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- Start indoors
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- Fall crop
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Historical frost averages plus extension guidance, not a forecast. Check the forecast and soil temperature before planting.
Sow carrots outside from about 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last spring frost. For a fall crop, sow 12–14 weeks before your first fall frost. Carrot seed sprouts in soil as cool as 40°F, but it's slow; it's fastest when the soil is 50°F or warmer.
- Frost tolerance
- Semi-hardy: light frost
- Soil temperature
- Sprouts at 40°F+, best 45–85°F
- Days to harvest
- 65–80 days
The rule we use
- Sow outdoors: 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after the last spring frost
- Sow for fall: 12–14 weeks before the first fall frost
Getting carrots to sprout
Carrot seed is tiny, sown shallow and slow to come up, often 1–3 weeks. The top half inch of soil must stay moist the whole time. If it dries out or forms a crust, the seedlings can't push through.
Sow about ¼ inch deep and cover with fine soil, sand or compost. Water gently every day or two, or lay a board or burlap over the row and lift it as soon as you see green. Thin seedlings to 2–3 inches apart once they're a couple of inches tall.
Soil for straight roots
Carrots fork and twist in stony, lumpy or heavy clay soil. Loosen the bed 10–12 inches deep and remove stones. In clay, grow shorter varieties or use a raised bed.
Go easy on fresh manure and high-nitrogen fertilizer, which make hairy, forked roots and lots of leaves. Compost dug in the season before is ideal.
Fall carrots are sweeter
Carrots that mature in cool fall weather are often sweeter, because the cold makes the roots store sugar. Sow in midsummer, keep the seedbed shaded and moist through the heat, and harvest after a few light frosts.
In many areas you can leave fall carrots in the ground under a thick layer of straw and dig them through early winter, until the ground freezes hard.
Seeds and supplies for carrots
- Carrot seeds at True Leaf Market
- Park Seed for seeds and young plants.
- A soil thermometer to check the soil is warm enough before sowing.
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Questions about planting carrots
How early can I plant carrots?
About 2–3 weeks before your last spring frost, once the soil can be worked. Young carrots handle light frost.
Why didn't my carrot seeds come up?
Usually the soil surface dried out or crusted over. Keep the top half inch moist until seedlings appear, which can take up to 3 weeks in cool soil.
When should I plant carrots for fall?
About 12–14 weeks before your first fall frost, which is usually July or early August. Enter your ZIP above for exact dates.
Sources
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland (2026), University of Maryland Extension
- Vegetables for Spring and Fall Planting; Vegetables for Summer Planting, University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners
- Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah, Utah State University Extension
- Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720), Colorado State University Extension
- Soil temperature conditions for vegetable seed germination, Oregon State University Extension
- Frost dates: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (doi:10.25921/4ek7-fk11)