How to Save Carrot Seeds

Saving the seeds from carrot plants takes a lot of patience, not because harvesting the seeds is a complicated process, but because carrots are biennial plants, and take two years to flower and produce seeds. But once the carrot plant finally flowers, the process of collecting seeds is relatively simple and can produce rewarding yields. And by following a few simple guidelines, the process of saving carrot seeds can be even simpler and more effective.

Pruning shears
Sealable glass jar

Instructions

- 1
  Allow the carrot plants to flower; the plants will produce carrots in the first year, but it'll take two years before the carrot plant begins to produce flowers. Once the carrot's flowers begin to brown and dry out, the seeds will be ready to harvest.
- 2
  Cut off the brown umbels---the cluster of flowers on a single stalk---using a pair of pruning shears. Harvesting the upper carrot umbels will yield you the best seeds. If you'll be selecting umbels from a large amount of carrot plants, saving the upper umbels should be your priority.
- 3
  Don't rely solely on the umbels of one plant for seeds; you'll want to collect seeds from multiple plants of the same carrot species. Carrots are "out-breeding" plants, and inbreeding between crops from the same parent plant can lead to "inbreeding depression,"resulting in a poor harvest.
- 4
  Remove the seed heads from the umbels, and then rub them between your hands onto a countertop. Separate as much of the chaff from the carrot seeds as possible, and then place the seeds into a glass jar. Removing the "bearded" portion of the carrot seed, as you may find in commercially packaged seeds, is optional and doesn't affect the seed.
- 5
  Seal the glass jar, and then store it in a cool dry place until you are ready to sow the seeds.

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