carrots

[legraph]

i have flyaway and nantes 2 in raised beds .is it best to leave these in or pull and store now.what is best way to store

[pongeroon]

I've never tried storing carrots myself, so I will be interested to hear what others recommend. I have half a row of Early Nantes left in my raised bed, and a long row of Autumn King in the allotment which I have planned to leave in until I need them, a bit of an experiment really.

[The Mouse]

Personally, I find that if I leave carrots in the ground once we're into October, the slugs move in and eat them. I get them out, let the soil on them dry (don't wash them), then I put them in layers in a box, covering each layer with dry compost before putting in the next layer. Then put the box in a cool, dark, but frost-free place. I've found that although some of them send up leaves after a few weeks, they seem to store perfectly well. I don't know how long they will keep, because I've always run out soon after Christmas, but they are still in perfect condition then! I know compost isn't the usual thing to store them in - I think coarse sand is generally recommended - but I only had compost available the first time I wanted to store carrots and it has worked perfectly for me, but remember, it must be dry!
As with potatoes, it's also important to sort out the roots before storing so that any that are less than perfect get used first.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I find they keep much better leaving them in the ground, they keep their flavour and texture better than storing them. I just keep topping up the slug pellets to keep them slug free. In really cold weather I spread dryish leaves from my leafmold bin round them so they are still easy to pick. I suppose you could use straw or fleece.

Another way is to make a clamp. I've not tried it, but there is plenty of info about it on google.

[glallotments]

We leave our carrots in the soil too but cover them with straw.
We have a complete article on our web page about this with photos http://glallotments.co.uk/Carrots2.aspx
I think the important point is not to let them dry as we tried a sort of straw pile method which wasn't at all successful.

[Johnboy]

Hi Legraph,
To me, to leave carrots in the ground is total madness. You will attract just about every soil pest imaginable to you plot. If you have managed to contract carrot root fly you will allow the grubs to pupate and give you generations next year. You will attract things like Springtails to your plot and the slugs will have a field day.
It is best, by far, to raise your crop and store it.
I think that I would forego some flavour rather than a whole crop.
JB.