Yes, IF mother nature wants to help. In the photos, you will notice new foliage growth. Carrots can sometimes be a winter harvest up north.
What Conditions Allowed for a Winter Carrot Harvest in Zone 5?
- Thick layer of dried leaves and some grass clippings layered over the carrot patch, at least 6″ deep.
- Garden soil, ensuring the ground is not compacted. I did not loosen the soil beyond normal prep the previous spring.
- Mild winter with limited drops below zero. There were a few cold snaps, but few longer than a couple of days.
- At least a foot of snow falling by November over the patch, as insulation.
- The area of the carrot patch received approximately 6-7 hours of winter sun a day.
What conditions led to failure when I tried the next winter?
- The winter was colder, with a couple of week-long subzero temperatures.
- The winter was drier, with less snow. The carrot patch had less than a foot of snow cover most of the winter.
- The mulch was very heavy, yet it wasn’t enough to prevent rock hard carrot chips. The ground couldn’t even be broken an inch. Frozen solid.
The moisture in and depth of the snow the year prior was extraordinarily helpful keeping the soil loose and harvestable. The most impactful factors allowing for the January harvest were beyond my control.
That said, the garden is a playground. Try it yourself!
The End