Failed Carrot Planting

For two years I have planted carrots and nothing comes up. My radishes are doing fine.

Carrots can be tricky. The fine seed should be lightly covered with soil and kept slightly moist until the seeds sprout. Since the soil surface dries quickly, carrot seeds are subject to drying and poor germination. A master gardener taught me a useful trick. He planted the seeds, watered and used a wooden lath to cover the row. This mulch kept the soil moist. He removed the lath as soon as carrots began to sprout. I have also had good luck using row covers. These materials are sold in garden centers and catalogues as mulch for starting grass seed or protecting plants from frost. They also work great for germinating carrots and other vegetable seeds.

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