How to plant carrot seeds on tape and how to make them at home

It is not easy to sow carrot seeds evenly, since the diameter of carrot seeds does not exceed several millimeters. As a result, they are distributed unevenly along the groove - somewhere empty, and somewhere dense. Such sowing produces intermittent seedlings, which makes caring for plants extremely difficult. Thinning, which after such planting has to be carried out several times, takes a lot of time and effort.

The problem is successfully solved by sowing seeds glued to tape. In this article we will tell you in detail how grow carrots this way and how to make a ribbon with seeds yourself.

Description of the method

Way planting carrots Using tape is simple: lay out a tape with seeds glued to it in the grooves in the garden bed and sprinkle it with soil. Further care of the crops is no different from usual.

The essence and principle of operation of this method

The essence of this simple method is that the seeds on the tape are located at the required distance from each other (4-5 cm). If the quality of the seed is good, then the seedlings will be uniform. Thus, there is no need to remove densely growing carrots.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages and disadvantages of the strip method of growing carrots are highlighted separately.

Advantages:

• carrots do not need to be thinned;
• economical use of seed material;
• guaranteed uniform germination - seeds glued to the tape will not be washed away by heavy rain.

Flaws:

• labor costs for independent production of tapes;
• reduction in yield in case of purchasing low-quality seed material;
• difficulty in laying tapes, which, after being sprinkled with soil and watering, move and come to the surface;
• Dry seeds are glued onto the tape: there is no way to soak them in water or stimulants, so seedlings appear later.

Landing technology

The process of planting carrots using the tape method begins with preparing the site.

Soil preparation

A place for a carrot bed is chosen in the fall, taking into account the rules crop rotation. The soil is dug up, compost, humus, and mineral fertilizers are added. After this, the surface of the earth is leveled and the beds are marked.

Immediately before planting, grooves 2-3 cm deep are cut in the prepared area. A distance of 15-20 cm is maintained between the furrows. Then the bed is watered so that the bottom of each furrow is well moistened, and planting begins.

Landing instructions

Place carrot seeds on a ribbon at the bottom of the prepared recesses. Then the bed is covered with a layer of soil and watered again.

Advice. Moisten the soil well before laying out the seed ribbons. Then the paper will stick to the wet soil and will not move to the side or upward when covered with soil.

Some gardeners pour a 0.5 cm thick layer of compost into the furrows - this speeds up seed germination. In this case, the furrows are made deeper.

When planting using the strip method, approximately 4-4.5 m of strip are used per 1 m² of land. The purchased tape is placed edgewise so that it does not interfere with germination if it is not dissolved.

After sowing the seeds, the first shoots appear within 1-2 weeks. Make sure that the soil remains constantly moist until the sprouts appear.To reduce watering, mulch the beds; you can also cover the ground with a thick, damp cloth.

Making your own tape

To make strips with seed yourself, you will need seeds, a base for the strip and paste.

Suitable Carrot Seeds

The tape method is suitable for planting early, mid and late ripening carrots. Deadlines landings depend on cold resistance varieties. When planted early, the seeds use spring moisture from the soil and germinate before the carrot fly appears.

Advice. You should not buy ready-made tapes in advance, as there is a risk of purchasing old seeds with poor germination.

A guaranteed way to grow a good harvest is to buy proven seeds and make the tape yourself.

Material for making strips

Napkins, toilet paper or newspaper strips are used as a base.

Toilet paper

The most popular and economical option. However, difficulties often arise when working with this material. The paper is thin and tears when drying and planting. In addition, it is wider than necessary.

To solve the problem, fold the paper in half, glue the seeds and roll it up. It is convenient to use two-layer toilet paper and place seeds between the layers.

Napkins

Paper napkins are also used as a base.. Lay out the napkin and stick carrot seeds at a distance of 5 cm in the row and between the rows.

In this case, the furrows are not cut during planting; the napkins are laid out in a continuous layer on the surface of the moist soil and sprinkled with earth.

Newspaper

Another economical base option. Newspaper sheets (not glossy) are cut into strips about 2 cm wide and seeds are glued onto them at the required distance from each other.

Other materials can be used as a base, the main thing is that the base should be well soaked in water so as not to interfere with seed germination.

How to glue

Only dry seeds are glued. Paste is used as an adhesive substance: ordinary glue, when hardened, will interfere with germination.

To prepare the paste you will need flour and water. Gradually pour 2 tbsp into boiling water (1 glass). l. flour. The mixture is boiled, stirring, until thickened and cooled to room temperature.

If you don’t have flour on hand, make a paste from starch. For this, 1 tbsp. l. starch is dissolved in 50 ml of water and the resulting mixture is poured into boiling water (1 cup). The cooked jelly is cooled.

Droplets of the finished paste are applied to the paper with a match, toothpick or syringe. Then the seeds are glued to the base with tweezers. Another option is to dip the grains in glue and glue them onto paper. The distance between seeds is maintained at 4-5 cm.

The finished strips are hung to dry. After complete drying, the tapes are wound into rolls and stored in a dry place until sowing begins.

Common Mistakes

We list the most common mistakes that gardeners make when making their own ribbons:

• use of low-quality seed material - trust only trusted manufacturers who have good reviews;
• buying old seeds - check the expiration date when purchasing, choose those that are fresh (shelf life of carrot seeds is 1-2 years);
• using seed material without taking into account the climatic conditions of the region - choose heat-loving or frost-resistant, moisture-loving or drainage-resistant soils, adapted to the types of soils in your region;
• insufficient soil moisture during and after planting, as well as the formation of a crust through which it is difficult for sprouts to break through;
• the location of the purchased tape is flat - factory strips get wet worse than toilet paper, so they are laid on the edge;
• deep planting - if the tape lies deep, then it will be difficult for the sprouts to break through to the surface, the optimal depth for spring planting is 2 cm, when planting before winter - 4-5 cm.

Timing of emergence

Germination of seeds planted using the tape method takes a little longer than those sown using the conventional method.. This is due to the fact that dry, unprepared seeds are glued onto the strips.

Also, the timing of emergence of seedlings depends on the air temperature and the variety of carrots. If the air and soil are well heated, carrots will sprout in 1-2 weeks. If it is only +8°C outside, then you will have to wait 3-4 weeks for seedlings.

What to do in case of rare shoots

It happens that, despite all efforts, the seedlings are not encouraging. The germination percentage is affected by the quality of the seed material and weather conditions.

If after 3-4 weeks the carrots have not sprouted or sprouted only rarely, then new seeds are planted. It is better to make new furrows between the old ones, place ribbons in them or sow in the usual way.

Reviews

Here are a few reviews from experienced gardeners about planting carrot seeds using the ribbon method.

Lidia Valerievna, Novosibirsk: “I’m very happy with this method, I’ve been using it for 5 or 6 years. I cut the toilet paper in half lengthwise and apply drops of paste in a checkerboard pattern closer to the edge of the strip. There’s no need to thin out!”

Tatyana Petrova, Shkolny village: “I also make such a tape. Putting a sticker on toilet paper doesn't take long; children are happy to help.I immediately mix all the seeds with the paste and spread them over the tape with a match. Then I hang it up to dry and roll it up until spring. Planting is a pleasure.”

Nina Nikolaevna, Osinniki: “I make it even simpler - I soak a toothpick in jelly, take one carrot seed and apply it to the tape. There is little jelly left on the tape, shoots appear quickly. I dry the strips on the back of the chair. Before planting, I water the furrows with water and Epin, lay out the ribbons, cover them with earth and cover them with film.”

Conclusion

Using tapes with seeds when sowing carrots greatly simplifies the care of plantings and saves seed material. The main thing when making strips yourself is not to skimp on quality seeds and use a paste made from flour or starch. It is better to prepare such ribbons in advance, before the start of the summer season.