Sowing Carrot and Lettuce Seeds the Easy Way with Cornstarch
I learned this neat trick on sowing carrot seeds a couple of years ago. I use it to grow a large harvest of tasty and crunchy carrots and tons of bulky lettuce. Now, I’ll be honest, I don’t always use this method because I sometimes try to rush sowing, but it really does make a difference in the germination rate in my experience. This method keeps your seeds just wet enough without becoming soggy but also prevents any drying out.
What You’ll Need:
- Small pot
- 2 Cups Water
- 1/4 Cup Cornstarch
- Spatula
- Plastic zip top bag or piping bag
- Carrot and Lettuce Seeds – see notes for my favorites
How to Sow Carrot and Lettuce Seeds:
Heat water on the stovetop over medium and slowly add cornstarch, stirring it in as you add
Bring to a slight simmer and constantly stir for about 5 minutes until you have a unified thick semi-translucent goop (think pudding consistency)
Remove from heat and cool slightly (you don’t want to melt your bag. Pour the thickened slurry into the plastic bag(s).
Dump the whole seed packet (or partial) straight into the mixture, close bag, and gently massage the seeds into the slurry so they are evenly distributed.
Prepare the sowing area by digging small trenches where you want to plant.
Sow the seeds by cutting the tip of bag and piping directly into trenches, (no spacing necessary, you can thin out seedlings as desired later). Cover the seeds lightly with soil and water lightly. Water regularly until they have germinated.
NOTES:
I’ve traditionally used cornstarch, but I think other thickening flours like arrowroot or tapioca might work similarly (I may have to give those a try myself and report back). I have also used this method for both spring and fall planting and it’s been successful each time. You no longer have to be afraid of sowing tiny seeds!
Sowing carrots and lettuce is for cooler weather, do not attempt this in July, those poor seeds won’t germinate with the heat.
This recipe is enough for about 2-4 packets of seeds, depending on how many come in a packet.
Some of my favorite varieties of carrots and lettuce come from Baker Creed Seeds or Botanical Interests. I always grab a new variety to try each year.
Take a look at some of our other Gardening tutorials, or our recommendation for growing Miniature Vegetables!
Try this Carrot Top Pesto.
Sowing Carrot and Lettuce Seeds with Cornstarch
This method keeps your seeds just wet enough without becoming soggy but also prevents any drying out.
Materials
- Small pot
- 2 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
- Spatula and/or Whisk
- Plastic zip-top bag or piping bag
- Carrot and Lettuce Seeds
Instructions
- Heat water on the stovetop over medium and slowly add cornstarch, stirring it in as you add
- Bring to a slight simmer and constantly stir for about 5 minutes until you have a unified thick semi-translucent goop (think pudding consistency)
- Remove from heat and cool slightly (you don’t want to melt your bag
- Pour the thickened slurry into the plastic bag(s)
- Dump the whole seed packet (or partial) straight into the mixture, close the bag, and gently massage the seeds into the slurry so they are evenly distributed
- Prepare the sowing area by digging small trenches where you want to plant
- Sow the seeds by cutting the tip of the bag and piping directly into trenches, (no spacing necessary, you can thin out seedlings as desired later)
- Cover the seeds lightly with soil and water lightly
- Water regularly until they have germinated
Notes
- I've traditionally used cornstarch, but I think other thickening flours like arrowroot or tapioca might work similarly (I may have to give those a try myself and report back). I have also used this method for both spring and fall planting and it's been successful each time. You no longer have to be afraid of sowing tiny seeds!
- Sowing carrots and lettuce is for cooler weather, do not attempt this in July, those poor seeds won't germinate with the heat.
- This recipe is enough for about 2-4 packets of seeds, depending on how many come in a packet.
- It can take up to 2-3 weeks for carrots to germinate, and lettuce 1-2 weeks.
This was such an interesting post! I have never heard of it! Brilliant! Pinning!
THATS a cool trick I can’t wait to try out this Fall!
Woah…this is so cool! I will have to try this the next time I sow. Thank you for the awesome tip.
Great information! Thanks for sharing! Very helpful!
Wow, I’ve never heard of sowing carrot (or lettuce) seeds this way! I’ll have to give it a try next year. 🙂
How cool! I’ve never heard of this method before, thanks for the tip!
I can’t wait for everyone to grow some tasty produce!
This is so cool! I love easy tricks like this.
I’ve never heard of it, but I’m interested. What improvements would I be looking for it to make tho?
It should help with germination rates, make planting tiny seeds easier to handle (rather than planting them one by one), and makes spacing simpler!