This year has been terrible in the garden. I was wondering how long will carrots grow in the garden, we have frost nightly now and I'm not sure how long I can leave them in the ground before they turn to mushy orange muck. They are scarlett nantes and are only about 6 inches long, the tops on some are brown and wilted.
I don't know your location, but, I am in SE Ohio, and I am (slowly) getting my carrots out of the ground. I found some that did what you just mentioned, they are mush at the tips, and some are completely mush. I thought that it was because of the plastic liner we originally placed in the bottom of our raised beds. So, do you think it contributed to the problem? We had huge rain, several inches in one day over a week ago? I had better git busy. Margo AND, I gonna dig the dirt after harvesting and remove the plastic sheeting, too.
The wet ground is most likely the problem. Most years you just mulch them heavy dig, as you need them. John#4
thanks John, lesson learned. Years when I've grown them in the same bed, we never had a single rain like this last one. thanks for the opinion, I believe you are right.............. Margo
Jackie, Ontario certainly has had a cool summer in most parts, and definitely Nortwestern Ontario. I've grown carrots pretty successfully over the years here, even if it's wet. Carrots don't mind growing in cool conditions, and the Nantes variety are fine for this. Best if you plant them in an area that can drain well, expecially the 'moisture holding' clay. Clay also is the devil when it dries and hardens, thus deforming the shape of carrots, too. As for frost damage? That should not be a worry if you mulch with a layer of hay or grass clippings this time of year. You can keep the carrots in the ground until danger of underground frost. In N. West Ontario this year could be well into the end November. Also, it saves storage space by leaving them in the ground. Once the tops get killed off (brown), the tubers are fairly dormant by then and harvest as you need them. Rich
