Pests
Wireworms
Flea Beetles
Aster Yellow Disease will cause shortened and discolored carrot tops and hairy roots. This disease is spread by pests as they feed from plant to plant. Keep weeds down and invest in a control plan for pests such as leafhoppers. This disease has the ability to overwinter.
Harvest/Storage
Carrots are mature at around 2 ½ months and ½ inch in diameter. You may harvest whenever desired maturity is reached.
You may leave mature carrots in the soil for storage if the ground will not freeze.
To store freshly harvested carrots, twist off the tops, scrub off the dirt under cold running water, let dry and seal in airtight plastic bags, and refrigerate. If you simply put fresh carrots in the refrigerator, they'll go limp in a few hours.
Carrots can be stored in tubs of moist sand for winter use.
Recommended Varieties
‘Bolero’: resists most leaf pests.
‘Nantesa Superior’: sweet flavor, adapts to any soil.
‘Thumberline’: round carrot, good for clumpy or clay soil.
Wit & Wisdom
Carrots are biennial plants. If you leave them in the ground, the tops will flower and produce seeds the second year.