Carrot Flower

For some strange reason one Carrot decided to bolt and flower. It is still growing season for Carrots, which means it should not flower; however, I suspect it was under distress due to lack of watering. But, I'm not complaining, because a single Carrot typically produces between 3,000 to 9,000 seeds; however, it has the potential to produce tens of thousands. One Carrot will produce between 10-15 stems and each stem can produce 10-15 Umbels or bushy flowers. Above is a picture of just one Umbel. Each Umbel can contain between 30-50 flower clusters and each flower cluster contains between 10-12 flowers, which turn into seed. So one blooming Carrot can produce more seed than one could probably use in a life time.

Let the Umbel try completely on the plant. Once dry, remove each Umbel from the stem and remove the seeds. Rub the seeds between your hands to remove any chaff. Separate the chaff from the seeds by dropping the seeds and gently blowing the chaff away. Remove any twigs and store the seeds for future planting.