Personally, I feel so self-sufficient growing my own carrots. Even more when I can still harvest them in the winter. Even in cold areas this is possible. The ideal storage for your carrots is 32°-40°F with a humidity of 90%-95%. Most areas have this, so with a little extra help from row covers or straw, you can keep those carrots stored in the ground for as long as you need to.
If you have areas warmer than this, the carrots will keep growing and are prone to rot or succumb to pests at some point.
Steps to storing Carrots in Ground
1-Take the tops off.
The green tops are not necessary once the air temp reaches 24°F. That's when the ground begins to freeze, and the growth has halted. They are also likely to rot which will spread to the root itself.
2- Mark Your Garden Beds
Without the carrot tops you may lose track of your carrots under the straw, so make sure you mark them so you can eat them. If you lose one it will go to seed next year when the weather warms up.
3-Cover them With Straw or Row Covers
I use row covers more often, but a good 12 inches of straw can usually keep those carrots protected all winter long.
To go right to our new carrot section you can click on any of the pics.
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