does anyone leave their carrots in over winter?

[clare]

I just wondered as I have done this year,the carrots are next to the parsnips covered with a carpet and I just dug some up for Christmas day and they are lovely.I should say we are a really sandy area so the ground is looser than most at present,so fingers crossed they stay ok.

[Flo]

Carrots won't do as well as parsnips if there is really deep frost.

[seasidegirl]

I think farmers leave them in the fields now and harvest when required. Although I think they are covered with straw. Got some in garden so will dig up later and see.

[Millymollymandy]

I always did when I grew them but I've given up due to root fly. I just made sure I earthed up a bit with soil over the tops as they have a tendancy to push themselves out of the soil making the tops go green. I never covered them with anything and the temps here are often as low as -8C in winter though normally above freezing during the day. I only found a few rotten mushy ones about March one year.

However I saw a report on UK telly showing a farmer with a field full of mushy carrots due to the cold!

[fruitcake]

I've left mine in under cardboard - just been digging them up as and when required - ground has been pretty well frozen for weeks but cardboard seems to stop them getting frozen in too

[gregorach]

I'm experimenting with leaving mine in this year - we'll see how they are when the snow's thawed enough to find them again... Mind you, I have trouble with wireworm thanks to the previous plot-holder's poor-to-non-existent rotation, so I'm not expecting much.