Carrots

[jal_ut]

Just getting my carrots dug.

[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/carrots_09_2.jpg[/img]

[gixxerific]

I don't know what is more beautiful the carrot crop or the backdrop behind you.

By the way I put those on my list. For those wondering I have read that they do well in bad soil, meaning clay since they don't get very long.

Do you ever overwinter carrots? If so how does that fare, I have some planted in the ground to see what happens along with onions. I'm even gonna plant some of my spring potatoes and see how that goes.

[Diane]

I was thinking the same thing. Nice harvest, beautiful scenery.
Those carrots look very large.

[jal_ut]

I have overwintered carrots by first throwing some soil on them, then covering them with straw. If it snows before we get zero degree weather, they will not freeze. They can then be dug in the spring, or let grow for seed. If they freeze you will lose them.

I will put some of these in a pit, and some in the fridge, then pass some around. It is more than I need. I find a pit to be more to my liking than covering the row. They are fine in a pit even if we don't have a blanket of snow when it gets cold.

[garden5]

Nice harvest!

I planted Danver's half-long this year. I chose this variety because they were going into first-year soil that did not have any organic matter, so I felt shorter was better.

They did not do well at all. Don't get me wrong, I ate them and a few of them were nice size. For the most part, however, they were very small, crooked, and some had two or three tips.

Any ideas why this happened? My guess is possible under-thinning. Although, lack of nutrients and too hard ground seem plausible too.

Thanks for any help.

[rainbowgardener]

All of what you said, under-thinning, but especially the hard soil. Carrots really like their soil nice and soft and loose all the way down. For clay soil (along with working on amending it), you can grow the shorter varieties, either the half-long or even better the little round Thumbelina & Chantenay types, which also mature faster than long ones.

Incidentally did you know that carrots originated in Afghanistan where they were grown not for their roots (in pre-hybridization days, much smaller, woodier, less sweet), but their aromatic leaves and seeds, like their relatives parsley, dill, fennel.

Congratulations jal_ut, as people have said, beautiful harvest, beautiful location... you could make a postcard of that picture!

[gixxerific]

jal_ut I think you misunderstood me, I meant planting in the fall and overwintering into a spring harvest.

garden5The biggest enemy of carrots is hard soil and rocks. That is why they are crooked and mishapen. They need VERY lose soil to grow good. Trust me Ive been down that road a time or 200. This year I dug deep, 10 inches or so and fill the trench with LOOSE soil than planted. I'm hoping for a better crop for once. Live and learn.

[jal_ut]

[quote="gixxerific"]jal_ut I think you misunderstood me, I meant planting in the fall and overwintering into a spring harvest.

I have never tried that one. Really not much use planting anything here in the fall except garlic. We get frost somewhere near mid September, and it can start snowing anytime. Our winters get cold enough that carrots would have to be covered up pretty well to survive. I just put some carrots in a pit and dig them in the spring.

Yes, hard soil and rocks cause mis-shapen carrots. I also think that wet/dry cycles may make the side apendages happen. You can get some funny shapes at times. Keep them damp.

[hendi_alex]

Carrots are a bienniel, when planted in the fall, the next year mine always got a very tough, woody core.

[jal_ut]

[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/slateslide09.jpg[/img]

[gixxerific]

Show off

[jal_ut]

Carrots are a bienniel, when planted in the fall, the next year mine always got a very tough, woody core.

Right on. They will bolt, bloom and bear seed. The root becomes tough.

[NatGreeneVeg]

Gorgeous carrots. What variety are they?

I suggest planting carrots in July for a winter harvest. The best time to harvest carrots is in the winter, because the starches turn to sugars and you'll have the best tasting carrot you've ever had. Harvest some from the snow! Mulch with straw when it gets to freezing temps or use a cold frame or low tunnel.

They're delicious!

[jal_ut]

The variety is Royal Chantenay.

[builder0101]

I till in coarse sand, peat, and composted wood chips (lots of composted wood chips) The chips are aprox half finished compost of wood chips awesome stuff. I think the composted wood chips keep the soil loose.
My carrots were 5" diameter and 7-9" long. I have a picture on a memory card I will try to locate it. I plant two crops one on top of the other. I plant tight and thin. I eat even the smallest tinyest carrot seedlings. they are sweet I don't even make it into the house sometimes I just brush off the dirt and eat. A little gritty but oh so good. I till at least 12" deep.

Mike

[gixxerific]

So basically I should pull my carrots? They have only been in the ground about a month or so. Or should I let them go through the winter? You say the will be woody in the spring I don't want that.

To pull or not to pull. I can't bring myself to do it on my own but if you guy's think that would be best I will trust your opinions.

Thanks

[applestar]

I'm going to pile mulch (leaves/straw) on mine, secured with a floating cover, and leave them in the ground as long as there's no chance that the ground (and the carrots) doesn't freeze. There's a chance that mice might get to them first though (it's an experiment).

[gixxerific]

I'm going to pile mulch (leaves/straw) on mine, secured with a floating cover, and leave them in the ground as long as there's no chance that the ground (and the carrots) doesn't freeze. There's a chance that mice might get to them first though (it's an experiment).

So if I get you right, since you didn't say. You are leaving them in over winter until next spring? Or just until it super late in this season? When did you plant?

Sorry so many ?'s but I have never had good luck with carrots and want to find out what I'm doing wrong. I was trying this just to see what would come of it.

[builder0101]

I place cardboard over my Carrots and 6"-8" of mulch. I can harvest them all winter long as long as the ground is not frozen solid. Then when the ground begins to thaw I can get the rest. They are the sweetest as was said earlier. Not woody in my experience. I think the woodiness comes in the second season of this biennial. I never kept them into the second growing season.

Thanks,

Mike.

[NatGreeneVeg]

So basically I should pull my carrots? They have only been in the ground about a month or so. Or should I let them go through the winter? You say the will be woody in the spring I don't want that.

To pull or not to pull. I can't bring myself to do it on my own but if you guy's think that would be best I will trust your opinions.

Thanks

Let them stay in the ground and harvest all winter as you need some so that you don't have any left by spring.

[jal_ut]

So basically I should pull my carrots? They have only been in the ground about a month or so. Or should I let them go through the winter? You say the will be woody in the spring I don't want that.

You can leave them in the ground, however in your zone you had best provide some protection from the frost or they may freeze. If they freeze, you have lost them. They will be sweet and nice all winter, even in the spring, however when the tops start to grow, pull them all because they will send up flower spikes and get woody. I have kept them through winter where they grew, by covering with a couple inches of soil then straw or leaves to insulate them from the cold. The thing is they won't grow much larger this fall and in the spring they want to flower not grow larger roots.

This year I pulled all mine and put some in a pit. The reason for doing this is so I could till the garden. Otherwise, it is easy to protect them and let them stay until spring. digging some as needed all winter on nice days.

[pharmerphil]

Used to live about 80- miles north of You gixxerific and I covered with cardboard and mulched them 2 foot deep in straw...only one winter that was bad enough I couldn't pull carrots at Christmas...

[applestar]

Cardboard! Excellent tip. Thank you.

[gixxerific]

I'm going to leave them. I do have a bail of straw waiting for the compost I could use for insulation as well a a ton of leaves.

I went out the other day and noticed I had a couple that were doubles, I thought I thinned them good but guess not. I replanted them, they were teeny tiny little carrots. Kinda funny they were only about 1-2 inches long but looked just like a big ol carrot only shrunken down really small.

[pharmerphil]

You'll have some fine carrots mid winter