Kathy needed some fresh carrots for a carrot cake recipe. She wanted fresh, not frozen. I had planted seeds at the end of the summer planting window in one of the beds covered by the cold frames that collapsed under snow yesterday. So, I had James help me take the cover off. We picked all the carrots that were to be found. Carrots may survive the winter, but my experience last year was not promising. Better take them out when you have the opportunity.
The harvest wasn't as large as at the end of the summer, but there were two advantages. The carrots I planted around Memorial Day took extensive care. I had to water them daily in the summer. Watering is not an unpleasant task, but it required diligence. On the other hand, the carrots planted around Labor Day were pretty much ignored by me. I let nature take its course with them. I think they actually grew pretty well when covered with the cold frame that seemed to help regulate water under the tent.
The second advantage, a small one, is that when I harvest in the winter, I can go a little slower on the processing side of things. I cut the tops off the carrots and, because we had an open house for James and Angie to get ready for, just set them in the garage, where it is like a refrigerator.
The one thing I should have probably done better that would have resulted in a slightly larger harvest would have been at planting. I was hurried and didn't bother to make sure the seeds were properly covered. I had covered them with some potting mix out of a bag instead of properly getting seeds at the correct depth and covering them with soil. I probably cut my production 50% or more.
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