I have had great success when preparing seed for growing in pots. Using dampened paper towel, spread seeds thinly then put in plastic bag on a shaded window sill. After a few days when sprouts seen, make individual holes in compost at the correct depth and spacing (use the back of a pencil) and using tweezers, gently transfer each sprouted seed into holes and cover. A bit fiddly maybe but then you dont have to thin them. Mine grew really well.
Has anyone tried using one ply toilet paper? Plastic wrap, then moistened toilet paper 1 ply, space the seeds, fold..let sprout in plastic bag .. unroll, transfer?
@@shervin6711 I tried using two ply toilet paper with the seed starting mix and the seeds sprout very well. It's really a good way to space out the seeds. I often do that with the other small seeds and this method works very well! I also cover the seeds with a plastic lid to germinate. Try it!
I went to buy some paper plates but I don't need 50 so upon leaving I saw a cardboard box and said....PERFECT so when I got home I used an Amazon box and cut it up for my seeds and followed the rest of your suggestions. They work great.... Thanx from N. Atlanta.
Well I tried this method last week and am very happy to report that the seeds actually germinated (in about 4 days or so)! I decided to plant them in sub-irrigated containers filled with loose soil since our native soil here is VERY clay. I exactly 0 carrots germinate last year so this is very exciting for me! (North Texas).
I tried this and it worked perfectly. I heard folks have issue germinating carrot seeds. This is my first attempt at carrots and I'm off to a great start thanks to this video. Thanks!
I live in southern California, too, and the wooden board (or a large dish) method works really well with arugula. Thanks for the idea! As for the carrots, I just sprinkle the seeds next to basil using the compost and they are growing really well! Love the color of the lime green leaves as they grow! Isn't it exciting to see the seeds sprout? It is my utmost DAILY JOY when I wake up! Happy Gardening!
I also live in zone 10 in the middle east. I did just what you said in your last year's video. I covered it up with a cardboard box and after a week it all sprouted. I made sure to check every day if it's moist. Thanx for your tips.
I did some carrots in a bucket. Sowed the seeds on wet soil. In the shade. Very light cover of peat, then 2 layers of wet paper towel. Used the mist setting on my spray nozzle. I kept the paper towel wet. Came up great.
I live in the SF Bay Area and grow herbs and veg in large planter pots. Last month, I sowed Danver carrot seeds in a 18” diameter planter pot and had good germination within 2 weeks. I used a similar method Brian described, but sowed the seeds directly in the pot instead of a paper plate. 1) Fill the pot with soil. 2) Moisten the soil. 3) Gently scatter seeds on top of soil 4) Grab a handful of dry soil and lightly shake soil on top of seeds, making sure the seeds are not buried more than 1/4 inch. 5) Evenly mist top of soil with water. 6) Place a clear plastic bag over the top of pot to create a mini green house effect. Close up the opening of the plastic bag so humidity is created. 7) Place the pot with seeds in the shade. Important, Do not place in the sun. Like Brian mentioned, the seeds will cook in the heat. 8) Periodically check your planter pot. If the soil appears to be drying out, then mist the soil and cover with the plastic bag. 9) The seeds will germinate in about 2 weeks. When green leaves appear, I remove the plastic bag and cover the top of planter pot with a fine insect net to prevent bugs from eating the tender leaves or carrot worms from burrowing in the soil. Another tip, be sure to thin the carrots so they are 2 inches apart otherwise they will grow into weird shapes.
I live in the Bay Area and have had great results with broadcasting over loose soil and then covering with either a wetted news paper or a wetted towel. I leave covered and start checking after about 5 days and once sprouted remove the news paper or towel but continue to keep the ground damp. Do keep the paper or towel damp if you notice it drying out.
I live in the Perth hills in Western Australia. We have a very similar climate to Southern California, hot dry summers with most of our rainfall in winter. We are opposite seasons so it’s autumn here now. I’m usually successful with carrots in autumn and winter but I have experienced similar problems with getting carrot seeds to germinate in the summer. I tried the board method with mixed success, the seeds didn’t all germinate at the same time and the first ones ended up all straggly looking for light. I like the idea of tricking them with the freezer and will definitely try this when our hot weather returns…I’ll keep you posted !
The board method worked for me but they needed to be thinned and I can't stand to kill plants so I pulled out bunches and put them in a bowl of water and separated them and then planted. Worked great. This year I sprinkled all my seeds on top of a 3 quart pot of soil When they came up and grew all together, about 2-4 inches tall, I scooped them up, put in a bowl of water and transplanted into the ground. That was a couple of weeks ago and so far, it's working. Did it with leeks and onions, too.
Yah, I tried Danny's method from Deep South Homestead. I put potting soil in a large dark storage container, watered it good, planted the seeds and snapped the lid on for seven days. When I opened the lid a week later the seeds had come up and the soil was still moist.
I'm trying it! I had a bunch of carrot seeds drowning in a jar of water for a couple of days. A few had started so I put them on a paper towel on a plate in a baggie. These didn't go in the freezer. Then I cut paper towels, used paper small plates, dampened them, LABELED each plate and sowed carrots, onions, beets and some really old cabbage seeds. They are in the freezer now. I had done something similar using potting soil in a plate in a baggie in the fridge for marsh mallow seeds. They were sprouting when I pulled them out! When I plant, I still want to use your wood board idea to keep my rows straight, reduce weeding and give them a little cooler soil. It gets hot quick in S MS.
I have had good success with the board method, but I always lightly cover the seeds, and I raise the board and moisten the the soil daily. Especially during the dryer season. The only time I have a problem is when the board doesn't make good contact with an area. My new method is using double bubble insulation. I put it across the row with the reflective side down and moisten daily. This method seems to work the best. Now I can easily start carrots in the Summer.
Last year was my first garden and my carrots did great. This year nope. I didn’t know about the difficulties so I tried again. Nothing. So a big thank you for these videos I will be doing this next.
Lucky me lives in a climate where carrots grow well. I only had trouble one year, thinking the ground was too cold. Until I scribed with Brian, I’ve been waiting to start carrots with the beans after the soil warms. I didn’t realize that carrots are a cool weather crop and moisture is the key. 🤔 I’m probably having success now because in recent years, I’ve been keeping all my newly planted seeds moist, including my carrots... so moisture is the key. Good to know!! A fun way to plant carrots is in a salad plot with onions, leaf lettuces, radishes, beets, etc all mixed. Maybe a landscaping idea for next summer. I need to get reading my landscaping book for next year. 😊
I have limited use of my hands and handling a board was impossible. I use brown paper bags weighed down with some rocks and wet it down to help keep it in place and also help keep the seeds moist. It worked like a charm, had fantastic germination, most of the seeds were sprouted within 7' days when I removed the paper. I am going to buy a roll of brown paper this year to make it easier.
I just put the seeds in the garden I make sure the ground is nice and wet I then soak and wet cardboard put it on top of where planted the seeds I'm in Arizona it works good for me
We usually get enough rain, but our carrots have gotten much better since we got chickens and started using hot chicken manure. They overwinter well also. I dig the snow back and harvest some.
I saw someone do something similar when they pre-sprouted pepper seeds on paper towels. I might try both methods with carrot seeds and see what happens. I finally just decided to ignore our hot weather and plant some fall veggies last weekend. I found this morning that my snap peas, spinach and lettuce have sprouted; still waiting on the beets. Thanks for your great videos.
I sprouted mine this year in plastic condiment cups. I put the seeds between two moistened pieces of paper towel then put the cups in a shoebox. They sprouted in a few days.
I use Hessian sacks to cover where I've planted the seeds. You can water over top as it will run through the sacks. Hessian being quite thick, will retain moisture really well. I live in Australia with summer temps well over 35°c. Where I live it's also dry.
I know it's gardening heresy, but what works for me is dropping my seeds into furrows that have already been watered, and then covering the seed with 1/4" of very fine soil. Yes, I know, it's supposed to be only a light dusting of soil, but putting the seed deeper retains moisture in the soil, and mitigates temperature variations from cold and direct sun. Once covered I mist the soil lightly with a sprayer only if the surface is dry, and even then only very lightly. I'm not suggesting that mine is the only method, but it is what works best for me here in zone 5a. Note: Still in the 80's here, so I won't seed carrots for another two weeks until the daily average temps are a bit lower. Using fabric covers and succession planting I usually am able to harvest until mid January.
Well I have tried this, got my little white germinations this morning and have planted them out with a light covering of vermiculite, I will update on progress if any
Did this once without any success. Tried again, but covered them with straw mulch and BINGO!! It's been so dry where we live I have had troubles with germination. But I had determination (did you see what I did there?)
I love in western NY so getting cooler. I planted by carrots in August in containers. I should have a harvest soon. I hope. I did taste a carrot this week. Carrots still small but so sweet and good. First time gardener this year. I planted three types. The colored carrots growing much slower than my regular carrots. Still have hope will get some. Great video.
Thanks again for the great video! Just a follow up on this! I cold stratified 3 varieties of carrots (Danvers Half Long, Nantes Coreless and Parisienne). After a day in the freezer, and four days in a ziploc baggy under my grow light, I have carrot sprouts! Noticeably, I had by far the most of the Danvers Half Long, some Nantes, maybe one or two Parisienne. I realized it was because I had my plates stacked up in the same baggie, so the Danvers (on the bottom) got by far the most moisture, whereas the Parisienne (on top) was almost dry. To correct, I moistened the top two plates of seeds,applied damp paper towels, and put another plate on top of the Parisienne to apply some pressure. Will need to keep an eye out on the moisture levels and will be planting some of my Danvers TONIGHT!
I had a planter that was built 4 feet off the ground. It was 12" wide, 8" deep and 8 feet long. I filled it with good raised bed soil, sprinkled seed lightly in 3 rows, and lightly covered them with soil. After I made sure it was moistened, I covered it about an inch above it with clear food wrap. In a few days seedlings emerged everywhere and I removed the wrap.. I covered them only because it was very windy in my area and I didn't want the wind to blow the soil and seed away. After the plants were about 2 inches tall, I snipped off plants to space them adequately. I used short carrots because I didn't think the planter was deep enough to grow nice size carrots, and they were just for my grandkids to pull when they visited.
Can you recommend the best potting mix for growing carrots? I read that you should grow carrots in sandy soil. I bought some compost, top soil and sand. At what ratio should I mix it for carrots? And if I buy vermiculite, at what ratio should I add it? What would be the best, perlite or vermiculite?
I don’t have problems sprouting just growing them. I tried the bucket method this year. Plenty deep with store bought plant soil. Carrots came up grew large sets of leaves plenty of space between them and still nothing. Three different types in three buckets.
I'm using two boards with a 2 inch space for a 1/4 " soaker hose to keep the soil moist when the soil needs it. I lightly covered the seeds with soil, then pressed the boards down on top of the seeds till they sprout.
I had read online about this freezer method and decided to give it a try a few days ago, and I can say for a fact it works great. Even made a video about it, showing the results! This will be my go to method henceforth. I live in N California, so same issue of dry weather, and in my backyard, the board method attracts rolie-polies who eat all the seedlings.
You keep putting up videos perfectly timed for what I'm about to do! Guess I won't be direct-sowing tomorrow, but I will be putting a plate of soil and seeds in the freezer. Thank you!
Thank you for posting this! I'm currently doing the board method (more like cardboard since I didn't have a wooden board) and it got mold on the soil. I'll be trying this instead!
I grow mine in uncoated small paper cups, and I have always buried my a little bit in the soil. My sprouts are now ready to be transplanted. I probably have a dozen or more in each cup each about 1.5” tall now. I have 6 cups ready to go now. I simply mist the soil/cups twice a day - in 3-4 days I had green sprouts. I start ALL of my seeds this way. I line them up in a 14” container (already filled with soil to create a flat base for the cups to sit on. As the sprouts grow bigger, but not yet ready for full on transplant, I will separate or thin them out by using more cups and taking the first cup apart very gently and replanting those seedlings thinner in to new cups to grow stronger and more healthy. This way they aren’t competing with each other to grow in such a small space until they are individually transplanted to their final destination.
I would think you could take a sharp blade and slice the bottom off the paper cups and just place them in their final growing home. Just a thought, I'm not a grower, just a reader. lol
I use burlap to cover my carrot seeds after I sew the seeds. It keeps the moisture in and I don’t have to move it off few a few weeks after they sprout.
Glad this is working for you, I live in an area with an average humidity of less than 10%. So the burlap and the soil below it is bone dry in less than 20 minutes!
I live on Florida gulf coast and tried a few carrot seeds in a pot. They didn’t grow. It turned cold and rained for 4 days. I waited two weeks and nothing happened. I almost threw the dirt away. Then two days later my seeds were sprouted. I hadn’t watered them and wrote them off. Wow was I surprised.
I'm in a place with fairly high humidity, but I've found the best way to plant them is to fill a furrow with a 50/50 mix of finished compost and all natural clay kitty litter and water daily.
The seeds I have is a little old, so a bit worried there. However, regarding the moisture, I have a very good suggestion. I have been using the gunny sacks, that you get on the fishing trips here. I had one from my last trip, so I usually wet it in the morning and place it over the container. It has kept it nice, cool and moist even during the last week's hot days.
Aha. Clever girl Carol. Seems to me your method stops seeds from being washed away and allows space for the seed to sprout. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks.
I live in a very humid climate in SW Missouri. I bet that board method would work wonderfully for me. 🤔 Thanks! Now all I have to do is make a note in my garden journal and wa la I will remember! That's two for two on lessons learned from you!
I just took a plate of seeds out of the freezer 2 days ago. They are ready to put in the garden now. Worked good so far. I wasn't having much success direct sowing. I wonder if it will work on spinach seeds? Having lots of trouble germinating them too.
I didn’t know carrots were that hard to grow. I grew some this year and they were popping up everywhere, I was like how the heck did they get over there?Lol
I think I had beginner’s luck. I got some carrot seeds in a “Survival Garden” that I was gifted and tossed some in the ground. They came up and had beautiful roots. I didn’t till the soil and assumed it would be too compacted for the carrots, but had the space and tried anyways... I hope it continues to work out this way for us!
I'm confused on why the failure of direct seeding carrots that you talk about. I live in Southern California like you, a dry climate and grow great carrots every year. I direct sow in mid-October in a shallow furrow and then lightly cover with soil. I overhead water once every day until I have good growth of about 2". Then I thin them to the desired spacing and it always provides a great crop of carrots. I've never had issues of sprouting and I don't do any of the tricks you're talking about or I'm reading about in the comments. This surprises me as I find carrots and beets one of the easier crops to grow.
I think the biggest issue is that you have to be absolutely disciplined about watering and I think people might not be fully honest about missing a day or something or using soil that’s just not up to the task. I have a soaker hose setup with a timer for my garden and that seems to be enough when combined with a board that’s slightly elevated above the soil.
Maybe because you're planting in the fall when the heat isn't so bad? I have the same prob as others- very poor germination...I'm going to try containers and much earlier than usual this year 🤞
There are so many different climates in So. Calif. You could be near the beach, in the San Fernando Valley with the Santa Ana winds that make it very dry, you could be in a valley in between both where there is quite a bit of farming going on like between SFV and Oxnard. Just that area where I grew up are three totally different climates within 40-50 miles.
In the heat and when you don’t have time to dampen, it helps to plant a block rather than row. Then cover the whole area and put 1 lb rocks around the edges to keep contact with soil. Helps to have a quite flat well “groomed” bed.
I put a cover of cotton fabric over the seeds and make sure it doesn’t dry out. Works every time. The problem I have that they don’t seem to take off after that . Very slow.
@@ramz1455 No. They were always exposed to the weather except when it was really hot which wasn't often and then I layed a piece of plastic over them which caused the condensation and kept them watered. I planted them in the wheelbarrow. I did not start them and then transfer to wheelbarrow.
Thanks for this video mate I live in southern part of India ,where the climate is just too hot for carrots. But now with this method I'm gonna experiment it, in my place. Once again thanks for the video. Love ur gardening😘😘
I do a round planter pot. Cut a circular shape from cardboard n do the same thing. Got sprouts but had them outside n elements killed them but got to like 4” high. Did germination n tried to plant them no bueno. They grew but again shock or elements. Trying indoors on grow rack. Fingers crossed now. For my third try
Do what I do it works sow the carrot seed as normal but then hold kling film down with a house brick at one end roll out over the bed of carrots brick at other end the edges i put canes down and you got it more bricks to hold that down...the seed gets the damp and the light when sprouted take it all awey...works every time.
Did you try wet newspapers under your board? Over here in the north east I don't have the whole lack of water issue. It rains like 4 of 7 days from March to June it seems like. Our Amish use straw in between the rows to keep weeds down as well. Just throwing it out there. We have horses and horse crap does amazing things to a garden.
I just soak for a few hours my beets and carrots and then put them between damp paper towels for a 3 to 5 days .. just before planting dry them out so you can handle them. Great to do if you know rain is coming in the future and get them in before then. I cannot plant carrots if we are going through a hot dry spell. Covering them with a board has worked for centuries and damp newspaper below helps. BUT you may still have to water under the board but at least they will not die and you will NOT get a crust on the earth that will also kill them as they cannot sprout through it. Seriously soak keep them damp and plant before they sprout save you watering the garden every two hours. Only way to go if you are planting lots
Omg! Awesome video! I’m going to start some carrots today! I’m very excited to see the bearded iris video tomorrow. I love that you are covering ornamentals more now I planted dahlias for the first time ever this year because of you talking about raising them when you were young. I’m awed by how prolific and beautiful they are. I’ll be planting more next year Continued prayers for your health. Love and hugs to you, Emilie and Noah 🙏🤗❤️
Thank you as always!! ❤❤❤ Dahlias truly are amazing. So glad you're growing them. Alan and I are going to do a complete growing guide this spring! Should be fun!
@@garden_geek Hmm... one could more easily keep the cardboard wet - maybe even several layers of newspaper.... In our Rainy River District, mine so often would dry out rather than sprout..... I stopped trying.
My ex. had a car parked/abandoned in our back yard. I walked out back one day and saw a climbing vine of tiny tomatoes growing up and over the hood of the car. No one had planted anything. I t is a mystery where they came from. The only thing I can think of is bird poop. Maybe a bird dropped a tomato seed and it happened to land in some soft dirt and it germinated.
I've tried growing carrots three years now and while I have had reasonable success in getting them to sprout and grow foliage that appears about as large as those on carrots sold in the grocery store, I have never ended up with a real, harvestable crop. The largest carrots I've grown are maybe the size of my pinkie finger and most are only about 1/4"/6mm in diameter or less, really not much different from a wild carrot. I have tried purple carrots, rainbow carrots, and some regular basic-garden variety orange carrots with seeds from Burpee and Park Seeds. They have been in a rich, fairly loose compost-based soil in raised beds, sewn about 1/2" apart in rows 6-8" apart. I've tried in two locations, both getting only 3-5 hours of direct sun per day - could that be the problem? When I was a kid, I used to visit a now-deceased relative's farm in the upper Midwest (I too now live in the upper Midwest in zone 5a) and she used to grow full-sized (10" long 1.25" diameter) carrots in her farm garden that got only rain for watering, so I don't think the couple of times I went a few days between watering/rain this summer was a huge factor. What do you suppose I'm doing wrong? I thought carrots were a crop that would grow in a partially shaded environment? And would grow relatively rapidly so one could get several crops of them per season. I've also had the same sort of bad luck with beets (Detroit Red and Detroit Golden) planted right next to the carrots, although the greens tend to be a bit smaller. My beets are at best about the size of a single joint on my index finger and I thought they were supposed to be a similarly fairly fast-growing crop that grows well in partial shade. Any thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated.
1/2 inch apart is too close to allow them to get to the size you want. The seed packet will tell you for each variety but 2" is always safe. Beets need room as well.
Just heard about this. Makes perfect sense. -50% perlite 50% peat moss -Bone meal mixed into the layer where the root/tuber will grow for the phosphorus -A few handfuls of Epsom salts for the Magnesium Then a layer of thin planting material on top of potting mix/peat moss/pearlite- it will have enough nitrogen to kick ‘em off. NO nitrogen in growing layer! -will give you beautiful tips and no bottoms. I forget who it was, but I took notes. Here’s the simplified rest: Finger poke 1/2 inch depth holes. 2 seeds per hole. Thin when 2” tall by cutting top off of the weaker. (That makes me sad) Sprinkle paper thin layer of Black Cow. Really fine mist. Saturate bed. Cover with news paper. Keep wet 5 days. Boom. Done. Allegedly. Makes perfect sense though. My planting/growing/hopefully harvesting has changed by just thinking more about the layers. Also, the peat moss/pearlite/Bone Meal/Epsom Salt layer- you should be able to take your pointed hand straight arm and shove it straight down into the mix almost up to you elbow. That’s the fluff consistency that carrots find it easy to grow in. Hope that helps. Always more to consider. Part of the fun. :)
Did this exactly but used root stimulator and soak them for almost 2 hours to start I’m using a grow light from Walmart I think it was about $34, it has three different modes and 10 levels. I can’t find it to get the exact name of it. 69 hours later they are sprouting
I’m trying this method and now my plate with carrot seeds has been taken out of the freezer for about 2 days. Although I saw some very early sign of sprouting (little white strands coming out of the seeds), there are also some white mold forming on some seeds. What should I do now? Can I do something to stop the mold growth?
I wonder if you could just put a piece of plastic cover over the garden area. I'm willing to try anything at this point, going on three years without carrots.
No success for me for three years too. Tried the board method and a few others. Read Carol Beers comment. Sew seeds in moist soil, cover lightly with moist soil, then put a paper plate over top. Plate allows growing space while stopping the seed from washing away. Good luck!
What worked for me was covering the sowed seeds with a few layers of damp recycled paper then covering the pot with a plastic bag. Gently watering the paper layers every couple of days, had sprouts in less than 10 days
I used a shade cloth folded over itself twice, and laid it on top of the soil where I planted the carrots. Keep it damp for a few weeks and then take it off, we had a good harvest a few months later.
There is an even easier way that’s faster. Put a wet paper towel in a plastic container. Put the seeds on the towel, spray down, and cover. No freeze necessary. Check a couple times a day and spray as needed. They are easier to see and clean up. I got more to germinate a couple days sooner this way compared to freezing in the manner you demonstrated.
I have had great success when preparing seed for growing in pots. Using dampened paper towel, spread seeds thinly then put in plastic bag on a shaded window sill. After a few days when sprouts seen, make individual holes in compost at the correct depth and spacing (use the back of a pencil) and using tweezers, gently transfer each sprouted seed into holes and cover. A bit fiddly maybe but then you dont have to thin them. Mine grew really well.
Try using coffee filters instead of paper towels. Seeds stick to the towels but not the coffee filters. HTH
Check out Home Grown Veg channel for a template to space them for max carrots! Same theory, works great.
I was just thinking about this idea!
Has anyone tried using one ply toilet paper? Plastic wrap, then moistened toilet paper 1 ply, space the seeds, fold..let sprout in plastic bag .. unroll, transfer?
@@shervin6711 I tried using two ply toilet paper with the seed starting mix and the seeds sprout very well. It's really a good way to space out the seeds. I often do that with the other small seeds and this method works very well! I also cover the seeds with a plastic lid to germinate. Try it!
I tried this technique. I now have so many seedlings. Even some seeds that are years old sprouted!! Wasn’t expecting that.
Me too but i know I waste so much more when i direct sow
I went to buy some paper plates but I don't need 50 so upon leaving I saw a cardboard box and said....PERFECT so when I got home I used an Amazon box and cut it up for my seeds and followed the rest of your suggestions. They work great.... Thanx from N. Atlanta.
Well I tried this method last week and am very happy to report that the seeds actually germinated (in about 4 days or so)! I decided to plant them in sub-irrigated containers filled with loose soil since our native soil here is VERY clay. I exactly 0 carrots germinate last year so this is very exciting for me! (North Texas).
I tried this and it worked perfectly. I heard folks have issue germinating carrot seeds. This is my first attempt at carrots and I'm off to a great start thanks to this video. Thanks!
Great!
I live in southern California, too, and the wooden board (or a large dish) method works really well with arugula. Thanks for the idea! As for the carrots, I just sprinkle the seeds next to basil using the compost and they are growing really well! Love the color of the lime green leaves as they grow! Isn't it exciting to see the seeds sprout? It is my utmost DAILY JOY when I wake up! Happy Gardening!
I love your enthusiasm! Lol
Did this and had great results! Many more plants growing than the seeds I sowed directly two weeks earlier. Thank you!
I also live in zone 10 in the middle east. I did just what you said in your last year's video. I covered it up with a cardboard box and after a week it all sprouted. I made sure to check every day if it's moist. Thanx for your tips.
The bag germination technique works great...and not only for carrots but for all the seeds :)
Does that include putting them in freezer too for 24hrs? I normally buy my plants this is the 1st yr I'm growing from seed.
@@jennyl.5358 no, only for the plant seeds that need to be sowed in winter.
You can’t do this to Mango.
I did some carrots in a bucket. Sowed the seeds on wet soil. In the shade. Very light cover of peat, then 2 layers of wet paper towel. Used the mist setting on my spray nozzle. I kept the paper towel wet. Came up great.
I live in the SF Bay Area and grow herbs and veg in large planter pots. Last month, I sowed Danver carrot seeds in a 18” diameter planter pot and had good germination within 2 weeks. I used a similar method Brian described, but sowed the seeds directly in the pot instead of a paper plate. 1) Fill the pot with soil. 2) Moisten the soil. 3) Gently scatter seeds on top of soil 4) Grab a handful of dry soil and lightly shake soil on top of seeds, making sure the seeds are not buried more than 1/4 inch. 5) Evenly mist top of soil with water. 6) Place a clear plastic bag over the top of pot to create a mini green house effect. Close up the opening of the plastic bag so humidity is created. 7) Place the pot with seeds in the shade. Important, Do not place in the sun. Like Brian mentioned, the seeds will cook in the heat. 8) Periodically check your planter pot. If the soil appears to be drying out, then mist the soil and cover with the plastic bag. 9) The seeds will germinate in about 2 weeks. When green leaves appear, I remove the plastic bag and cover the top of planter pot with a fine insect net to prevent bugs from eating the tender leaves or carrot worms from burrowing in the soil. Another tip, be sure to thin the carrots so they are 2 inches apart otherwise they will grow into weird shapes.
Great tip!
Great tip!
I appreciate your tip. I'm just south of you in San Carlos.
I live in the Bay Area and have had great results with broadcasting over loose soil and then covering with either a wetted news paper or a wetted towel. I leave covered and start checking after about 5 days and once sprouted remove the news paper or towel but continue to keep the ground damp. Do keep the paper or towel damp if you notice it drying out.
I’ve planted about 100 carrot seeds over the past couple months and water deeply twice a day and no luck. I’m going to try this today!
I live in the Perth hills in Western Australia. We have a very similar climate to Southern California, hot dry summers with most of our rainfall in winter. We are opposite seasons so it’s autumn here now. I’m usually successful with carrots in autumn and winter but I have experienced similar problems with getting carrot seeds to germinate in the summer. I tried the board method with mixed success, the seeds didn’t all germinate at the same time and the first ones ended up all straggly looking for light. I like the idea of tricking them with the freezer and will definitely try this when our hot weather returns…I’ll keep you posted !
I live in Qld. So far nothing's sprouted with the board method - nor with the freezer method! How did you go? 😅
My mind is blown, this is so much better then I was intending on using seeding trays.
The board method worked for me but they needed to be thinned and I can't stand to kill plants so I pulled out bunches and put them in a bowl of water and separated them and then planted. Worked great. This year I sprinkled all my seeds on top of a 3 quart pot of soil When they came up and grew all together, about 2-4 inches tall, I scooped them up, put in a bowl of water and transplanted into the ground. That was a couple of weeks ago and so far, it's working. Did it with leeks and onions, too.
people say carrots hates transplanting. how did it work out for you though
Yah, I tried Danny's method from Deep South Homestead. I put potting soil in a large dark storage container, watered it good, planted the seeds and snapped the lid on for seven days. When I opened the lid a week later the seeds had come up and the soil was still moist.
EXCELLENT TIP!!!!!! I have used it twice for both carrots and parsnips
I'm trying it! I had a bunch of carrot seeds drowning in a jar of water for a couple of days. A few had started so I put them on a paper towel on a plate in a baggie. These didn't go in the freezer. Then I cut paper towels, used paper small plates, dampened them, LABELED each plate and sowed carrots, onions, beets and some really old cabbage seeds. They are in the freezer now. I had done something similar using potting soil in a plate in a baggie in the fridge for marsh mallow seeds. They were sprouting when I pulled them out! When I plant, I still want to use your wood board idea to keep my rows straight, reduce weeding and give them a little cooler soil. It gets hot quick in S MS.
I have had good success with the board method, but I always lightly cover the seeds, and I raise the board and moisten the the soil daily. Especially during the dryer season. The only time I have a problem is when the board doesn't make good contact with an area. My new method is using double bubble insulation. I put it across the row with the reflective side down and moisten daily. This method seems to work the best. Now I can easily start carrots in the Summer.
Would aluminum foil do just as well? just put something to hold it down?
@@robotnik77 I don't know that I would recommend using foil. I don't think it would hold up very well.
Last year was my first garden and my carrots did great. This year nope. I didn’t know about the difficulties so I tried again. Nothing. So a big thank you for these videos I will be doing this next.
Lucky me lives in a climate where carrots grow well. I only had trouble one year, thinking the ground was too cold. Until I scribed with Brian, I’ve been waiting to start carrots with the beans after the soil warms. I didn’t realize that carrots are a cool weather crop and moisture is the key. 🤔 I’m probably having success now because in recent years, I’ve been keeping all my newly planted seeds moist, including my carrots... so moisture is the key. Good to know!!
A fun way to plant carrots is in a salad plot with onions, leaf lettuces, radishes, beets, etc all mixed. Maybe a landscaping idea for next summer. I need to get reading my landscaping book for next year. 😊
I have limited use of my hands and handling a board was impossible. I use brown paper bags weighed down with some rocks and wet it down to help keep it in place and also help keep the seeds moist. It worked like a charm, had fantastic germination, most of the seeds were sprouted within 7' days when I removed the paper. I am going to buy a roll of brown paper this year to make it easier.
I have tons of cardboard but no brown paper. Do you think it would work with wet cardboard? Probably it would dry out too easily, eh?
I just put the seeds in the garden I make sure the ground is nice and wet I then soak and wet cardboard put it on top of where planted the seeds I'm in Arizona it works good for me
We usually get enough rain, but our carrots have gotten much better since we got chickens and started using hot chicken manure. They overwinter well also. I dig the snow back and harvest some.
I saw someone do something similar when they pre-sprouted pepper seeds on paper towels. I might try both methods with carrot seeds and see what happens. I finally just decided to ignore our hot weather and plant some fall veggies last weekend. I found this morning that my snap peas, spinach and lettuce have sprouted; still waiting on the beets. Thanks for your great videos.
Works well with beets, chard and cannabis. I’m sure it can be done easily with all the squash/gourd family.
I plant mine directly in the garden an they are growing great first timer here 🥳
Great video, I did this last year after watching your video and my carrots were a great success
Thank you for your pleasant manner and getting to the point quickly. God tips too!
I sprouted mine this year in plastic condiment cups. I put the seeds between two moistened pieces of paper towel then put the cups in a shoebox. They sprouted in a few days.
I use Hessian sacks to cover where I've planted the seeds. You can water over top as it will run through the sacks. Hessian being quite thick, will retain moisture really well. I live in Australia with summer temps well over 35°c. Where I live it's also dry.
I know it's gardening heresy, but what works for me is dropping my seeds into furrows that have already been watered, and then covering the seed with 1/4" of very fine soil. Yes, I know, it's supposed to be only a light dusting of soil, but putting the seed deeper retains moisture in the soil, and mitigates temperature variations from cold and direct sun. Once covered I mist the soil lightly with a sprayer only if the surface is dry, and even then only very lightly. I'm not suggesting that mine is the only method, but it is what works best for me here in zone 5a. Note: Still in the 80's here, so I won't seed carrots for another two weeks until the daily average temps are a bit lower. Using fabric covers and succession planting I usually am able to harvest until mid January.
Well I have tried this, got my little white germinations this morning and have planted them out with a light covering of vermiculite, I will update on progress if any
Did this once without any success. Tried again, but covered them with straw mulch and BINGO!! It's been so dry where we live I have had troubles with germination. But I had determination (did you see what I did there?)
i tried this and it worked! I have some green showing so I am going to get them in the garden bed tomorrow!
I'll be trying this too, I only got 3 sprouts from the board method..so let's hope this method works 🤞
Thx 4 sharing
I love in western NY so getting cooler. I planted by carrots in August in containers. I should have a harvest soon. I hope. I did taste a carrot this week. Carrots still small but so sweet and good. First time gardener this year. I planted three types. The colored carrots growing much slower than my regular carrots. Still have hope will get some. Great video.
Just put some seeds in the freezer! Picked some smaller varieties and am planning to plant in some deep containers. Hope I get a good harvest!
Thanks again for the great video!
Just a follow up on this! I cold stratified 3 varieties of carrots (Danvers Half Long, Nantes Coreless and Parisienne). After a day in the freezer, and four days in a ziploc baggy under my grow light, I have carrot sprouts!
Noticeably, I had by far the most of the Danvers Half Long, some Nantes, maybe one or two Parisienne. I realized it was because I had my plates stacked up in the same baggie, so the Danvers (on the bottom) got by far the most moisture, whereas the Parisienne (on top) was almost dry. To correct, I moistened the top two plates of seeds,applied damp paper towels, and put another plate on top of the Parisienne to apply some pressure. Will need to keep an eye out on the moisture levels and will be planting some of my Danvers TONIGHT!
I'm trying carrots for the first time and this is going to save me failure and time! Thank you. :D
I have a plastic 55 gallon drum goin cutting half. And plant carrots in. Like your method. On sprouting
I had a planter that was built 4 feet off the ground. It was 12" wide, 8" deep and 8 feet long. I filled it with good raised bed soil, sprinkled seed lightly in 3 rows, and lightly covered them with soil. After I made sure it was moistened, I covered it about an inch above it with clear food wrap. In a few days seedlings emerged everywhere and I removed the wrap.. I covered them only because it was very windy in my area and I didn't want the wind to blow the soil and seed away. After the plants were about 2 inches tall, I snipped off plants to space them adequately. I used short carrots because I didn't think the planter was deep enough to grow nice size carrots, and they were just for my grandkids to pull when they visited.
Can you recommend the best potting mix for growing carrots?
I read that you should grow carrots in sandy soil.
I bought some compost, top soil and sand.
At what ratio should I mix it for carrots?
And if I buy vermiculite, at what ratio should I add it?
What would be the best, perlite or vermiculite?
I don’t have problems sprouting just growing them. I tried the bucket method this year. Plenty deep with store bought plant soil. Carrots came up grew large sets of leaves plenty of space between them and still nothing. Three different types in three buckets.
I'm using two boards with a 2 inch space for a 1/4 " soaker hose to keep the soil moist when the soil needs it.
I lightly covered the seeds with soil, then pressed the boards down on top of the seeds till they sprout.
I wet the soil add the seeds in planting spot. Cover with black plastic. Watch daily for germination works well for me. Add water when needed
I also use pelleted seeds. Much easier to plant them so they are spaced
I had read online about this freezer method and decided to give it a try a few days ago, and I can say for a fact it works great. Even made a video about it, showing the results! This will be my go to method henceforth. I live in N California, so same issue of dry weather, and in my backyard, the board method attracts rolie-polies who eat all the seedlings.
You keep putting up videos perfectly timed for what I'm about to do! Guess I won't be direct-sowing tomorrow, but I will be putting a plate of soil and seeds in the freezer. Thank you!
😊
I’ve made a slurry of corn starch and water cooled to room temp and mixed in seed and planted and up they came
Thank you for posting this! I'm currently doing the board method (more like cardboard since I didn't have a wooden board) and it got mold on the soil. I'll be trying this instead!
I planted 2 packets of carrot seeds, i have a total of 2 carrots LOL thats why im here.
😂
I grow mine in uncoated small paper cups, and I have always buried my a little bit in the soil. My sprouts are now ready to be transplanted. I probably have a dozen or more in each cup each about 1.5” tall now. I have 6 cups ready to go now. I simply mist the soil/cups twice a day - in 3-4 days I had green sprouts. I start ALL of my seeds this way. I line them up in a 14” container (already filled with soil to create a flat base for the cups to sit on. As the sprouts grow bigger, but not yet ready for full on transplant, I will separate or thin them out by using more cups and taking the first cup apart very gently and replanting those seedlings thinner in to new cups to grow stronger and more healthy. This way they aren’t competing with each other to grow in such a small space until they are individually transplanted to their final destination.
I would think you could take a sharp blade and slice the bottom off the paper cups and just place them in their final growing home. Just a thought, I'm not a grower, just a reader. lol
I use burlap to cover my carrot seeds after I sew the seeds. It keeps the moisture in and I don’t have to move it off few a few weeks after they sprout.
I use this method also, works fairly well
Glad this is working for you, I live in an area with an average humidity of less than 10%. So the burlap and the soil below it is bone dry in less than 20 minutes!
Are you saying that they grow THROUGH the burlap ?
@@hal7ter no. Just to cover the seeds until they sprout them take off the cover
I live on Florida gulf coast and tried a few carrot seeds in a pot. They didn’t grow. It turned cold and rained for 4 days. I waited two weeks and nothing happened. I almost threw the dirt away. Then two days later my seeds were sprouted. I hadn’t watered them and wrote them off. Wow was I surprised.
I'm in a place with fairly high humidity, but I've found the best way to plant them is to fill a furrow with a 50/50 mix of finished compost and all natural clay kitty litter and water daily.
This method worked perfectly. Are there any other veggies that can be grown this way?
Thanks. I will try this tomorrow for my last batch of container carrots failed. I am going to also plant beets with this method as well.
The seeds I have is a little old, so a bit worried there.
However, regarding the moisture, I have a very good suggestion. I have been using the gunny sacks, that you get on the fishing trips here.
I had one from my last trip, so I usually wet it in the morning and place it over the container. It has kept it nice, cool and moist even during the last week's hot days.
I used paper plate on mine instead of wood n it did great n had them outside
Aha. Clever girl Carol. Seems to me your method stops seeds from being washed away and allows space for the seed to sprout. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks.
I live in a very humid climate in SW Missouri. I bet that board method would work wonderfully for me. 🤔 Thanks! Now all I have to do is make a note in my garden journal and wa la I will remember! That's two for two on lessons learned from you!
Aww. Thanks Paula. Journaling is great!
THANK YOU!! I’d almost completely given up on carrots. I am going to dump all my old seed packets and try this lol
I must try this method.. thank you so much for this easy way of sprouting carrots..
carrots also grow well in partly shaded spots which can help with water.
I just took a plate of seeds out of the freezer 2 days ago. They are ready to put in the garden now. Worked good so far. I wasn't having much success direct sowing. I wonder if it will work on spinach seeds? Having lots of trouble germinating them too.
I get burlap sacks from the local coffee house, wet them and cover the row until sprouts
This is unbelievable, it worked!!!!🥰🥕
I didn’t know carrots were that hard to grow. I grew some this year and they were popping up everywhere, I was like how the heck did they get over there?Lol
I think I had beginner’s luck. I got some carrot seeds in a “Survival Garden” that I was gifted and tossed some in the ground. They came up and had beautiful roots. I didn’t till the soil and assumed it would be too compacted for the carrots, but had the space and tried anyways... I hope it continues to work out this way for us!
Mike r., same here. Had most a few rows over, how? I knew where I had planted them.
@@susancorbin399 the seeds probably got moved in a channel of water before they had taken root. They're so tiny it doesn't take much.
I'm confused on why the failure of direct seeding carrots that you talk about. I live in Southern California like you, a dry climate and grow great carrots every year. I direct sow in mid-October in a shallow furrow and then lightly cover with soil. I overhead water once every day until I have good growth of about 2". Then I thin them to the desired spacing and it always provides a great crop of carrots. I've never had issues of sprouting and I don't do any of the tricks you're talking about or I'm reading about in the comments. This surprises me as I find carrots and beets one of the easier crops to grow.
I think the biggest issue is that you have to be absolutely disciplined about watering and I think people might not be fully honest about missing a day or something or using soil that’s just not up to the task.
I have a soaker hose setup with a timer for my garden and that seems to be enough when combined with a board that’s slightly elevated above the soil.
Same here, haven't had problems at all growing them in SoCal...
Maybe because you're planting in the fall when the heat isn't so bad? I have the same prob as others- very poor germination...I'm going to try containers and much earlier than usual this year 🤞
There are so many different climates in So. Calif. You could be near the beach, in the San Fernando Valley with the Santa Ana winds that make it very dry, you could be in a valley in between both where there is quite a bit of farming going on like between SFV and Oxnard. Just that area where I grew up are three totally different climates within 40-50 miles.
Fantastic! I did not have any luck with the board method.
I got mine to sprout during 90 deg heat wave. The board method works but you almost have to have some sort of automated watering to keep up on things.
In the heat and when you don’t have time to dampen, it helps to plant a block rather than row. Then cover the whole area and put 1 lb rocks around the edges to keep contact with soil. Helps to have a quite flat well “groomed” bed.
I put a cover of cotton fabric over the seeds and make sure it doesn’t dry out. Works every time. The problem I have that they don’t seem to take off after that . Very slow.
I planted mine in a wheelbarrow with plastic over the top. Condensation keep them moist. Had 4 good size harvest. Was surprised it would work!
Did you keep them out of the sun while trying to germinate?
Thank you.
@@ramz1455 No. They were always exposed to the weather except when it was really hot which wasn't often and then I layed a piece of plastic over them which caused the condensation and kept them watered. I planted them in the wheelbarrow. I did not start them and then transfer to wheelbarrow.
@@michelletwigg5928 ah I see. Thank you!
Thanks for this video mate
I live in southern part of India ,where the climate is just too hot for carrots. But now with this method I'm gonna experiment it, in my place.
Once again thanks for the video.
Love ur gardening😘😘
Thank you
Haha...I've been using black plastic for years and works great
I do a round planter pot. Cut a circular shape from cardboard n do the same thing. Got sprouts but had them outside n elements killed them but got to like 4” high. Did germination n tried to plant them no bueno. They grew but again shock or elements. Trying indoors on grow rack. Fingers crossed now. For my third try
Sprinkle fine cut grass and leaves over the top of your sown carrot seeds...this will keep the soil moist..seedlings will eventually push through.
I expected to have problems with carrots but I seem to be able to throw em in my grow pots and they come up
My sister- inlaw lives on hemet it has been dry in So Cal this year. The song It never rains in southern California. Can now be canned.
Do what I do it works sow the carrot seed as normal but then hold kling film down with a house brick at one end roll out over the bed of carrots brick at other end the edges i put canes down and you got it more bricks to hold that down...the seed gets the damp and the light when sprouted take it all awey...works every time.
I'll try this method next year. I was going to give up because very poor this year.
Did you try wet newspapers under your board? Over here in the north east I don't have the whole lack of water issue. It rains like 4 of 7 days from March to June it seems like. Our Amish use straw in between the rows to keep weeds down as well. Just throwing it out there. We have horses and horse crap does amazing things to a garden.
Thank you! I’ve had zero success with carrots.
This worked for me 👏👏👏. Thanks for sharing 🥕
Put your carrot seed in the grownd then cover with a plastick dust sheet it keep the grown most in warm weather i get a 100% of my seed up
I just soak for a few hours my beets and carrots and then put them between damp paper towels for a 3 to 5 days .. just before planting dry them out so you can handle them. Great to do if you know rain is coming in the future and get them in before then. I cannot plant carrots if we are going through a hot dry spell. Covering them with a board has worked for centuries and damp newspaper below helps. BUT you may still have to water under the board but at least they will not die and you will NOT get a crust on the earth that will also kill them as they cannot sprout through it. Seriously soak keep them damp and plant before they sprout save you watering the garden every two hours. Only way to go if you are planting lots
Great tip, excited to try iy. What was the name of the book you read that had the tip?
He said he found it written in the margin of the book.
THANK YOU!! Thanks a bunch. I'm gonna try it.
Omg! Awesome video! I’m going to start some carrots today! I’m very excited to see the bearded iris video tomorrow. I love that you are covering ornamentals more now
I planted dahlias for the first time ever this year because of you talking about raising them when you were young. I’m awed by how prolific and beautiful they are. I’ll be planting more next year
Continued prayers for your health. Love and hugs to you, Emilie and Noah 🙏🤗❤️
Thank you as always!! ❤❤❤ Dahlias truly are amazing. So glad you're growing them. Alan and I are going to do a complete growing guide this spring! Should be fun!
Brilliant - even in wet England!
I had great luck using cardboard over the top. So many germinate I jow have ti thin
I’ve also used cardboard on top with a few light rocks to hold it in place and had success. I live in a very hot and dry part of California.
@@garden_geek Hmm... one could more easily keep the cardboard wet - maybe even several layers of newspaper.... In our Rainy River District, mine so often would dry out rather than sprout..... I stopped trying.
Interesting. We've had good luck just sprinkling seeds in the bed. Carrots keep popping up. We're in zone 9a. Will be trying again this year.
My ex. had a car parked/abandoned in our back yard. I walked out back one day and saw a climbing vine of tiny tomatoes growing up and over the hood of the car. No one had planted anything. I t is a mystery where they came from.
The only thing I can think of is bird poop. Maybe a bird dropped a tomato seed and it happened to land in some soft dirt and it germinated.
I've tried growing carrots three years now and while I have had reasonable success in getting them to sprout and grow foliage that appears about as large as those on carrots sold in the grocery store, I have never ended up with a real, harvestable crop. The largest carrots I've grown are maybe the size of my pinkie finger and most are only about 1/4"/6mm in diameter or less, really not much different from a wild carrot. I have tried purple carrots, rainbow carrots, and some regular basic-garden variety orange carrots with seeds from Burpee and Park Seeds. They have been in a rich, fairly loose compost-based soil in raised beds, sewn about 1/2" apart in rows 6-8" apart. I've tried in two locations, both getting only 3-5 hours of direct sun per day - could that be the problem?
When I was a kid, I used to visit a now-deceased relative's farm in the upper Midwest (I too now live in the upper Midwest in zone 5a) and she used to grow full-sized (10" long 1.25" diameter) carrots in her farm garden that got only rain for watering, so I don't think the couple of times I went a few days between watering/rain this summer was a huge factor.
What do you suppose I'm doing wrong? I thought carrots were a crop that would grow in a partially shaded environment? And would grow relatively rapidly so one could get several crops of them per season.
I've also had the same sort of bad luck with beets (Detroit Red and Detroit Golden) planted right next to the carrots, although the greens tend to be a bit smaller. My beets are at best about the size of a single joint on my index finger and I thought they were supposed to be a similarly fairly fast-growing crop that grows well in partial shade.
Any thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated.
Two guesses: your soil is too rich in nitrogen so it only grows the tops, or they aren't thinned enough to allow root development.
1/2 inch apart is too close to allow them to get to the size you want. The seed packet will tell you for each variety but 2" is always safe. Beets need room as well.
Just heard about this. Makes perfect sense.
-50% perlite 50% peat moss
-Bone meal mixed into the layer where the root/tuber will grow for the phosphorus
-A few handfuls of Epsom salts for the Magnesium
Then a layer of thin planting material on top of potting mix/peat moss/pearlite- it will have enough nitrogen to kick ‘em off.
NO nitrogen in growing layer! -will give you beautiful tips and no bottoms.
I forget who it was, but I took notes. Here’s the simplified rest:
Finger poke 1/2 inch depth holes. 2 seeds per hole. Thin when 2” tall by cutting top off of the weaker. (That makes me sad)
Sprinkle paper thin layer of Black Cow. Really fine mist. Saturate bed. Cover with news paper. Keep wet 5 days.
Boom. Done.
Allegedly.
Makes perfect sense though. My planting/growing/hopefully harvesting has changed by just thinking more about the layers. Also, the peat moss/pearlite/Bone Meal/Epsom Salt layer- you should be able to take your pointed hand straight arm and shove it straight down into the mix almost up to you elbow. That’s the fluff consistency that carrots find it easy to grow in.
Hope that helps. Always more to consider. Part of the fun. :)
Can you do this freezer approach with coco(coir), I don't have any potting style on hand, but I like the looks of this methed
Did this exactly but used root stimulator and soak them for almost 2 hours to start
I’m using a grow light from Walmart I think it was about $34, it has three different modes and 10 levels.
I can’t find it to get the exact name of it.
69 hours later they are sprouting
Love your work I always have trouble with carrots thanks kit
My climate is humid to the max my carrots were mushy had to change to not watering them at all now they are great
Lovely idea. Can I do the same for celery. Freeze them like carrot seeds??
I’m trying this method and now my plate with carrot seeds has been taken out of the freezer for about 2 days. Although I saw some very early sign of sprouting (little white strands coming out of the seeds), there are also some white mold forming on some seeds. What should I do now? Can I do something to stop the mold growth?
Yes it helped. You are a good teacher
Thank you 😊
I wonder if you could just put a piece of plastic cover over the garden area. I'm willing to try anything at this point, going on three years without carrots.
No success for me for three years too. Tried the board method and a few others. Read Carol Beers comment. Sew seeds in moist soil, cover lightly with moist soil, then put a paper plate over top. Plate allows growing space while stopping the seed from washing away. Good luck!
What worked for me was covering the sowed seeds with a few layers of damp recycled paper then covering the pot with a plastic bag. Gently watering the paper layers every couple of days, had sprouts in less than 10 days
I used a shade cloth folded over itself twice, and laid it on top of the soil where I planted the carrots. Keep it damp for a few weeks and then take it off, we had a good harvest a few months later.
There is an even easier way that’s faster. Put a wet paper towel in a plastic container. Put the seeds on the towel, spray down, and cover. No freeze necessary. Check a couple times a day and spray as needed. They are easier to see and clean up. I got more to germinate a couple days sooner this way compared to freezing in the manner you demonstrated.
If carrots need light to germinate - how does putting a plank on them help?