Carrots are persnickety to germinate. They need to be direct sown into compost and kept consistently damp to sprout, sometimes taking three weeks for their first seed leaves to appear.
Eventually, they emerge as miniature green fronds, only an inch or so tall, standing in tight little rows.
Like most gardeners, I tend to sow carrot seeds too close together, partly to hedge against poor germination and partly to avoid waiting another three weeks to see gaps in the bed.
And then, every year, I have to thin them.
It hurts a little each time: pulling out perfectly healthy seedlings so the remaining carrots have enough space—about an inch apart—to grow properly.
I give myself a pep talk and brace myself. There simply isn’t enough space or light for all of them to mature if I don’t.
And again this year, I waited too long to thin the carrots.
What garden task do you put off even though you know it has to happen?
