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Harvesting your Carrots

Gardening Guide: Crunchy Carrots Guide

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Harvesting your Carrots

By Norann Oleson

Gardener harvesting carrots from the ground

Gardener harvesting carrots from the ground

Harvesting carrots is easy: just pull them out of the ground when you want them. In truth, you don’t have to wait the full growing period before you start harvesting them. If you have a hankering for some baby carrots but all you planted were Imperators, there’s nothing to stop you from harvesting a few.

If you live in a temperate zone, you can leave carrots in the ground after the first frost and right up until the ground freezes for the winter. If you live in a milder region, you can leave your carrots in the garden all winter long and harvest them whenever you like.

In some cases, the longer the carrots keep growing in the ground, the sweeter they’ll be. In general, once you see the top of the root poking through the soil, you’re getting close to harvest time. If you see any plants shoot up a flower stalk, that’s the day you harvest that carrot. If you miss the harvest window, you’ll have a lovely flower for the dinner table. Leave the carrot for the wildlife.

Some carrots that grow deeply can resist harvesting. There are a couple ways to persuade them to come to harvest. Push the carrot down toward the ground and then pull. That will loosen the very ends of the root from the soil, and it should come right up. You can also use a garden fork to loosen the soil and then gently pull the carrots out of the ground.

Another harvest technique is to water your carrots the day before you plan to harvest them. This has two advantages: the water loosens the soil, and the carrot roots have their maximum moisture level before the leaves get back to work producing energy for the plant.

If you have a really long row of carrots and you don’t want to harvest them all at once, pull every other carrot out and leave the rest. That will give you some for now, and some bigger ones for later.

When you remove the carrot tops, do it away from your garden. The smell of fresh carrot leaves in the morning will send the carrot rust flies rushing to your carrot patch.

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Tags

carrot leaves, carrots, carrots in the garden, carrots in the ground, garden fork

Comments
  • Mark K. November 30, 2022

    My carrots grow tops but very tiny carrots underground….any ideas why? Thank you

    Reply

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Types of Carrots
  • Growing Carrots from Seeds or Seedlings
  • Where to Grow Carrots
  • Planting Carrots in the Ground
  • Growing Carrots in Containers
  • Nurturing your Carrots
  • Harvesting your Carrots
  • Preserving Your Carrots
  • Dealing with Carrot Diseases
  • Dealing with Carrot Pests
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Carrots
  • Plant Profiles

  • Thumbelina Carrots
  • Atomic Red Carrots
  • Lunar White Carrots
  • Touchon Carrots
  • Little Finger Carrots
  • Red Cored Chantenay Carrots
  • Purple Dragon Carrots
  • Danvers 126 Carrots
  • Recipes

  • Chillin’ Carrot Smoothie
  • Roasted Carrots Your Way
  • Ginger Carrot Soup
  • Classic Carrot Cake
  • Colorful Carrot Slaw
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Carrots
  • Home Remedies and Health Benefits of Carrots
  • Resources about Carrots
  • Carrot Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • Are Carrots Healthy for You?
  • How to Know When Carrots are Ready to Harvest: 5 Signs to Look For

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