It is important to keep weeds down during the first few weeks. Cultivate very shallow with a knife blade, cultivator or a hoe. Deep cultivation may injure the roots. Finger carrots are usually ready for harvest within 50 to 60 days. Summer-planted carrots may be left in the ground until a killing frost.
Some gardeners place straw mulch over the row so that carrots can be harvested throughout the fall.
Cut off the tops of the carrots 1 inch above the root and place in storage at 32 degrees F with high humidity. Carrots may be placed in a refrigerator or buried in sand in an underground cellar. Under proper storage conditions, carrots keep for four to six months. It causes an off-flavor and dark green pieces in the cooked product. Sunburn can be avoided when the tops are healthy by pulling a small amount of loose soil up the row when the roots start to swell.