When to Harvest Carrots

Go by size, not the calendar

Days to maturity on the seed packet tell you when to start checking, not when to dig. Published ranges vary widely. Wisconsin gives 60-70 days, Clemson 65-75, Texas A&M 70-80 and Utah State 70-100. UF/IFAS allows up to 120 days for Florida plantings, and storage carrots take about 100 days (Wisconsin). Cool fall weather slows growth (Nebraska), and Texas A&M notes carrots mature more slowly in heavy soil.

Size is the real test. Texas A&M pulls carrots at 1 to 1 1/2 inches across the shoulder. University of Maryland harvests fresh-eating carrots before they pass 1 inch. Utah State’s simplest sign is that the leaves have reached full size. To check without guessing, brush the soil away from the top of a few roots and look at the shoulders.

Variety changes the target. Maryland describes Imperators at about 1 1/2 inches across and 7-8 inches long, Nantes at about 1 1/2 inches and 6-7 inches, and Chantenay and Danvers at 2-2 1/2 inches across the shoulder. Wisconsin notes that baby Nantes types are only 1/2-3/4 inch across and 2 1/2-3 inches long, and that several varieties can be pulled early as baby carrots.

Pull the biggest first

Carrots in a row never size evenly. Maryland suggests pulling the largest roots as soon as they are big enough to eat and leaving the smaller ones to keep growing. That spreads the harvest over several weeks and gives the remaining roots more room.

To get roots out whole, loosen the soil beside the row with a digging fork before pulling by the tops (Utah State).

Signs you have waited too long

• Coarse, woody or strong-flavored roots. Clemson warns that carrots left in the ground near maturity during hot weather turn coarse and fibrous. Maryland notes Imperators go woody once fully mature.
• Cracking. Mature roots split when heavy rain or watering follows a dry spell. Maryland eases off watering as harvest nears for this reason.
• Pale color. Utah State links poorly colored roots to soil and air temperatures above about 85°F.
• A flower stalk. Once a carrot bolts, sugars move out of the root into the stalk and the root turns woody (Wisconsin). Pull bolted plants and compost them.

In spring, the rule is simple: harvest before summer heat, even if some roots are smaller than you hoped.

Fall and winter harvests

Fall carrots are much more forgiving. Utah State says temperatures down to 32°F do not seriously hurt the plants, and carrots handle light freezes. Illinois Extension adds that they get sweeter as the ground cools. You can leave them in place and dig as needed.

Where the ground freezes, cover the bed with a heavy layer of straw or shredded leaves before it freezes hard (Maryland; Nebraska). Pull the mulch back to dig, then replace it. In the Pacific Northwest, where carrot rust fly is a problem, the regional insect handbook recommends harvesting early and digging a block at a time rather than picking out roots here and there, which limits damage.

Storing carrots

Cut the tops off right after harvest. Maryland notes the leaves keep drawing moisture out of the root, and topped carrots stay crisp longer. Wash off the soil before storing (Utah State).

Carrots keep best close to freezing with very high humidity:

• Refrigerator: in a plastic bag in the bottom drawer, they keep several weeks (Texas A&M). Utah State gives 2-4 weeks at 32°F and 95% humidity.
• Cold storage: topped carrots kept at 32-33°F and high humidity last 4-6 months according to Clemson, and 4-5 months according to Maryland. Wisconsin gives up to 7 months for storage carrots in a commercial cooler.
• Cellar: packed in moist sand in a cool cellar, carrots keep for several months (Utah State).
• Bunched with tops on: only about 10-14 days (Clemson).

Store carrots away from apples and pears. Utah State notes the gases these fruits give off turn carrots bitter.