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The summer is winding down here; nights are getting cold, it rains on a regular basis, and the root vegetables are getting ready for harvest. This weekend I tackled the carrots, which was a total cop-out. The carrots are by far the easiest thing to harvest in the garden. Also, I planted too few carrots this year so the task of harvesting them took about a third of the time it usually does. In other words, I should have planted three rows, not one.
The carrot row before the harvest, between the fence and the broccoli
The key to getting carrots harvested quickly is proper timing and tools. I always wait until a day after it has rained - the soil gets moist and the carrots are easier to get out of the ground. Another bonus is that after a rain the carrot itself is at maximum plumpness, which will allow your harvest to be stored longer before it gets odd and rubbery. I like to use an average spade-tip shovel to loosen the ground around the carrots before I pull them up from the leafy tops. The whole process is really fast and simple- just loosen the dirt with the shovel, pull on the carrot, and place it on the pile.
Five minutes later, after the harvest
This year we did remember to sift the dirt before planting the seeds. In rocky soils like ours, sifting the soil first ensures that the carrots grow down and straight, instead of creating weird monster carrots from hitting pebbles and dirt clods.
A selection of gorgeous "Scarlet Nantes"
I like to store the carrots in plastic bags in my refrigerator, because that is easy and quick. I never wash the carrots before I store them- I think it leads to faster spoilage. Instead I brush off the excess dirt with my hands, twist off the leafy tops, and stick them in bags. They last until roughly December that way.
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