A gardener showed off her clever way to maximize the seeds your carrots produce in the future.
The scoop
TikToker Gardenerd (@gardenerd1) shared her clever way to get more seeds from carrots you've planted through an unexpected route: leaving them in the ground rather than pulling them to eat.
@gardenerd1 #Carrots #GardeningTips #SummerGarden #Homestead ♬ lucid echoes - choppy.wav
More specifically, she says you're supposed to leave them in the ground for around two years or long enough for them to send up flower stalks. Once they've flowered, you leave them to go to seed and turn brown, and then shake the flower and collect the seeds that come out.
"You will be able to grow carrots from your own seed year after year," she says.
How it's working
Growing your own food is a great way to save money and commit to a healthier lifestyle, but the benefits extend beyond the obvious ones.
According to a University of Colorado Boulder study, people who garden consume more fiber per day, are more physically active, and report lower anxiety and stress levels than those who don't.
On top of that, community gardening specifically can help you increase your feelings of well-being, as well as give you higher levels of self-optimism and resilience.
In this specific case, finding ways to create a bounty of seeds to use allows you to sacrifice a carrot or two per season to ensure you never have to pay for carrot seeds again. And because you will have grown them yourself, you'll know they are pesticide-free and healthy.
What people are saying
Commenters loved this idea and were shocked about how carrot seeds can be collected.
🗣️ What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home?
🔘 Not enough time ⏳
🔘 Not enough space 🤏
🔘 It seems too hard 😬
🔘 I have a garden already 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"This is amazing I never knew how you got carrot seeds this is interesting," one said.
"I grew up on a farm and never knew that carrots go to seed," another said. "Cool."
"If you cut the stock [sic] below the flower," another said, "It's its own flavor and cooks great and stews and soups and turkey."
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