How to sow carrot seeds with kids

Today we are going to share our simple steps on how to sow carrot seeds in containers with the kids. Growing carrots in containers is one of our family favourite gardening acitivities to do with the kids. Home grown carrots are tasty, colourful and sometimes funny shaped and the charm is, you never quite know what’s going to be pulled up.

First, let us try and answer any questions you might have about sowing and growing carrots in containers.

Will carrots grow in containers?

Yes! One of the advantages of growing carrots in containers is that you have more control of the growing environment.

Carrots like to grow in a nice, soft, stone free soil. It is much easier and quicker to fill a container with soft compost than it is to prep the ground for carrots to grow in.

When can I sow carrot seeds?

• You can sow carrot seeds anytime between April and July.
• Carrots can be sown directly into your containers which is great when gardening with kids because it means there is no fussing about with transferring seedlings.

What size container is best for growing carrots?

Carrots are a root vegetable and grow best in pots/containers that are deep with plenty of drainage.

Choose a container that:

• has a minimum depth of 40cm, to allow adequate room for the roots to grow.
• has plenty of drainage holes.

Any tips on sowing carrot seeds with kids?

Buy plenty of seed! Carrot seeds are tiny and when the time comes for little gardeners to sprinkle the seeds into the furrows it’s pretty much a given that there will be a few seeds ending up in places that they shouldn’t be.

We always buy our seeds from premier seeds direct. They sell quality seeds at a very reasonable price and they give you a sufficient amount of seeds. We got 1400 carrot seeds for just 99p! Which means we have plenty spare if mistakes are made.

We’re not affiliated with the company but we just wanted to share with you what works well for us.

What compost is best for growing carrots in?

Carrots like a soft, free draining compost to grow in and an all purpose compost will be fine.

IMPORTANT: Cheap composts are often bulked out with woodchippings. This is not good for growing carrots in. If you can try and buy the highest quality all purpose compost that your budget allows.

Step by step guide: How To Sow Carrot Seeds With Kids – Gardening Ideas For Kids

What you will need:

• A sunny spot in the garden, patio or windowsil
• A container with a minimum depth of 40cm and drainage holes
• Carrot seeds ( We use ‘CARROT FLYAWAY’ from premier seeds direct)
• Compost
• Stick or some other tool to make straight rows (furrows)
• Watering can

Step 1 – Pick a sunny spot for your container

• Find a sunny spot for your container.

Step 2: Fill your container with compost

• Fill your container all the way up with compost.
• The compost will naturally settle down about 1-2cm after some time. This is good, so don’t worry about topping it up.

IMPORTANT: As you are filling up the container do not pat down or compact the compost. The compost needs to be soft and loose to allow the tiny roots of the carrot seed to penetrate it.

Step 3: Water the compost

• Water the compost before sowing the carrot seed.

Carrot seeds are very tiny and they can be easily moved or washed away by a heavy watering. It may seem weird to water the compost first but we find this the best method when gardening with kids.

Step 4: Make furrows in the compost

Grab a stick, piece of wood etc and make straight lines (furrows).

They need to be:

• Roughly 1cm wide
• Twice the depth of a carrot seed.
• About 10- 15cm away from the edges of the container

Step 5: Sow your carrot seed

• Sprinkle your seeds into the furrows .

Don’t worry about trying to evenly space your carrot seeds! It is much easier to thin carrots out in stages throughout the growing season.

Step 6: Pinch over the compost

• Gently pinch over the compost to lightly cover the seed.
• If you wish to you can give them a very light watering.

That’s it for now! In about two weeks time you should start to see some little seedlings appear.

How often should I water carrot seedlings?

Whilst seedlings get established it is important to water little and often.

We give our seedlings a light watering every day unless it has rained.

We hope you have enjoyed this post. If you have any questions about how to sow and grow carrots in containers please feel free to get in touch!

Fancy growing some other easy veggies with the kids. How about planting seed potatoes in bags. To find out how read our post Growing Potatoes In Bags.