I bought some carrots from a local grower. Cut the tops off and planted the tops directly in soil. It immediately started growing greens, and much to my surprise, they started flowering a couple months after.
A couple of years I fall planted carrots here in Idaho right before the ground froze,covered lightly with peat moss and ended up with carrots by the end of June! That was fun. I was told carrots germinate better with a freeze. The potato farm I worked for always put their carrot seed in the freezer for 2 weeks before planting.
Yes, a lot of seeds germinate better with a chilling period. Its called "stratification" and it gives the seed and seed coat clues to sprout when moisture and heat hit it. Totally normal.
@@busygirl2681 I've tried winter planting potatoes without much success. Here in the NW, most folks I know wait until May. A few adventuresome will actually dig IN the snow to plant on St Patrick's day 😆 Fall planted are not an option if you are looking for a crop before winter unless you are in a "banana belt"region like Southern Idaho. You need a minimum of 60 days of warmth and would be planting in August or end of July for a fall crop.
I live in northern Minnesota, so I thought there was no way I could produce my own carrot seeds. But thanks to you, I have hope! Thank you so much for the info, it is much appreciated! 😊
I'm growing carrots for the first time. I started from seed and some of the carrots flowered this first summer. I'll use the info you provided to collect, dry and store some seed. Next year I'll see if they sprout. Thanks for the timely post. 🙂
Thank you so much, this is very helpful :) It has been an interesting process, and I really wish I would have labeled the carrots stalks what variety they were because I put two varieties in the garden and all of the flowers look the same ahh But from this video, I learned you should not plant multiple varieties together anyways, so I’m glad it was just an experiment and I am not too attached, especially since I can grow flowers any other year I wish! Also that is a very smart trick to cut the carrot root off and still be able to use the carrot greens and tiny top of the carrot root. Super interesting!
Last year, I planted carrot seeds in my community garden bed. They sprouted enough to push little green leaves through the soil; but, when the hot weather hit, they all died off. This year, I planted a few more carrot seeds; but, I also planted bush beans and peas around them. The weather still got hot; but, the carrot seedlings were protected from the hot sun. I've been able to harvest carrots; but, they're not as big as the ones you have. I planted most of the seeds around the middle of May. The weather was still cool. There are still carrots to be harvested; but, I won't be able to leave them in the ground throughout the winter. The city says we have to have everything out by the end of October. Now that I know that the city has given us a new spot to garden in, I might try that trick that you showed. I am going to try to get two beds side by side if possible. Either I can grow more stuff or not try to fit so much in such a limited space.
Donna_G I'd be asking city if the soil was poisoned and where are the test to prove it. I'm a pain in the butt. Maybe they will allow you to fill few pots of soil from the new place so you can test it yourself. Plant seeds they way you should.
I guess I should have guessed that you can replant the chopped carrot itself to produce seeds. I did this but I just replanted a few full sized carrots in containers outside the garden. The carrot itself is a root so of course it would grow back! Awesome
Thank you. I learned so much about carrots today. Great video your garden is beautiful. New at growing different things my biggest problem is knowing when to harvest. Getting better though. Can't beat fresh that's for sure.
Hi Jeff. I'm still learning. Today, for me, it's carrots. As a beginner, it's baby steps for me. My tomato plants are close to 3'. But nothings happing with them. Their just a branch with stems and leaves. I watch a lot of your tomato videos. But with my memory I have to watch again and sometimes again. Do you think their a lost case? So now I'm off to see another carrot video. See ya there. Take care ❤
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms same here Jeff we have fire just near by the old Walmart which was now a discount store burnt down and all the big ashes came to my lawn and yard good thing it didn’t get to my car 🥺🤦🏻♀️👩🌾😬🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I have carrots seeding and I was wondering if I can pick them when they turn brown and you can see the little greens seeds and hang them to dry the rest of the way? Or do they have to turn brown on the plant? Thanks!
Hey Trish, the highest viability, like with any seed collecting, is to let the seed heads FULLY dry and cure on the plant. I'm sure you can pick green and get viable seeds.....but in terms of percent germination, it'll likely be lower.
Thanks Jeff! So many went to seed where last years carrots were that they’re taking up too much space. I didn’t know carrot seeds would grow 5 ft tall and take over! I’m pulling some out. Then I wont be so anxious to collect the seeds! Ha. Honestly, I don’t need 8 million carrot seeds. Live-n-learn is my. Moto… thanks again.
Thank you for this information🙏 Through my years of gardening every now and then I will have a carrot, onion, or perhaps a beet pop up in an area that I sowed a seed the previous year. If I let that particular plant grow would it produce seeds or would it be another year before doing that 🤷♀️
Could I seed some in a buckets for the purpose of saving seed the following year or would the carrots completely freeze and die by spring? I dont have enough garden space to grow for seed but I could do it in buckets for beets, carrots etc.
I live in the heart of Illinois. Last year I planted carrots in a bucket and they didn't do much so I let them alone. I noticed how well the greens looked all winter, and we had some very harsh cold! In the spring I could see the carrot root growing. The blooms were amazing, and I will be harvesting seeds this year. So I would say depending on where you live, go ahead and try planting in a bucket.
I've never let a carrot go to seed before now. How long does it take for the carrot to form seed heads? My weather got too hot for harvesting them so I left them to go to seed. That didn't happen, they all died except for 3. Now what do I do, silly question..... please advise. Thanks.
@@shirleyk623 no problem.... When I want seeds, I plant carrots right before fall... Let them overwinter and the next summer they give me tons of flowers!
I wonder if this cut off and store in the fridge method would work for beets? Gotta try it as my winters are quite harsh for a bienial to survive the following year
So I have 3/4 plants that went to seed from this years crop, will they be viable do you think? I will collect them and see I guess, it's a great experiment anyway it turns out. I'll know for sure then.
i was wondering about storing the carrot tops saved for next year you keep in the fridge over the winter, do we just store the carrot tops in a bin or do they need water? Sorry if this is a stupid question
I have a huge amount of Queene Anne's Lace on my property, would that be a cross pollination issue for carrot seed saving? It's technically a wild carrot too...right?
Hello Jeff, I collected carrot seeds last year. I sewed them this year but didn't get anything but white stubs. Do you know what happened? No carrots for me this year.
Hi, I harvested carrot seeds last year and used them this year. I got white weedy ends, no carrots. The leafage and size were tremendous but just no carrots. What happened? Do you know?
Proverbs 11:24-25 KJV 24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
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I bought some carrots from a local grower. Cut the tops off and planted the tops directly in soil. It immediately started growing greens, and much to my surprise, they started flowering a couple months after.
Yes, carrots being biennial will want to flower after producing that tap root.
A couple of years I fall planted carrots here in Idaho right before the ground froze,covered lightly with peat moss and ended up with carrots by the end of June! That was fun. I was told carrots germinate better with a freeze. The potato farm I worked for always put their carrot seed in the freezer for 2 weeks before planting.
@Tess Wagner I'm in PNW do you know if I can plant potatoes now? I'm going to plant some carrots after watching his video, it inspired me to try.
Yes, a lot of seeds germinate better with a chilling period. Its called "stratification" and it gives the seed and seed coat clues to sprout when moisture and heat hit it. Totally normal.
Potatoes are actually tropical plants. Although the tubers can be harvested in cold and freezing ground, the plants need to be grown over summer.
@@busygirl2681 I've tried winter planting potatoes without much success. Here in the NW, most folks I know wait until May. A few adventuresome will actually dig IN the snow to plant on St Patrick's day 😆 Fall planted are not an option if you are looking for a crop before winter unless you are in a "banana belt"region like Southern Idaho. You need a minimum of 60 days of warmth and would be planting in August or end of July for a fall crop.
@@tesswagner895 Okay thank you, appreciate you answering my question. Still learning and not sure what or when but thought I'd check.
Thank you Jeff, I was surprised how pretty the carrot bloom is, had my first seeds this year.
Totally agree Naomi... Quite and exquisite flower head for sure.
Very timely! I have umbels drying out now from last year. Thank you, from Minnesota.
Right on! Best of luck with the seed collecting!
I live in northern Minnesota, so I thought there was no way I could produce my own carrot seeds. But thanks to you, I have hope! Thank you so much for the info, it is much appreciated! 😊
I'm going to put the tops into my refrigerator over the winter and pray for seeds!♡thanks so much for sharing...love the info!♡
Me too! :-)
I'm growing carrots for the first time. I started from seed and some of the carrots flowered this first summer. I'll use the info you provided to collect, dry and store some seed. Next year I'll see if they sprout. Thanks for the timely post. 🙂
Right on James! That happens sometimes. Best of luck!
Thank you so much, this is very helpful :)
It has been an interesting process, and I really wish I would have labeled the carrots stalks what variety they were because I put two varieties in the garden and all of the flowers look the same ahh
But from this video, I learned you should not plant multiple varieties together anyways, so I’m glad it was just an experiment and I am not too attached, especially since I can grow flowers any other year I wish!
Also that is a very smart trick to cut the carrot root off and still be able to use the carrot greens and tiny top of the carrot root.
Super interesting!
Last year, I planted carrot seeds in my community garden bed. They sprouted enough to push little green leaves through the soil; but, when the hot weather hit, they all died off. This year, I planted a few more carrot seeds; but, I also planted bush beans and peas around them. The weather still got hot; but, the carrot seedlings were protected from the hot sun. I've been able to harvest carrots; but, they're not as big as the ones you have. I planted most of the seeds around the middle of May. The weather was still cool. There are still carrots to be harvested; but, I won't be able to leave them in the ground throughout the winter.
The city says we have to have everything out by the end of October. Now that I know that the city has given us a new spot to garden in, I might try that trick that you showed. I am going to try to get two beds side by side if possible. Either I can grow more stuff or not try to fit so much in such a limited space.
Very smart trick with the shade plants. I like it Donna!
Donna_G I'd be asking city if the soil was poisoned and where are the test to prove it. I'm a pain in the butt. Maybe they will allow you to fill few pots of soil from the new place so you can test it yourself. Plant seeds they way you should.
First time grower, great info
Thanks Larry, appreciate the suport!
I guess I should have guessed that you can replant the chopped carrot itself to produce seeds. I did this but I just replanted a few full sized carrots in containers outside the garden. The carrot itself is a root so of course it would grow back! Awesome
Thanks for the informative video. Going to try and save some carrot seeds
@@sharonweaver6785 no problem Sharon, best of luck! Dryness is the key.
Thanks!
Thanks so much Marcela!!! :-)
The carrot life cycle is very interesting love the stages
I totally agree Sylvia!
I mix my carrot seed w my lettuces here in socal. They grow and seed well together
Awesome! I'll have to try that!
Thank you. I learned so much about carrots today. Great video your garden is beautiful. New at growing different things my biggest problem is knowing when to harvest. Getting better though. Can't beat fresh that's for sure.
Every crop is a learning experience. You got this!
This was fascinating!
Thanks Vicky!
Got mine still in ground for seeds next year
Thanks
Right on John, best of luck! 🙂
Good info, I tried planting my old seed and nothing came up, well you just confirm they have a shelf life. Thanks.
Yeah, I've learned that the hard way too Sonnie!
Hi Jeff. I'm still learning. Today, for me, it's carrots. As a beginner, it's baby steps for me. My tomato plants are close to 3'. But nothings happing with them. Their just a branch with stems and leaves. I watch a lot of your tomato videos. But with my memory I have to watch again and sometimes again. Do you think their a lost case?
So now I'm off to see another carrot video. See ya there. Take care ❤
Good morning to you Jeff it didn’t rain here as they predicted 😔 hope your weather is not as blistering as ours in California zone 9 happy Sunday
Still super hot here Emy....and now we're covered in smoke and ash from the Washington state fires! :-(
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms same here Jeff we have fire just near by the old Walmart which was now a discount store burnt down and all the big ashes came to my lawn and yard good thing it didn’t get to my car 🥺🤦🏻♀️👩🌾😬🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
@@emylytle7149 oh wow Emy! That's a little scary!
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms its just less than 3 miles from where my house is so yes a little scary 🙏🏻👩🌾😔
Great vid
Thanks! 🙂
I have carrots seeding and I was wondering if I can pick them when they turn brown and you can see the little greens seeds and hang them to dry the rest of the way? Or do they have to turn brown on the plant? Thanks!
Hey Trish, the highest viability, like with any seed collecting, is to let the seed heads FULLY dry and cure on the plant. I'm sure you can pick green and get viable seeds.....but in terms of percent germination, it'll likely be lower.
Thanks Jeff! So many went to seed where last years carrots were that they’re taking up too much space. I didn’t know carrot seeds would grow 5 ft tall and take over! I’m pulling some out. Then I wont be so anxious to collect the seeds! Ha. Honestly, I don’t need 8 million carrot seeds. Live-n-learn is my. Moto… thanks again.
Thank you for this information🙏 Through my years of gardening every now and then I will have a carrot, onion, or perhaps a beet pop up in an area that I sowed a seed the previous year. If I let that particular plant grow would it produce seeds or would it be another year before doing that 🤷♀️
Thanks so much!
Cheers, thanks for watching! :-)
Could I seed some in a buckets for the purpose of saving seed the following year or would the carrots completely freeze and die by spring? I dont have enough garden space to grow for seed but I could do it in buckets for beets, carrots etc.
I live in the heart of Illinois. Last year I planted carrots in a bucket and they didn't do much so I let them alone. I noticed how well the greens looked all winter, and we had some very harsh cold! In the spring I could see the carrot root growing. The blooms were amazing, and I will be harvesting seeds this year. So I would say depending on where you live, go ahead and try planting in a bucket.
@@nikkiberkisczuk9152 i may just do this if it's not too late to sow. Thank you!
I've never let a carrot go to seed before now. How long does it take for the carrot to form seed heads? My weather got too hot for harvesting them so I left them to go to seed. That didn't happen, they all died except for 3. Now what do I do, silly question..... please advise. Thanks.
It takes until the following year. Its not 2 full years.....but its 2 "growing seasons".
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms ok thanks 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
@@shirleyk623 no problem.... When I want seeds, I plant carrots right before fall... Let them overwinter and the next summer they give me tons of flowers!
Wow that's awesome
Thanks Timothy! Hope the weekend was good.
I wonder if this cut off and store in the fridge method would work for beets? Gotta try it as my winters are quite harsh for a bienial to survive the following year
So I have 3/4 plants that went to seed from this years crop, will they be viable do you think? I will collect them and see I guess, it's a great experiment anyway it turns out. I'll know for sure then.
Oh yeah, if they flowered and produced actual seeds, they'll be viable. Take 10 or so and do the wet paper towel viability test to be sure! :-)
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Awesome, thanks so much. Happy harvest🤗
@@gwhln you too Gail!
i was wondering about storing the carrot tops saved for next year you keep in the fridge over the winter, do we just store the carrot tops in a bin or do they need water? Sorry if this is a stupid question
I keep an eye on them, but I've never had to add water directly.
Heya Jeff, can you companion plant carrots with corn?
I have a huge amount of Queene Anne's Lace on my property, would that be a cross pollination issue for carrot seed saving? It's technically a wild carrot too...right?
Yup, it totally would be. Made that mistake two seasons in a row before I figured out the plants were cross pollinating. :-(
hello nice video
Cheers, thanks for watching.
can you still eat the beets ,after collecting the seeds ?? or are the to old by then ?
Hello Jeff, I collected carrot seeds last year. I sewed them this year but didn't get anything but white stubs. Do you know what happened? No carrots for me this year.
Can you do saving corn seeds? I know its pretty obvious but I'm struggling to get anything past the grasshoppers.
Great idea Kerri!
How would you store those carrot tops in a fridge over winter without them rotting?
Never knew it's a beinial plant, no wonder I struggled getting its seeds 😅
I had a lot of carrots flower the first season. So are the seeds no good?
I didn't know this. I have some first-year carrots that I let go and they are flowering. But they won't produce seed?
They will/should. Sometimes they get tricked into "bolting".... The seed will still be viable.
@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Thanks so much! You're the best!
@@thatonegirl1837 thanks! Let me know how they do with germination!
Hi, I harvested carrot seeds last year and used them this year. I got white weedy ends, no carrots. The leafage and size were tremendous but just no carrots. What happened? Do you know?
So I'm southern Alberta, I can just leave my carrots in the ground?
Try a couple...you may have to mulch extra thick to protect them if its a particularly bad winter.
Tx
Cheers! 🙂
Can you get quality from one plant
Yes, although multiple flower heads is better
I planted carrots this year and have flowers… is that bad???
@@iLeah1 yeah, once they flower, no more carrot root..... They'll either stop producing it, or it'll become woody and bitter.
My carrots plant started seeding less than 4 months of planting them
Proverbs 11:24-25 KJV
24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
I planted carrot seeds this year that I bought from the store. They’ve gone to flower, this seems contrary to this and many videos.
@@jeffcobb8151 yes, it's contrary because mostly it never happens. Extreme stress can cause biennials to flower early however.
🥕👍
My carrots must have been tricked by the warm-cold-warm spring if this is accurate. In 5 months from planting they're flowering.
Nooooo! That happens.... Rare, but it does. Feels like a waste of time, sorry to hear that!
ours were as hard as wood
@@danielbrowniel too old or too long in the ground