Prepare carrot seeding strips in advance

Planting carrots on paper strips saves time and money, using three times less planting material than traditional sowing. The seeds are evenly distributed, all at the same depth. The paper strips are prepared in advance, rolled into rolls, and stored until planting. All that remains is to make furrows in the spring, lay out the strips, cover with soil, and water.

Advantages of the method

Planting seeds on paper saves space and time. The paper helps retain moisture longer. Seedlings emerge evenly, and the vegetables are planted at a uniform depth. A major advantage is that thinning is not necessary. Sowing with tapes can be done in any weather, and seedlings will emerge evenly. Planting material is used sparingly; if you sprinkle too many seeds by hand, some may not germinate, and any that do emerge will have to be thinned and discarded. The paper also helps retain moisture for rapid germination and growth.

For the first 12-14 days after planting the strips, the beds don't need to be watered. The first fertilizing is done a month after sowing, as the soil contains enough fertilizer for the seedlings to develop, and the paste serves as a growing medium for the seeds.

Seed preparation

Seeds are prepared in February. It is recommended to calibrate the seeds before planting. Empty, dark, or small seeds are removed and discarded. Water is poured into a glass, the seeds are added, stirred, and left to stand for 5 minutes. Poor-quality seeds float to the surface and are removed, while the remaining seeds are dried.

To ensure the planting material is of good quality, place 10 seeds on a damp cloth and transfer to a warm place. Add more water as the cloth dries. After 10 days, determine the germination rate. If 7 seeds sprout, the germination rate is 70%. If only 2 sprout, the seedlings are of poor quality and it's best to buy new seeds. The seeds may have been stored in a damp place and become covered in fungus.

To disinfect seeds, soak them in a 1% potassium permanganate solution. Leave the seeds in the solution for 20 minutes, then remove, rinse, and dry. Boric acid can be used as an alternative to potassium permanganate. Add 1 teaspoon of boric acid to 1 liter of water and add 9-12 drops of nitrogen fertilizer. Soak the seeds in this solution for 10 hours, then rinse and dry.

Carrot seeds are coated with essential oils, which prevent sprouting. To remove the oils, place the seeds in cheesecloth, add hot water, and let sit for two hours. Rinse with clean water and dry.

The procedure for gluing seeds onto the tape

Preparation for sowing seeds begins in the spring, when the coltsfoot blooms. For planting, you'll need paste, loose paper, scissors, and tweezers. Strips of paper can be cut from newspapers, toilet paper, or napkins. Glue can be made from flour or starch.

Preparation of paste:

• For 100 ml of warm water (18-20*C) you will need 2 tablespoons of starch or flour, mix all the ingredients;
• put 400 ml of water on the fire and bring to a boil;
• Pour the starch mixture into the boiling liquid in a thin stream, stirring constantly, until it thickens;
• add 1 teaspoon of mineral fertilizers to the cooled mixture per 0.5 l;
• Use the glue only after it has completely cooled.

Read alsoPlanting and caring for carrots in winter There are many benefits to planting carrots in the winter. But the most important is that this juicy, vitamin-rich root vegetable will ripen several weeks earlier than any spring…

Toilet paper is suitable for gluing seeds onto the structure. Napkins tear easily and can become soggy, and the printing ink on newspaper is harmful to future plants.

The process of gluing seeds:

• the paper is cut into long strips, each 3 cm wide;
• On the tape, use a marker to mark the places where the glue will be applied, placing dots at intervals of 5 cm from each other;
• using a needle or a toothpick, apply a drop of paste;
• The seed is clamped with tweezers and transferred into the glue;
• you can spread the paste in a continuous strip and place a seed every 5 cm;
• paper strips are dried for a day, then rolled into rolls and tied with thread;
• Store the tapes in a cool but dry place until planting in the garden.

Planting carrots on tape

Two weeks before transferring the strips to the beds, prepare the soil for sowing. Dig it to a depth of 10 cm and level it with a rake. Fertilize the soil in the fall with humus or manure, spreading 4-5 kg ​​of fertilizer per square meter. In the spring, add any complex fertilizer to the soil, approximately three weeks before sowing. The fertilizer should definitely contain phosphorus and potassium. Additionally, sprinkle the beds with wood ash. Choose a level site. The soil should be light and loose, with good drainage.

Planting carrots After April 20th. Mid-season varieties are sown until May 5th. In southern regions, carrots are planted twice – in May and June.

In the beds, make furrows 2 cm deep, preferably leveling the bottom with a small board. Space the furrows 15 cm apart. Water the soil generously. Lay strips of paper at the bottom of the holes, and carefully unroll the rolls over the soil. It doesn't matter how you lay the strips—seed-side up or seed-side down. The thin paper will quickly soften from the moisture, and the seeds will germinate. Then cover the strips with soil and water. Moisten the soil frequently to prevent a crust from forming on the surface, which will prevent the seeds from sprouting and cause them to die.

Plant carrots You can use any method: a salt shaker, a seeder, or a sieve. An alternative to these methods is planting carrots using paper strips. By preparing the paper strips in winter, you won't have to worry about planting vegetables in the spring; planting will be quick and the yield will be good.