How to Save Carrot Seed [NEVER Buy Seeds Again] Plant, Harvest & Collect Heirloom Carrot Seed

Learn how to save heirloom carrot seed. Seed saving is relatively easy if you know a few important tips, if the plant is self-pollinating or cross-pollinating. Carrots will cross-pollinate so I share tips on how to avoid this, what to watch out for and how to get your carrots flower.
Carrots are a biennial, meaning they don't produce flowers (or seed) until their second year of growth. I share our carrot planting schedule for seed carrots, how to harvest and collect carrot seeds, and our favorite heirloom carrot seed variety!
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How to Save Carrot Seed [NEVER Buy Seeds Again] Plant, Harvest & Collect Heirloom Carrot Seed • How to Save Carrot See...

[@MelissaKNorris]

Let me know if you seed save or need more help and get on the waitlist NOW for the FREE Organic Gardening Workshop premiering October 2nd (but dude, those who are registered early are going to get some sweet bonus goodies, so go here now) organicgardeningworkshop.com/

[@crespoopserc]

Melissa K. Norris - Modern Homesteading done! 🥕 thanks for the info. Learned something new today

[@maryjokoltuniuk3955]

I had allowed my carrots to stay in the garden quite by accident for a second year. I stumbled upon this video last summer and I decided to try saving the seeds. Well, it was great! I planted a small square of carrots this year, but it turned out that we had lots of volunteers come up in the garden. The carrots are beautiful and taste great! Woohoo! I have thousands of seeds collected.

[@Biophile23]

Good information. As a botanist I'll offer one point if clarification, which Ive just learned about myself after starting to save my own vegetable seeds. And that is even crops that are "self pollinated" are not fully self pollinated. If you grow two varieties of tomatoes next to each other, for example, there is a rate of cross pollination. Even Beans that are supposed to be super self pollinated can still cross at a low rate. So you still have to watch your plants for off types. And if you're saving for commercial seed production you should really isolate the plants. :) Otherwise great points on biennial plants! :)

[@d.w.stratton4078]

I love how articulate and well-informed you are. You are very easy to understand and clearly have a lot of practical experience gardening. We are starting a homestead ourselves and are putting in hügelkultur and Back to Eden plots this fall so they are nice and rotted come spring.

[@kenwolf6293]

You have a family of four yet live in the biggest garden I've ever seen..we just dont have the land you people in the States and Canada have..compared to you mine is a window box..how can one small family have so much land..blown away I am totally blown away and someone said I like your garden..it's not a garden its a massive field..but ty great vid

[@robertadunaway7030]

I added a carrot top that I had put in a jar of water until it had roots then planted it in the garden to get the seeds from it this fall. I'm excited as I have 2 nice blossoms on it.

[@elijahiii2240]

So glad you mentioned about the special machines that take the hairs off them. I was trying to break them open to find the seed within it.

[@juliaryan1410]

ah, I always wondered why my seed-saved carrots seeds were hairy and the ones from the seed companies weren't. Thank you for being ultra detailed in your teachings.

[@booswalia]

Danver Half Longs are my favorite too.

[@vivianvazquez9911]

Awesome. Would love to have more information.

[@marie-michelenadon7806]

Hi, this is a really helpful guide , I learned something new , you are very thorough with this guide and I really appreciate the time you took for all of us to explain all of that , thank you :) Also, I love your channel , I don't have a garden yet because of where I live but you definitely inspire me to have a homestead like yours. I love to not have to rely on markets to have food and have it just right out your door it's amazing.

[@amnewt1640]

I would love to see seed saving for other plants too! I will save carrot seeds this next season!!

[@mrs.bizzybee4437]

This is only my second year of gardening and this was the perfect video for my first year at saving seeds

[@jeromejanisch6141]

you are so complete and keep me entertained, such great knowledge cant be learn in a season, thank you so much, first garden in a long time (i garden on and off, depending on circumstances... 1st garden of my own?? 78', i remember getting 2 watermelons, big as a softball, ok you got me, the other was a baseball size) anyway gf asked me to grow carrots now!!!! i said i dont know if it can grow this late, zone 10a... well im finding this to be a pretty good zone and you told me everything i need to know, thank you so much!!!

[@roannegrasso6035]

Excellent advice thank you so much!

[@terrycarefoot4038]

This is good Info. I have never saved seed.

[@rachealrumbo4441]

I’m so glad I found your channel

[@organiccleanfoodconnection]

I will find out this year my purple carrot seeds are going to grow or not I needed your video year ago :-) thank you awesome video. need to clone you

[@cassidystraub4509]

Great information mine are flowering I’m so excited

[@AM-hh2kg]

I'd love to know more about seed saving for all of the basic garden veggies

[@ElinWinblad]

My carrots overwintered zone 5 got down to negative 24 at one point in temperature. Getting seeds this year 😃

[@mikefinley4367]

We only had canned veges as kids and I hated them but visiting weekends at grandma's apt near the Seattle Pike Place Market ... I devoured fresh steamed broccoli causing her to laugh hysterically. Fresh, is so good!

[@Susied74able]

Hello from Tacoma! I love watching your videos.. You do such a great job! Thank you for all your hard work!! I can't wait to see a video on squash cross pollination etc.. Thank you so much for what you do Melissa💖 Can't wait to see you next week! ..... Susie

[@saralindeman3738]

I love your videos, they have been helpful to me as a beginning gardener. It would be great to see a video on how you store carrots long term. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@mandythislovelypath3740]

They are so pretty. I have a bunch on their second year to seed save :)

[@bobbytrotter11]

Thanks Melissa. Just found you and bought your book Made from scratch life and started checking out your website and you tube videos about a week ago. We've been growing lots of different vegetables and fruits in our gardens for over 60 years, but I never got into seed saving. Bought a book on Amazon last summer and am going to try it this year. I saw your pin of the Free Organic Gardening Workshop and I was wondering when it was going to be offered again. Thanks again.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Thank you so much for getting the book. Hope you enjoy it, we're planning to do the Organic Gardening Workshop again this spring in March 😊

[@bobbytrotter11]

@@MelissaKNorris Thanks. I'll keep an eye open for it. Learning a lot from your videos and am trying lots of new things. I don't know about every old dog, but this one is sure learning new tricks, lol. BTW just got your book in the mail today although I've gone through about 120 pages on the digital download already and have seen quite a few recipes to try. Love your videos and blogs and keep up the great work. Bless you.

[@Richardofdanbury]

Does this info also apply to parsnips which are in the carrot family? I assume so, which means we can use the same seed saver method to put back parsnip seed.

[@dotcomhomestead]

Good content Melissa, trying to grow a crop I grew up with. Hubbard squash from northern midwest growing up. not much luck so far this first year, but at least trying here in the northwest. not giving up!

[@dragoncarver287]

have saved seed from purple pod bush beans, bush wax beans and green pole beans, fava beans, leeks, green onions, working on Daikon radish. I have in the past saved sugar snap peas and spinach. Just wondered the other day about Brussels sprouts and what that plant must look like in full bloom. I might plant one just for that purpose one day =) The little "hairs" are to help spread the seed by sticking to feathers, hair or clothing.

[@carolschedler3832]

❤️🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕❤️. Thanks for the detail. Just when I thought of a question, you answered it! Thank you! Would love to see the carrots you grow out from these seeds! Happy gardening! 🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕. Just subscribed! And thanks for the zone growing guide! Can’t wait to check it out! ❤️

[@kittydoggy2803]

Smart lady 👩.

[@rainspringing]

Zone 8, and not enough room to just leave anything in the well sifted soil which I grow carrots in. The carrots I plant in early January, for seed, are the ones that were harvested in May and still look the very best in the fridge. We continue eating the lesser carrots. (It's all one variety per year, the ones that did the best here during initial years of trials.) The seed carrots can be planted anywhere, because rocks and bits of hard things won't effect the carrots anymore. Do something similar with onions, just slightly different harvest and re-planting times. (The onions also have a yearly schedule of who's turn it is to produce seed. Makes it easier to have just one variety blooming.) I was curious to see a video of someone growing carrots for seed, information was very hard to find before when I started. So thank you for making such a clear visual!

[@sherimatukonis6016]

I have a few carrots throwing flowers first year... Some of the colored ones.

[@CherylAnderson327]

Thank you for the info.

[@robertwright6146]

Well done Melissa! But I need a little more advice on bagging the blossoms as I have experienced cross pollination with Queen Ann's Lace! When to bag, what type of bag! Can you help an old man????

[@antondahl8945]

Such a wholesome beauty...distracted lol! But outstanding information as well. Thanks!

[@MissTrixie29]

Thank you!

[@moneymikegotuvideos312]

Love this so much

[@beerbuzz62]

Melissa your channel is awesome and amazing info.Thank You

[@PeterSedesse]

great video. One small tip you didn't mention. You can grow carrots as normal, harvest them like normal, and then find the biggest ones and move them to a different area and let them overwinter and seed save the next year. Most seeds you originally buy will be harvested in a very different microclimate and in different soil.. so if you selectively seed-save from the ones that did best in your microclimate and soil, you will gradually shift the genetics in favor of where you are. Carrots are tough, there really isn't much of a reason to plant them in a special spot the first year, you can harvest them from your main crop and then just replant them.

[@dustyflats3832]

Because the carrot is biannual there would be no reason to separate the one chosen heirloom variety you want to save--right? And couldn't I just mulch them in zone 5 and let them grow in the spring?

[@PeterSedesse]

@@dustyflats3832 yeah, you don't have to move them. I just did because I didn't want a few random carrots in my main production beds the second year.

[@alexanderleahy2097]

How does one keep carrots and other crops alive through the winter so that you have em for two years? Especially in rougher climates like a Virginia winter?

[@GardenCrawler]

​@Alexander Leahy I live In Colorado and my carrots do fine though our rough winters. Come early summer they're producing flowers 🙂

[@PeterSedesse]

@@alexanderleahy2097 The entire reason they produce a carrot is so they can overwinter

[@randomsaltyperson1148]

Great lesson! 👍 thank you!

[@shermdog6969]

I always have seeds that are off the first year. I plant in may and by October i always have some that flower. I never go to the second year.

[@bunchesofbeautiful]

Thank you for the beautiful video and great information! I was curious do you have to let your carrots seed every year? Or just when your starting to get low on seed? Do the seeds last a few years if properly saved or just until the next planting?

[@MelissaKNorris]

Hey @Kassandra Batchelor the seeds will be viable for 3 years, each year going down in germination rate (less seeds sprout of the ones planted). So no, you don't have to do it every year, every other would be fine for seed.

[@davidquiver9390]

Thank you 🙏🏽

[@PlowAndPantryHomestead]

Great information! I have a totally off-topic question. That shirt and jeans...where did you get them? Brand? Love the outfit. 😂😳

[@MelissaKNorris]

Hey @AllThingsAlicia the shirt I actually got off of Amazon several years ago, here's the affiliate link amzn.to/2YRVwme the jeans I got given to me from my sister-in-law but they're Silver's. 😊

[@bluewaterfarm1921]

Great info - many thanks!

[@midsouthhomestead9180]

I just threw carrot seeds in the garbage. I forgot that I planted some and I thought they were an invasive weed. Thanks for sharing your information. I will be digging seeds out of the garbage. Lol RHONDA

[@charliegirl2u]

Can you eat the wild carrots from the Queen Anne’s lace?

[@ivories88wi]

You did a thorough job explaining zones 6-9. You stated planting carrot seeds 4 weeks before your first hard frost. I live in zone 3. Is this practice the same for me. For storing over the winter, would a refrigerator crisper work?

[@poonamsubhashjaiswal146]

Thank you so much Dear Norris for this valuable information. Can you please guide me should I have to store my carrot seeds in freezer or I can store them at room temperature also?

[@MyQuaintCottage]

Great tips 🤗

[@bjohnston3659]

I'm sure you covered it and I just missed it, but how did you stop the carrot from being cross pollinated? I'm on a farm with wilderness around me. There is always Queen Anne's Lace around, and it's pretty much always in bloom

[@vickimccurdy2749]

How do you store the seeds and how long will they last?

[@MelissaKNorris]

I put them in a glass mason jar with lid or an envelope in a cool dark area. Carrot seed is usually 3 years.

[@Nathouuuutheone]

How does the hybrid revert back? It knows how to unmix its genes?

[@Stevenglenjackson]

Thank you for the video 😊. My first year heirloom crop produced flowers that look like they developed into seed. Is that possible? Should I let them winter over?

[@paladinsmith7050]

Has anyone ever tried to make a hybrid from a wild carrot and a carrot they've grown from seed to see what happens? .. I'm guessing it would take a couple of years to get a new breed established but im guessing the new carrot you grow would have some really strong pest resistance.

[@ananda_miaoyin]

Great stuff. I have some really sweet carrots that I have elected to winter over. You got some smoke out there, are you in Cali?

[@MFV77]

The carrot greens in my greenhouse are about 16 inches tall, but the shoulders of the carrots aren’t above the soil yet. Further, the carrot greens are going to seed. What should I do.?

[@MelissaKNorris]

They're not going to develop the root anymore if they've gone to seed.

[@godswyggasu986]

My 🥕 carrot start producing flower When it is six month old can I save the seed

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

Cool shirt!

[@renatehaeckler9843]

My tomatoes absolutely cross pollinate. I save seeds, as long as they taste good I don't care, but I never know when I plant a seed what the tomato will be, even tho I label what I saved the seeds from. An especially good cross is black tommy toes crossed with the fuzzy peach tomatoes, they're beautiful and flavorful. My beans also cross pollinate, I think there's a number of feet you're supposed to keep them apart to save seeds and get reliable results. Also it's a good idea with carrots to let them grow to the size you'd harvest, pull them, taste them (from the bottom end) and make sure they have good flavor before saving their seeds. That's what the pros do. They can be replanted after a few hours to dry off the cut end or you can store them all winter, taste and replant in the spring.

[@stevengonzalez27]

I think maybe you might be able to use those beautyful flowers as food. I know you can do it with the onion flower heads. Look for some recipes. Fried in batter. Like pancake batter. Question, how about poison hemlock ???.... I am seriously worried wether it could mix with a carrot plant, like crosspolinate. If there is any around, and I don't know.

[@MelissaKNorris]

I've never seen mention in any of my books of it crossing with hemlock, only wild carrot (Queen Anne's Lace)

[@Franie52]

Will the class help if I live in a tropical island?

[@dondale68]

Question for ya. When a carrot is in the spring of its 2nd year, as it's going to seed, wouldn't it be advantageous to give it some more nitrogen, maybe a chicken or cow poop tea?

[@dustyflats3832]

So I don't need to separate my open pollinated/heirloom tomatoes? If you want to save seed from squash how far apart should you plant? For carrots, couldn't you just mulch them and leave them grow in the spring? Zone 5a. I suppose if you want to save room figure out which variety you really like to regularly save seed without distancing. Or save every other year and on off years try new varieties.

[@kingscairn]

2 ft apart 3 ft rows

[@phyllislucia]

I saved carrot seeds one year and planted the nest year, but they did not germinate, despite adequate water, etc.

[@jamesmcdonald6162]

How do you tell the difference between 2nd year carrots and queenann's lace. I have some carrot volunteers that I hope are small carrots that I missed harvesting last year. I would hate to plant a bunch of queenann's lace.

[@victoriajankowski1197]

I have a bed of carrots we planted this last spring that totally failed to develop, could I just leave them over the winter and get seeds from them next spring? They're failure was totally our fault, the soil was just to compacted for anything to happen.

[@MelissaKNorris]

I'd totally leave them and see if they blossom for you next spring.

[@cjcampo620]

One year I planted a Burpee hybrid variety called "Yaya" carrots. They grew very nicely and tasted great. They were about 4 or 5 inches long. Would I be able to seed save these or do you think they would turn out differently from the Burpee seeds? Thanks for the great videos.

[@MelissaKNorris]

They'll revert back to one of the parent varieties, so it depends on if you'll like that variety or not

[@shian228]

I've only got a white paper bag?

[@americaneden3090]

Is Queen Anne's Lace also referred to as wild carrot? Is the carrot seed going to produce an edible vegetable if it crossed w Queen Anne's Lace?

[@joeboyle8744]

Hello, I am wanted to save my own seeds too but am curious about how it will effect my planting schedule. When you let your first year carrots overwinter when do they start to go to seed the next year? I was unsure if it would take too long for them to go to seed and interfere with sowing the current years crop in the row where the carrots are. Can you give me some advice and maybe tell me how you manage? Thank You! I sow corn after my brassicas (biennials) but the corn is planted way before I normally plant my brassicas.

[@vilmashaw4227]

How long does carrot seeds last?

[@duncanokongo9145]

I need heirloom carrot seeds

[@cymotsumy726]

Hi please help i'm starting seed saving

[@malyndaallen7059]

When you have your seeds and they are ready for storage do you vaccine seal them in the Mason jars or just store them with a tight lid?

[@MelissaKNorris]

I don't vacuum seal mine, I just put them in the Mason jar or an envelope.

[@taylorshomestead3934]

Hi, I planted my carrots in august and they did great, left 1/4th of them to go to seed. I used a row cover when it got below 30, but it snowed and covered them and the row cover for 5 days and now the leaves are now half brown. Will they flower you think or should I just toss? Appreciate your advise, can’t find any info, thanks!

[@MelissaKNorris]

They'll start growing again just leave them

[@kskorner74]

Do you remove the chaf

[@CowbellFarm]

My carrots went to flower this first year is that normal?

[@VagabondAnne]

Even with beans, tomatoes, etc, if you have a healthy, lively pollinator population, they will indeed cross. Organic gardeners with lively pollinators should expect crossing. Just because something is "self-pollinating" doesn't mean that Ma Nature won't employ her sweet little bees to accomplish Her grand Experiments.

[@MelissaKNorris]

The crossing on self-pollinating is usually very minimal, my family has been growing two strains of our beans for over 100 years and occasionally will see a small amount of crossing but only in a few plants.

[@owl6365]

I planted an heirloom variety of carrot this past spring and they are blooming now, in August. Are the carrots still edible after blooming and are the blooms not going to produce seeds?

[@MelissaKNorris]

Sometimes conditions are right they'll produce blooms in the same season, but they're edible, but if they put energy into blooms the carrot root isn't going to be very big and any bloom if left to mature will produce seeds.

[@owl6365]

Melissa K. Norris - Modern Homesteading Awesome! Thanks for a terrific video and your comment too!

[@kathyharbert9143]

will vacuum sealing and/or refrigeration help preserve the dried seeds? (you mentioned mason jars, and vacuum sealers have accessories for jars)

[@MelissaKNorris]

For lettuce refrigeration can help but honestly, if your seeds are dry enough, they're just fine on the shelf.

[@mattingly1217]

Very interesting.... when I first saw them I thought it was dill.... but then I was trying to listen to you but your like really pretty n stuff .... so I was having a hard time comprehending what you were saying.... I'm still trying to get over it lol .... o lord

[@mattingly1217]

And of course I subscribed lol

[@gailginn8746]

I have a heirloom beet (I know they are a biennial) that has gone to seed it's first year (bolted because of the heat) and was wondering if I could save the seeds for next year's planting. One site said they could not be used. I was looking for a second opinion. What do you suggest?

[@sarahlarson7797]

What is an open pollinated seed?

[@daniellehaggard7401]

Carrot seeds are meant to stick to animals and drop off as the animals travel to propagate in the wild. That's why they are hairy.

[@happyautumn3938]

only one saved carrots came back

[@labrysfarm]

Wonderful video - you look exhausted

[@cassidystraub4509]

Great information mine are flowering I’m so excited