by Jennifer Poindexter
Have you ever tried intermixing seeds at the time of planting? Some gardeners prefer to keep their crops separate while others prefer companion planting.
Yet, intermixing seeds is a unique approach when considering companion planting. I’m going to share a tip involving this which you may not have considered.
When you think of companion planting it’s often to fit more plants in a smaller growing space or to deter pests.
In this case, it should reduce the amount of labor for you while ensuring each plant has the adequate space it needs.
Here’s my quick tip for mixing carrot and radish seeds when planting:
Quick Tip: Mix Carrot and Radish Seeds When Planting
You don’t often hear people encouraging you to plant different root crops amongst each other. The reason being is different sizes of root vegetables could easily cause some issues.
However, carrots and radishes shouldn’t compete in the same space. The carrots grow deeper while the radishes grow wider.
At the time of planting, ensure you’re growing your crops in a cooler area which receives full to partial sunlight.
The soil should be nutritious, well-aerated, and drain adequately. From there, till the soil, so it’s ready to receive seed.
Once ready, the first option is mixing radish and carrot seeds in your hand. Carrot seeds are smaller, so you’ll have to pay attention as you plant to ensure you get the spacing you desire.
The other option begins with creating a trench for the seeds. Lightly sprinkle carrot seeds in the row. Then strategically place radish seeds amongst the carrot seeds.
This may help achieve the desired spacing and make the process a little easier.
The idea is to plant carrots with radishes. Radishes are ready to harvest in approximately one to two months.
This correlates with the time carrots should be thinned as you should wait until the carrots are approximately four-inches tall.
As you harvest the radishes, it should naturally thin the carrots, and ensure they have the appropriate amount of space to reach maturity.
When I grow carrots, I struggle with thinning them. With this tip, it makes life a little easier as the process occurs on its own while harvesting your radishes.
Also, don’t let the thinned carrots go to waste. Instead, if you have chickens, provide them with a snack or use the tiny carrots in a soup for yourself. This quick tip should allow you to easily thin your carrots and enjoy a beautiful harvest of radishes simultaneously.
More About Growing Carrots and Radishes
https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2021/08/18/thinning-carrots-for-the-greater-good/
https://extension.sdstate.edu/carrots-how-grow-it
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-radishes
The post Mix Carrot and Radish Seeds When Planting – Here’s Why appeared first on Gardening Channel.