We’re almost to the end of January and, unless something unusual occurs during the last few days of the month weatherwise, it will be a fairly average January both in terms of temperature and rainfall.
A couple of years ago now we changed our method of storing carrots over winter. Our usual procedure for storing root crops in general over winter was to cover them with straw.
Straw didn’t cost a great deal, although transporting a bale of straw in the back of the car can be a very messy job with straw sticking to any material available in the car. The straw could often be used a second time in early summer around strawberry plants to protect the fruit from soil splashes before composting it or simply digging it into the soil.
However, as a storage method for carrots and sometimes parsnips too it was a rather hit and miss affair. It certainly kept the carrots protected from frost but abundant amounts of rain were far more of a problem. The drier the weather the longer we could keep the carrots but as soon as winter turned wet slugs and snails would wreak havoc with the roots and more or less destroy the crop.
It would eventually become necessary to clear the ground of all the leftover rotting carrots.
In 2021 we decided to try a different method and store our carrots at home in the recycling crates, previously used for growing some early potatoes. One immediate advantage would be we wouldn’t have to make a trip to the allotment if we needed some carrots. The plan was to store the carrots in dry compost in the containers and keep them in the greenhouse at home. At least this way the carrots would keep dry.
The method worked okay in 2021 so we decided to give it another go last autumn. Our carrots were lifted towards the end of September and we had an excellent crop despite the difficult growing conditions through the very dry summer. We’d a reasonable amount of compost left over from growing our early potatoes and this was used to fill up a couple of recycling crates.
One crate was used for beetroot, which if left in the ground is just destroyed by slugs.
As we get to the end of January the method has worked well for both beetroot and carrots. The above vegetables have just been removed from their respective crates and are in a decent condition for use. This most certainly wouldn’t have been the case if they’d been left in the ground at the allotment.
Another (outdoor) problem can be badgers. Boy do they like carrots! I have carrots underground still. The ones I brought indoors started growing again. Maybe I brought them in too early, maybe the compost was damp. Of those remaining at the plot it is the split or damaged ones that have rotted. The solid ones are still good. As I have grown too many this year (if that is possible) I am not too fussed about the odd loss.
Ours haven’t started to grow yet but I’m not expecting that to last much longer. Ours were stored in very dry compost. I did think it might be too dry when the carrots were stored in it last autumn. The beetroot in the tub alongside has started to grow but so far the roots are okay to use. We had the problem of splitting carrots rotting when we left them in the ground, but they seemed very good at passing the rot along the line. I’m not sure you can grow too many carrots we certainly get through ours.
At least keeping them in the greenhouse protects them from the weather but I usually keep a lid over the tubs to prevent any mice from getting at the carrots. At least we don’t have any voles.
I was getting away with leaving my carrots in the ground, slugs were very polite. Last year voles decided to spoil my run of luck and gobbled the lot. I might have to try your method too.
You just have to make sure that yiu protect from mice AH