You have decided on planting carrots in your garden this year. So, you open the package and find that is has a million little seeds inside it. You have tried sprinkling them from the packet or between your finger and thumb,but sometimes they come out in a big blob, or the wind carries them away. Here is a handy solution to getting them into the ground. Take a bowl, some cotton string as long as you want your row to be, and a bucket of water. If your rows are long, cut the string into smaller lengths so it will be easier to work with. Soak your string in the water. Pour your seeds into the dry bowl. Take your wet string and press some of the excess water out of it. Then take your string and press it into the carrot seeds. Take your string of carrot seeds and lay it on the ground where you want the row to be.

Add Radishes to Mark Your Row

Before you put some soil over the top, I usually like to plant my radish seeds in the same row to help mark the row. Now, cover them both together. Carefully water the row. Carrots take longer to germinate than radishes. Therefore, while you wait for the carrots to begin growing, your radishes will burst from the ground. The carrots will be small little plants when your radishes are ready to be pulled and eaten.

Next It Is Time to Thin

Your carrots are up and growing, but you need thin the row out. Consult the back of your package for the best time to do this and how big a space to leave between the plants.

Pest Control

As they grow, you will need to fertilize and watch them for pests. Carrot rust flies are one of the worst. Be on the look out for small black flies about 1/5 inch long with yellow hairs and yellow heads and legs. These flies love anything that is yellow-orange in color. You can buy yellow sticky traps at any garden supply center, or you can make your own. For this, you will need yellow paper, cardboard and petroleum jelly. First, glue the yellow paper to the cardboard. Put a hole through one end and tie a piece of string there. Next, spread a layer of petroleum jelly over the surface. Tie it to a stake or something in your carrot bed. Or you can cover your carrot bed with a cover. You can buy that in a store or use cheesecloth or even old curtains that you have grown tired of seeing in your windows. The other pest is the carrot weevil and they leave only the stems and the ribs of the leaves. There are commercial sprays that take care of them, but if you want an organic garden, spray the area with Peppermint Soap Spray. The recipe for this is to mix 2 tablespoons liquid dish soap and 1 gallon water together. Then add 2 teaspoons peppermint oil. Pour the solution into a mist sprayer and spray those weevils. This mixture works against most hard-bodied insects.