Winter is approaching so it is time to protect my carrots in the garden from freezing. I keep them in the ground throughout the winter since it generally does not freeze the ground here in the Pacific Northwest if I keep them covered with leaf mulch. This method does not work if you live in an area that has mice, rats or moles as they will eat all of your carrots and you will not know it until you remove the cover and find them all missing! I have not had a problem with deer, opossum or raccoon bothering carrots kept this way but I guess there is always the possibility.

These are Mokum carrots with a 56 day maturity that were planted on July 17, 2012. They have very little top green growth so they are easy to cover with mulch. I have been pulling carrots to eat since mid September. They are very sweet and tasty and are advertised as the finest fresh-eating carrot know!. This variety is never found commercially since they are so fragile they often split when pulled by hand even in very soft soil. I use large maple tree leaves for protective mulch and then cover the mulch with staked-down row cover to keep the mulch in place. They will be enjoyed fresh and cooked until spring.