Growing and Storing Carrots an Update
Results in 2008
In 2008 we repeated our method of covering the carrots with straw and mesh to overwinter and we dug up the last of our overwintered carrots on 3 May 2008 and many were still in good condition - see the video below. We had a really wet spring and the carrots were basically dug out of mud. We also had several frosty days click here.
To play directly in YouTube and have more control over the format then click in the frame (not on the arrow) and view in the small format size. The quality of the film deteriorates when rendered by YouTube so apologies for this - honestly the actual film is much better quality!
Results in 2007
In November we protected our carrots using straw. It's now the first week in February and we've been digging carrots most weeks since then. Whilst we've had no really severe frosts, (well not at the time of writing anyway), we have had some cold weather. So how have our carrots done?
Firstly we cut the tops off our main crop carrots, put some straw over the top. To prevent everything from blowing away we then covered with environmesh which was held down with stout timbers and bricks. This has protected our carrots well. Despite all the rain very few carrots have rotted and the timbers and bricks have withstood the gales of late January.
The carrots sown in July and protected with straw have survived well. However, these carrots do have some carrot fly damage, despite claims that carrots sown in July would not succumb, and although useable are not as successful as those grown under mesh.
The carrots stored in the straw clamp are a failure. The carrots are dry and shrivelled up. Perhaps protecting them from the rain was the wrong thing to do.
The slide show below shows carrots dug on Sunday 4th February 2007.
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Use the orange arrows on the right to move through the photos - you may need to click twice!
It will be interesting to see how our carrots have fared over this week as the weather has been much colder and frostier. If you have had success in storing carrots or preventing carrot rootfly attack then share your secrets by clicking here and posting a comment on the blog.
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Keep carrot fly at bay Insect-Proof Mesh Protection Netting is very fine, long-lasting and effectively keeps out pests such as carrot fly, cabbage root fly, caterpillars and birds from spring onwards. The netting is manufactured from 100% polyethylene, and creates a heavy-duty UV stabilised fine mesh, light enough to be laid directly over crops.
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