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When to Plant Carrots

Sow spring carrots from about 3 weeks before your average last frost up to the frost date, once the soil is at least 40-45°F. For a fall crop, sow roughly 9-12 weeks before the first fall frost. In frost-rare areas such as Florida, South Texas and the low desert, carrots are sown from late summer through winter instead.

Your dates for carrots

Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant carrots where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.

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Carrots planting dates by zone

JFMAMJJASOND Zone 4b Zone 5b Zone 6b Zone 7b Zone 8b Zone 9a
Sow outdoorsFirst harvestFall plantingDates use each zone's typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code for your own.
Dates from each zone's typical (median) frost dates. Select a zone for the full schedule.
ZoneSow outdoorsFall planting
Zone 2aApr 28 to May 19Jun 13 to Jul 4
Zone 3aMay 5 to 26Jun 22 to Jul 13
Zone 3bApr 26 to May 17Jul 2 to 23
Zone 4aApr 22 to May 13Jul 6 to 27
Zone 4bApr 17 to May 8Jul 9 to 30
Zone 5aApr 12 to May 3Jul 12 to Aug 2
Zone 5bApr 10 to May 1Jul 18 to Aug 8
Zone 6aApr 8 to 29Jul 25 to Aug 15
Zone 6bApr 2 to 23Jul 30 to Aug 20
Zone 7aMar 26 to Apr 16Aug 2 to 23
Zone 7bMar 15 to Apr 5Aug 9 to 30
Zone 8aMar 8 to 29Aug 15 to Sep 5
Zone 8bFeb 24 to Mar 17Aug 21 to Sep 11
Zone 9aFeb 9 to Mar 2Sep 3 to 24
Zone 9bJan 10 to 31Sep 16 to Oct 7

Spring dates before the last frost assume the soil has thawed and is dry enough to work. After a late or wet spring, wait for that even if the date has passed.

Spring: early, but not too early

Carrots need cool weather while the roots fill out. Clemson puts the ideal air temperature at 60-65°F. Spring carrots that mature into summer heat come out coarse, strong-flavored and poorly colored. So the spring goal is to sow as early as the plant tolerates and have the crop dug before hot weather.

The dates for your zone above start about 3 weeks before the average last frost and run to the frost date. Sources differ on how early to start. Utah State sows 2-3 weeks before the last frost, while Colorado State, which classes carrots as semi-hardy, sows 0-2 weeks before. In a cold, wet spring or a garden in a frost pocket, start toward the later end of that window.

The risk of going too early is bolting. Carrots are biennials, and Wisconsin Extension notes that 6-8 weeks below about 50°F can make them flower. A sowing that sits through a long cold spell may bolt in its first summer instead of forming a good root. Utah State names early planting as the usual cause of carrots that flower instead of sizing up.

Check the soil, not just the calendar

Soil temperature is the better trigger. Utah State says carrot seed can be sown once the soil reaches 40°F, and Maryland waits for 45°F. Germination is slow in cold soil, though. Clemson gives 55-75°F as the best range for sprouting, and Utah State says 55-65°F. Colorado State takes its readings 4 inches deep at 8 a.m.

At the other end, Utah State finds that soil above 80°F cuts germination, and Clemson says carrot seed won’t sprout above 95°F. That matters for late-spring and midsummer sowings.

Succession sowings

One sowing gives a short harvest window. For a steady supply, sow again every 3 weeks (Wisconsin) or every 4 weeks through midsummer (Utah State). In most areas, stop spring successions once the next batch would mature into the hottest part of summer, and switch to fall timing.

Fall: count back from the first frost

Fall is often the better carrot season. Nebraska Extension notes that cool-season crops maturing in fall’s shorter, cooler days often match or beat spring plantings. Illinois Extension adds that carrots sweeten as the soil chills, and the roots hold in the ground past light frosts.

To find your last safe sowing date:

  1. Find your average first fall frost date. The dates for your zone above already account for it.
  2. Count back the variety’s days to maturity from the seed packet. Purdue’s fall table assumes about 60 days for a fast carrot.
  3. Add about 14 days. Nebraska calls this the fall factor, because shorter, cooler days slow growth.

That method lands at roughly 9-12 weeks before the first frost for most carrots. Maryland recommends 10-12 weeks. Pick the fastest variety you can find for the latest sowings.

Late-summer seedbeds are hot and dry, which is hard on tiny carrot seed. Nebraska and Purdue suggest:

  • Cover the row with a light mulch of vermiculite, compost or potting mix to prevent crusting.
  • Shade the row with a board propped on bricks until the seedlings appear.
  • Water lightly two or three times a day in very hot weather so the surface never dries (Nebraska).

Regional timing

Cold North. Wisconsin sows spring carrots around April 15 in the south of the state and in late April in the north. Fall carrots sown in midsummer can be mulched heavily with straw and dug into early winter (Nebraska).

Humid South. Spring arrives quickly, so sow early. Clemson’s coastal South Carolina window runs from mid-December through January, with fall sowings in August. Inland and in the Piedmont, both windows shift later in spring and earlier in summer.

Arid West. In Utah and along Colorado’s Front Range, follow the frost-based dates and get spring crops in early. The low desert is different: University of Arizona’s Maricopa County calendar sows carrots from late summer through early spring and skips the summer months.

Pacific Northwest. Washington State University’s regional calendar adds a mid-August sowing of winter carrots, dug from February into June.

Warm-winter areas (zones 9-11). Treat carrots as a fall-to-spring crop. UF/IFAS plants from August or September through March. Texas A&M plants South Texas carrots from July through February. Cameron County in the Lower Rio Grande Valley sows from mid-September through December. Avoid sowing in the hottest months, when soil temperatures stop germination.

Where frost is rare

Where frost is rare, carrots are a fall-through-spring crop. Sow from late summer or early fall through late winter, and avoid sowing in the hottest months.

ZonePlanting months in Extension guides
Zone 9Sep-Mar (North Florida); Aug-mid Apr (Phoenix area, AZ)
Zone 10Aug-Mar (Central Florida); mid Sep-Dec (Lower Rio Grande Valley, TX)
Zone 11Sep-Mar (South Florida)

Based on UF/IFAS Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide VH021 Table 1 (North FL ~8b-9a -> zone_9, Central FL ~9b-10a -> zone_10, South FL ~10b-11 -> zone_11); University of Arizona AZ1005 Maricopa County calendar (low desert, ~zone 9b); Texas A&M AgriLife Cameron County Lower Rio Grande Valley guide (~zone 9b-10a). Warm-winter areas are matched to zones approximately, so use the months for your region.

How to grow carrotsYour full planting calendar

Questions

Can I plant carrots before the last frost?

Yes. Carrot seedlings tolerate light frost, and Utah State sows 2-3 weeks before the last frost date. Colorado State is more cautious and sows 0-2 weeks before it. Very early sowings risk bolting, because weeks of cold below about 50°F can trigger flowering.

Is it too late to plant carrots in July?

Usually not for a fall crop in most of the country. Count your variety's days to maturity back from the first fall frost and add about two weeks, because growth slows in fall. In much of the North, that puts the last sowing in mid- to late summer.

How warm does the soil need to be for carrots?

Seed can go in once the soil reaches about 40°F (Utah State) or 45°F (University of Maryland). It sprouts best at 55-75°F, slows above 80°F and fails above about 95°F.

When do you plant carrots in Florida?

UF/IFAS gives September through March for North and South Florida and August through March for Central Florida. Summer is the off-season.

Sources