When to Plant Carrots
Sow carrots outside from 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost, and again 9 to 12 weeks before your first fall frost for a fall crop.
Carrots at a glance
- Sow outside
- from 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost
- Fall sowing
- 9 to 12 weeks before your first fall frost
- Time to harvest
- 60 to 80 days from sowing
- Harvest lasts
- about 6 weeks
- Spacing
- 16 per square foot
- Frost
- Takes hard frosts
Growing carrots
Carrots want loose, deep soil free of stones and fresh manure. Sow the tiny seeds thinly and shallow, and mix in a few radish seeds to mark the row while the carrots take their time. Carrots grow sweeter in cool fall weather.
Dates by hardiness zone
Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.
| Zone | Sow | Sow for fall | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | May 7 – Jul 13 | – | Jul 6 – Oct 1 |
| Zone 3b | Apr 26 – May 31 | Jul 3–24 | Jun 25 – Aug 19 · Sep 1 – Oct 13 |
| Zone 4a | Apr 21 – May 26 | Jul 6–27 | Jun 20 – Aug 14 · Sep 4 – Oct 16 |
| Zone 4b | Apr 17 – May 22 | Jul 9–30 | Jun 16 – Aug 10 · Sep 7 – Oct 19 |
| Zone 5a | Apr 12 – May 17 | Jul 13 – Aug 3 | Jun 11 – Aug 5 · Sep 11 – Oct 23 |
| Zone 5b | Apr 10 – May 15 | Jul 18 – Aug 8 | Jun 9 – Aug 3 · Sep 16 – Oct 28 |
| Zone 6a | Apr 8 – May 13 | Jul 24 – Aug 14 | Jun 7 – Aug 1 · Sep 22 – Nov 3 |
| Zone 6b | Apr 2 – May 7 | Jul 30 – Aug 20 | Jun 1 – Jul 26 · Sep 28 – Nov 9 |
| Zone 7a | Mar 26 – Apr 30 | Aug 2–23 | May 25 – Jul 19 · Oct 1 – Nov 12 |
| Zone 7b | Mar 15 – Apr 19 | Aug 9–30 | May 14 – Jul 8 · Oct 8 – Nov 19 |
| Zone 8a | Mar 8 – Apr 12 | Aug 15 – Sep 5 | May 7 – Jul 1 · Oct 14 – Nov 25 |
| Zone 8b | Feb 24 – Mar 31 | Aug 21 – Sep 11 | Apr 25 – Jun 19 · Oct 20 – Dec 1 |
| Zone 9a | Feb 9 – Mar 16 | Sep 3–24 | Apr 10 – Jun 4 · Nov 2 – Dec 14 |
| Zone 9b | Jan 11 – Feb 15 | Sep 22 – Oct 13 | Mar 12 – May 6 · Nov 21 – Jan 2 |
| Zone 10a | Jan 3 – Feb 7 | Oct 4–25 | Mar 4 – Apr 28 · Dec 3 – Jan 14 |
| Zones 10b–11b | Frost is rare here, so grow carrots in the cooler months, from fall to early spring. | ||
Questions about carrots
How do I thin carrots?
When the seedlings are a couple of inches tall, pull or snip the extras so the rest stand about two inches apart. Firm the soil back and water after thinning.
Why are my carrots forked or stubby?
Stones, clods or hard soil push the roots aside. Loose, deep, stone-free soil grows straight carrots; in heavy soil try a short variety or a raised bed.
