Carrot Transplant Experiment

So, yesterday evening I noticed I had several squares of carrots that needed thinning.  I waited a bit too long and some of the doubles/triples looked too big and nice just to pinch off...so i decided to ease them out of the mel's mix, create new holes with a newly sharpened pencil, and insert the seedlings into their new spots.

I watered in hoping the mel's mix would somewhat settle around the tap root (most were really thin and in the 4-6" long range.

I took some pics this evening and it looks to be a 50/50 success at this point...although some of the wilted ones could recover with new shoots in the future...not sure. 

Below, squares of transplanted carrot seedlings...some wilted, but some droopy with signs of green.

Some of the more successful transplants...I think on these I tamped the soil around the root a little with my fingers.


Here are some more pics of SFG boxes and other gardening efforts in my front yard (as opposed to my community garden plot).

View down the line of boxes...foreground is onions, Napa cabbage, and Sugar Ann peas.  One can see hail damage on the cabbage leaves.

My last box with Romanesco broccoli, Michilli Chinese cabbage, Kale, Sugar Ann peas.

deep box with Tendersweet carrots...the first two squares are transplants from small soil blocks in March.

My cattle mineral tub system...Sugar Ann peas around the edge...asparagus coming up from below.  I have two like this.  Other tubs get peppers, Health Kick tomatoes, and Eggplant.  I planted about 20 peppers this evening hoping storms for the weekend are not severe.

Interesting experiment with the carrots. I wonder if a little root stimulator might have helped them a little. It'll be interesting to see how they are a few more days from now, the droopy ones may recover and take hold. I had one I had started indoors, and when I transplanted it, the root ball disintegrated. I thought I had killed it for sure, but I went ahead and dropped it into the hole, anyway, and give it a chance to live if it was going to. After a day, I was pretty sure it wasn't going to make it, but the next day, it perked up. May have just needed a little time to adapt to the new situation.

Going by memory (if it is working properly) you should be ok transplanting them.  They may end up a little bent or crooked, but in my opinion, that would be ok.  We had one member here years ago that would slightly twist her carrots when transplanting to have something fun to look at for her and her kids.  Let us know how it went, with pictures.

Because I am an impatient sower of seeds I generally just broadcast seed and thin the seedlings as necessary. I've had great success transplanting small carrot seedlings. Just be careful to not damage the taproot when lifting the seedlings and you will have a great crop from transplants.

I, too, am impatient. And increasingly annoyed! My Wild Carrot Dara from Bakers has not germinated very well. So, I took one little tiny seedling where I had 2 in one square, and gently yanked it up and stuck it into a hole I pre drilled.".

Hope the little guy takes hold!