When to plant carrots
Carrots are sown directly where they grow, from two to three weeks before the last frost. They handle light frost well, and fall-harvested carrots taste sweeter because cold makes the root store sugar.
Carrot seed is tiny and slow (one to three weeks to sprout) and must stay moist the whole time. Laying a board or burlap over the row until seedlings appear helps a lot.
CarrotDaucus carota subsp. sativus
- Sow seed outside (spring)
- 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after last frost
- Sow for a fall crop
- 10–12 weeks before first fall frost
- Frost
- Hardy: tolerates frost
- Soil temp
- 45°F (7°C) or warmer
- Depth
- ¼ in
- Spacing
- 3 in apart, rows 12 in · 16 per square foot
- Harvest
- 60–80 days
Your dates for carrots
Tips for growing carrots
- Loose, stone-free soil makes straight roots; in heavy clay grow short varieties such as Chantenay or Paris Market.
- Thin to 2–3 inches apart when seedlings are 2 inches tall.
- Don’t add fresh manure before sowing; it causes forked, hairy roots.
Choosing neighbours? See companion plants for carrots. Working out how many fit? Use the spacing calculator.
Carrots: common timing questions
Can I plant carrots in summer?
Yes. A mid-summer sowing about 10–12 weeks before the first fall frost gives the sweetest carrots of the year.
Why are my carrots forked?
Stones, clods, fresh manure or transplanting damage the growing tip. Sow directly into loose soil.