Holy smokes, my carrot seeds just emerged\u00a0faster than they ever have: nine days! Most sources say that carrots take between one and three weeks to germinate, and I’ve often found my carrot seeds emerging from the dirt more on the three-weeks end. Why so fast this time?<\/p>\n
I believe it was the soil temperature. As this page from Cornell<\/a> says, the ideal soil temperature for carrot germination is 75 degrees. While I haven’t measured the temperature of my soil, I can see that the temperature of the soil at a nearby CIMIS station averaged 76 degrees in September and 69 degrees in October, likely putting the soil temperature when I sowed my carrots on October 19th close to\u00a0that ideal of 75 degrees.<\/p>\n What does this mean? Optimal carrot-sowing season is mid-September through mid-October — for my yard, and probably throughout Southern California. That’s when the soil temperature is likely\u00a0near\u00a075 degrees. (See the CIMIS site location map for a station near you.)<\/a><\/p>\n Carrots will certainly germinate in soil with temperatures above and below 75 degrees but more slowly. The most discouraging thing about growing carrots for me has always been that I have a hard time remembering to keep the seed bed moist for a whole 21 days. Staying on top of watering for only a week? I can manage that.<\/p>\n Cornell also says that carrot roots develop their best quality when they grow in soil with a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees. That’s what mine\u00a0will be growing in through November here.<\/p>\n The point is, sow carrots today! It’s not too late, as the soil temperature is still pretty warm. Or, put it on the calendar to sow carrots between mid-September and mid-October, 2017. I just did.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You might also like to read my post:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Growing carrots in Southern California<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n