Garden Help Desk: Preserving carrots in the garden and other November gardening tips

I’ve read that I can leave my extra carrots in the garden and use them over the winter. Is that true for our area?

Yes, it’s true you can let carrots overwinter in the garden. I’ve done it several times myself, but there are some cautions and pointers to keep in mind.

Your carrot patch should be covered with straw, leaves or some other protective mulch layer. To make it easier to harvest carrots in the winter, cover the carrots first with a breathable material like floating row cover so you can easily turn back your mulch and any snow instead of trying to rake the straw or leaves aside. My most successful year was when I covered the carrot patch with a sheet of cardboard and then a large piece of old canvas over that. It was easy to harvest, and the carrots came through the winter looking great.
Water your carrots a few days ahead of time if the soil is dry when you’re ready to cover them.
The green tops of carrots will die back and break down over the winter. It’s not essential, but you can cut the green tops back, if you’d like, before you cover your carrot patch.
As the weather warms in the spring, the carrots will break dormancy and eventually flower, reducing their quality. They should be harvested before late spring.

Other tips for the November garden

Heavy frost has come and perhaps it might seem as though there is nothing left to do outside until spring. But in the hustle and bustle of life, there may be a few things you forgot to do. Here is a list of tasks you may need to accomplish before winter sets in.

Mow leaves weekly, rake leaves and compost them, or use them as an additive to your garden beds.

Start your amaryllis bulbs right away so that you can enjoy their bright blooms during the Christmas season.

Photo by Meredith Seaver

Overwintered carrots should be harvested in early to mid-spring before they can start to flower.

Plant garlic and any spring-blooming bulbs that you have not gotten in the ground yet.

Protect marginally hardy plants, such as figs, by wrapping them with burlap or other material and filling the gaps with leaves or straw.

Blow out irrigation lines to protect them from freezing water that could cause them to crack.

Water evergreens deeply near the end of the month to ensure they are well hydrated over the winter if rain has been scarce and the ground has not yet frozen. Evergreens do not enter a dormant period over the winter as deciduous plants do. A dry winter can cause them stress and needle desiccation.

Mow lawn short (1.5 to 2 inches) for the last mowing to discourage disease, and apply a light nitrogen fertilizer.

Photo by Meredith Seaver

Fall leaves on lawns should be regularly raked up or mowed.

Protect young trees from winter bark injury by wrapping the trunks with white tree wrap. (Alternatively, you could paint them with white latex paint diluted with water at a 1:1 ratio.) Leave the wrap on until mid-March. This will help prevent the layers of bark on the south and west sides of the tree from a damaging freeze-thaw cycle that will cause splitting and cracking.

Consider protecting cool season greens, such as spinach and mache, with a low tunnel covered with frost cloth. Vent on the warm, sunny days. These plants are quite able to survive cold winter temperatures, but dry winter winds can desiccate them. A low tunnel can give just enough protection from the wind to keep them doing their best. You might be surprised how quickly they start growing in early spring when protected over the winter.

Control cool season perennial weeds such as field bindweed and dandelion with a broadleaf herbicide. These weeds are best controlled in the fall as the plants draw their energy into their root systems. Don’t apply lawn weed herbicides when the temperature is below 45 degrees.

Clean and sharpen garden tools. Use a rag or paper towel to apply a thin layer of oil to prevent rust. WD-40 or linseed oil are good options. Store tools in a sheltered area to protect them from the elements.

Check outside faucets to make sure all hoses have been removed. Empty garden hoses and store in them in a garage or shed.

Meredith Seaver and Elizabeth Binks are USU Extension Horticulture Assistants.

It’s fall, ya’ll! And that means displaying pumpkins on your porch and eating butternut squash with abandon. …