisture content of the seeds should be as low as possible. Dry seeds spend less oxygen on respiration, better tolerate temperature fluctuations during shipment, and are better stored.
Fech Evgeniy FORUMHOUSE Member
After that, use them for another 8 years. Some of them sprouted for me in the 11th year.
Before sowing, do not forget to disinfect homemade seeds in peroxide, potassium permanganate, etc. – pathogens of many diseases can live in the “shaggy” shell.
How and where to store seeds
The best conditions for storing carrot seeds are a dark, cool, dry room with a temperature of +10-15˚C. In damp places, the grains begin to stick together into a lump, and mold may appear on them.
Basic storage rules:
- the seeds are placed in paper bags or fabric bags that ensure unhindered air circulation;
- stickers are placed on the packages indicating the name of the crop, variety and year of harvest;
- Once a month, the bags are opened, the seeds are ventilated, and they are checked to see if mold has appeared.
Carrot seed remains viable for 3-5 years. Placing seeds in warm rooms, places exposed to sunlight and sudden temperature changes shortens the shelf life and impairs germination.
How to collect carrot seeds at home?
Selecting carrots for seeds
It must be a variety, not a hybrid (F1). Seeds from first-generation hybrids will produce second-generation hybrids that only vaguely resemble the “parents.” As a result, you will get a lot of degenerate root vegetables - those pale and not juicy ones.
The rest of the selection is standard. It should be a smooth specimen, not infected with diseases and pests, with well-defined varietal characteristics.
Planting a garden of carrots
When planting to obtain seeds, it is better to take not one, but three or four carrots, and plant them side by side - this way the plant is guaranteed to be pollinated. Take only carrots of one variety - this is very important. Vegetables are placed in the cellar for the winter. At the end of March or April, when sprouts begin to appear, take out the carrots and get down to business. Without washing or picking off the sprouts, the root vegetables are placed in a container or pot with regular soil that you use for seedlings. If the specimen is large enough, you can leave only a third of the root vegetable with a tail as a garden, and use the rest for culinary purposes.
We transfer the garden to open ground
Already at the end of April, carrots for seeds can be transferred from the container to open ground, as this is a frost-resistant plant. But if you are afraid, you can keep it in the greenhouse for a while, or cover it with an overturned bucket, a plastic bottle or other simple devices. Choose a sunny, not windy place for planting - near a greenhouse, house or fence. It is very important that no other varieties of carrots, including wild ones, grow nearby, at a distance of at least hundreds of meters. Otherwise, the plant will be pollinated and the seeds will lose their varietal characteristics.
Feeding carrots for seeds
Add some compost and ash to the planting hole. During the growth of tops, feed the carrots with nitrogen fertilizers, and during the budding period, be sure to give potassium fertilizers (you can use the same ash or ash solution).
In mid-summer the plant blooms, and around August the carrot umbrellas ripen. But before collecting carrot seeds , you should pick off the small inflorescences growing on the side shoots. Thanks to this, the earliest and strongest shoots will receive all the nutrition, and you will be able to get high-quality carrot seeds at home.
When to collect carrot seeds?
In August, and even earlier in the southern regions, carrot inflorescences will begin to darken and turn brown. At this time it is time to collect them. Do not wait until the umbrellas are completely dry, otherwise the seeds will begin to fall off. Cut them off and place them in a dry, ventilated area to ripen. And when the inflorescences are completely dry, rub them with your hands. We are used to seeing smooth seeds in packets, but in reality they are strewn with small fibers, and because of this, any debris easily sticks to them. All that remains is to sift out the “wheat from the chaff” and put them in storage until next spring.
Recommendations
Experienced gardeners share their experience in growing mother root crops and collecting carrot seeds:
- The best varieties of carrots for harvesting seed material: Nantes, Karotel, Touchon, Chantane Royal, Vita Longa.
- Carrot hybrids (marked F1 on the package) are not suitable for harvesting, the offspring of which do not inherit the characteristics of the mother plant.
- Beds with seed carrots are located at a sufficient distance from other vegetables of the umbrella family (celery, dill, cilantro) to avoid the possibility of cross-pollination.
- The highest quality seeds can be collected from carrots planted in the waxing phase of the moon according to the lunar calendar.
- In regions with harsh climates, carrots are sprouted in pots at home, with further transfer to open ground with a lump of earth. For large root crops, cut off the lower part and plant the upper third of the vegetable with a growth bud.
- As an experiment, you can leave a few root crops in the soil without digging them up for the winter. The tops of carrots are cut off, the roots are mounded high, and covered with spruce branches. If the snow falls early and the winter is mild enough, the root crops will be preserved and will produce seeds with increased hardiness the following year.
Even a novice gardener can prepare high-quality planting material. Carrot seeds collected with your own hands are distinguished by high germination, vitality, and adapted to the conditions of a particular region. By following the collection technology and storage rules, you can provide yourself with the required amount of seeds for several years.
How to get carrot seeds at home?
The process is incredibly simple, and it would be unwise not to stock up on your own planting material for next year.
There may be several reasons for this. Firstly, you really liked a particular variety and want to see it constantly in your garden. Secondly, although the seeds are not expensive, harvesting carrot seeds with your own hands from just a few root crops will give you enough planting material to plant your own garden bed and share with your neighbors. And thirdly, lately the quality of purchased seeds has often been disappointing. Producers do not spend money on updating the queen cells; they degenerate, and as a result, the seeds produce carrots that look like wild ones. It is not orange, but yellow or white, hard and not juicy.
Preparing carrot seeds for sowing in open ground
Every spring, summer residents begin to prepare for the summer season: they decide on the types of crops that will be grown, and select varieties suitable for their climatic zone. Preparing carrot seeds for sowing in open ground is a decisive stage. The yield and quality characteristics of the fruit depend on the quality of planting material:
- Improves resistance to temperature fluctuations;
- Strengthens immunity against diseases and pests;
- Mass emergence of seedlings occurs faster;
- Plants develop stronger and healthier;
- The harvest is highly marketable.
Any types of seeds are subject to pre-sowing treatment, except:
- Foreign varieties;
- Subject to chemical pre-treatment. Such seeds are usually colored;
- Carrot hybrids;
- Granule.
How to prepare seeds for soaking?
Selection
To do this, the seed material is sorted manually. The gardener examines each seed and discards those that are spoiled, deformed, or too small. Immediately after manual selection, the seeds are placed in water or a 2% ammonium nitrate solution. After a quarter of an hour, the floating seeds are taken out and disposed of, and those that are at the bottom are taken out of the solution, washed under running water and allowed to dry naturally.
Help Some vegetable growers do not throw away the floating seeds, but plant them in a separate container. Some of them may rise.
Disinfection
After the best seeds have been selected, they need to be disinfected. To do this, just place them in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees, for a few minutes. The second way to disinfect before sowing is to put the seeds in the refrigerator for a day.
Basic rules for choosing funds
The main recommendations are to purchase products only in official stores or pharmacies
When purchasing, pay attention to the expiration date of the product.
Solutions and preparations are prepared strictly following the instructions and dosage.
How to grow carrot seeds yourself at home
Not all people know how to get carrot seeds. But why? After all, there are seeds of various varieties on sale. Despite this, the reasons for independently obtaining seeds may be different. So, a person liked a certain variety of carrots and wants to grow it further. This option also allows you to obtain the necessary material. There have been cases when, as a result of planting purchased seeds, fruits are harvested that are far from advertised.
In addition, it is worth noting that growing a crop independently in order to obtain material for further sowing allows you to become independent from the market. After all, the market trend is constantly changing. And over time, the desired product may disappear from store shelves. And what can we say about the fact that this allows you to save a lot of money, especially when it comes to mass cultivation of crops. Therefore, plant fruits for seeds if there is even the slightest need for it. So, how to grow carrot seeds yourself?
When to plant carrots
To obtain high-quality material suitable for further sowing, it is necessary to follow certain rules and requirements. And you should start by planting carrots by seeds:
- When carrots are planted the first year for harvest and further consumption, little attention is paid to climatic conditions. This is especially true for temperature conditions. This is due to the fact that young fruits are highly resistant to low temperatures. In this case, planting should be done when the temperature is stable and there is no frost.
- An important factor is the phase of the moon. It is better to plant carrots during the period when the night star begins to grow.
- When the time and fruits have been chosen, you can begin planting them. But first of all, it is worth preparing the ground. To do this, the bed is loosened and fertilized. A hole of the required depth is made in the selected area. The root crop should penetrate the soil easily.
- The next step is to water the hole. To do this, it is recommended to use warm water. After the liquid is absorbed, carrots are placed in the hole. Next, the fruit is carefully covered with earth and compacted. It is worth considering that the top of the root crop should be at soil level.
- Next, the carrots are watered again with warm water, and the ground around is mulched.
Caring for carrots
To get high-quality seeds, it is not enough to plant the fruit. It is also necessary to properly care for planted carrots throughout the entire ripening period:
- In order to improve the quality of the seeds, the thickened testes are watered with milk of lime. The procedure is carried out several weeks after planting the fetus.
- Throughout the entire ripening period, it is necessary to periodically mulch, weed and water the plants. Thanks to this, it is possible to ensure a sufficient level of humidity, as well as regulate temperature changes that occur throughout the day.
- After 60 days, a central stem forms on the plant, which has a flowering umbrella. All other shoots are not suitable for this, so don’t worry if they dry out.
If the umbrella has acquired a dark beige color, this indicates that the seeds are ready for collection. So how to collect carrot seeds?
How to collect seeds correctly
After the umbrella has matured, it is cut and hung in a well-ventilated area. It is also wrapped with gauze or thin cloth. This will prevent the planting material from being scattered under the influence of a draft or wind. Also, special paper bags are often used for this.
When the umbrella is dry, it is gently rubbed with your hands, which allows you to extract the seeds. It is worth considering that the highest quality material for further sowing is the material located along the edge of the inflorescence. To treat the umbrella, experts recommend using water. With its help, you can not only get seeds, but also clean them of dirt.
The resulting seeds are laid out on cloth or paper and sent for drying. At the same time, you need to stir them periodically. In the future, it is recommended to store them in cardboard boxes or paper bags.
What to consider when planting in the ground
After the preparatory work has been carried out, the seeds are sown in the ground. At this point, it is also necessary to take a number of measures in order to germinate the seeds faster.
Compliance with crop rotation
Before you start preparing the soil, you need to select a bed in accordance with the rules of crop rotation. It is strictly forbidden to plant carrots after dill, caraway seeds, and parsnips. There are not many good predecessors for carrots:
It is permissible to choose cucumbers as a predecessor, but you need to wait 1-2 years between them.
Soil preparation
First of all, you need to thoroughly develop the soil. The seeds grow quickly in soft, light soil. Therefore, if loam predominates on the site, then they need to be loosened using sand, sawdust and ash.
10-15 days before planting, you need to dig the bed to a depth of 30-35 cm, break up all lumps and remove debris. At the same time, it is necessary to bury humus or compost (5-6 kg/m2) on the bayonet of the shovel, and also add a set of mineral fertilizers. This kit will provide initial nutrition to the carrots and allow the seeds to germinate faster.
It is worth noting! The application of fresh manure negatively affects the germination and development of carrots, so this fertilizer should be abandoned.
Destruction of ants
It is optimal to choose a bed in which there are initially no ants; if this is impossible, then the colonies need to be driven out of the territory, otherwise they may eat the crops and there will be no harvest. The simplest method of getting rid of them is to pour boiling water over the holes. Among the chemical preparations, Muracid and Anteater are very popular.
Maintaining planting temperature
The optimal temperature for sowing carrots is +15˚C…+18˚C. In addition, the bed must be located in the most illuminated area, where there is no shadow during the day.
Planting depth
An important point affecting seed germination. The most important thing is that all the seeds are sown at the same level. A marker is often used for these purposes. You can make it yourself from meter-long wooden blocks, which are connected to each other at a distance of 30 cm. Cutting furrows with such a marker allows you not only to make equally spaced rows, but also to adjust the sowing depth.
The depth of seed placement depends on the soil structure. On light sandy soils, seeds are planted at a depth of 2 cm, on loams - no deeper than 1 cm.
Worth remembering! Seeds need to be planted to the maximum depth that the soil allows, since if the seed is placed superficially, it can be washed away by rain, which means that the crops will not sprout.
Covering the beds
If the sowing was done under optimal temperature conditions, and then a sharp cold snap occurred, then the bed can be covered with plastic film or covering material. This will allow for timely seed germination, since when the temperature drops to +8 ˚C...+10 ˚C, the emergence of seedlings may take a month.
Compliance with agricultural technology
In order for the sprouts to appear together and their germination to be maximum, it is necessary to follow the rules of care. Carrots develop well only in moist soil. Drying is unacceptable.
From the moment of sowing until the emergence of seedlings, moderate watering should be provided every other day.
Loosening and weeding must also be constant, since carrots require soft soil with good aeration.
Carrots are not the most capricious vegetable. If you follow certain rules, it sprouts quickly and gives a good harvest. Every experienced summer resident knows that great difficulties often arise with seed germination. This is due to their natural characteristics, since the grain is covered with a protective layer of essential oils, which make germination difficult. That is why various pre-sowing treatment methods have been developed. Due to the shortening of the germination period, the first young fruits begin to be pulled out already in July.
