When fall cleanup arrives, you don’t necessarily have to pull every carrot from the garden and make room for bags of produce in the refrigerator. In many climates, overwintering carrots lets the soil serve as a surprisingly effective storage space, allowing you to dig fresh roots weeks or even months after the normal harvest season. University of Illinois says gardeners in many areas can harvest carrots throughout winter when the rows are protected with heavy mulch. Cold weather may even improve the flavor of some varieties, although leaving carrots outside isn’t risk-free. Before abandoning the carrot bed until January, here’s what actually happens underground and how to improve your chances of pulling out crisp carrots instead of rotten ones.
