Where to start?
First you need to harvest the carrots. Experienced gardeners are convinced that the success of carrot storage is also greatly influenced by when carrots are harvested. It is very important to do it on time. Unfortunately, no calendar will help you determine this.
If you want to know if now is the right time to harvest carrots, look at the tops of the carrots. If the tops have turned yellow, it’s time to pick the vegetables. If you do this too soon, the vegetables will not have enough amino acids and sugars. If you delay, the carrots will have too much sugar and will become a veritable bug magnet!
The subtleties of cleaning
In addition, carrots should be dug strictly in the evening, and it is important not to water carrots the day before harvesting. At night, the plant uses the sugar accumulated during the day for growth, so carrots picked in the evening will contain more useful substances.
Set aside the collected carrots to dry in the fresh air for a couple of hours. This will help to “heal” the microtraumas of the vegetables, so their shelf life will be longer. Cut off the tops of the carrots along with the thin ends, as it is the ends that usually start the rotting process. Carefully remove the soil. Finally, sort the crops by size.
Basement preparation
First of all, keep the vegetables for a week in the basement, where the temperature is between 10 and 15 degrees. After this time, move the carrots to a place of permanent storage, where it is necessary to maintain a temperature of two to minus two degrees Celsius and an air humidity of about 95%. There should also be good ventilation in this area, but do not overdo it so that the crops do not start to germinate.
Forget about bags and boxes! Carrots quickly start to rot in them. Oddly enough, these vegetables feel best in enameled pots! Place the crop in a pot with the pointed end down, place napkins or paper towels on top and cover everything with lids. This way your carrots will definitely last until spring!
