PlantZoneFinder

When to plant carrot

Half-hardy · cool-season root

Carrot is a half-hardy, cool-season root that matures in about 60–80 days from sowing. Sow directly in the garden direct-sow about 2–3 weeks before the last frost. Because the right calendar date depends on your local frost dates, pick your ZIP or city on the home planner to see exact carrot planting windows for your location; the per-location pages list them city by city. Windows are extension-guide planning ranges, not guarantees.

Carrot at a glance

Planning parameters — typical ranges from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Category cool-season root
Frost tolerance Half-hardy
Start indoors Not usually — direct-sow
Plant out Direct-sow 2–3 wk before last frost
Days to maturity 60–80 days (from sow)
Min. soil temp 45°F
Second (fall) crop Yes — count back from first fall frost

Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.

Carrot planting windows by city

The exact dates depend on each location's average frost calendar. Here is carrot across 40 locations spanning the climate range — open one for its full printable calendar, or find your own dates with the ZIP planner.

Computed by counting from each location's NOAA 1991–2020 average frost dates.
Location Zone Start indoors Plant out First harvest
Adak, AK 8b — May 10 – May 17 Jul 9 – Jul 29
Fort Payne, AL 7b — Mar 8 – Mar 15 May 7 – May 27
Saratoga, AR 8b — Mar 5 – Mar 12 May 4 – May 24
Top-of-the-World, AZ 8a — Feb 3 – Feb 10 Apr 4 – Apr 24
Half Moon Bay, CA 10a — Jan 16 – Jan 23 Mar 17 – Apr 6
Rohnert Park, CA 9a — Feb 7 – Feb 14 Apr 8 – Apr 28
Ellicott, CO 6a — Apr 15 – Apr 22 Jun 14 – Jul 4
Millsboro, DE 7b — Mar 14 – Mar 21 May 13 – Jun 2
Yankeetown, FL 9b — Feb 7 – Feb 14 Apr 8 – Apr 28
Volcano, HI 11a — year-round —
Boise, ID 7a — Apr 3 – Apr 10 Jun 2 – Jun 22
Effingham, IL 6b — Mar 23 – Mar 30 May 22 – Jun 11
Indianapolis, IN 6a — Mar 31 – Apr 7 May 30 – Jun 19
Minneapolis, KS 6b — Mar 30 – Apr 6 May 29 – Jun 18
Bayou Blue, LA 9b — Jan 15 – Jan 22 Mar 16 – Apr 5
Glen Burnie, MD 8a — Mar 20 – Mar 27 May 19 – Jun 8
Elk Rapids, MI 6a — Apr 9 – Apr 16 Jun 8 – Jun 28
Dawson, MN 4b — Apr 12 – Apr 19 Jun 11 – Jul 1
Cayuga, OK 7a — Mar 25 – Apr 1 May 24 – Jun 13
Cleveland, MS 8b — Feb 21 – Feb 28 Apr 22 – May 12
Island Park, ID 4a — May 25 – Jun 1 Jul 24 – Aug 13
Hickory, NC 8a — Mar 10 – Mar 17 May 9 – May 29
Litchville, ND 4a — Apr 19 – Apr 26 Jun 18 – Jul 8
Plainview, NE 5b — Apr 9 – Apr 16 Jun 8 – Jun 28
Capulin, NM 5b — Apr 26 – May 3 Jun 25 – Jul 15
Gabbs, NV 6b — Apr 10 – Apr 17 Jun 9 – Jun 29
Madrid, NY 4b — Apr 8 – Apr 15 Jun 7 – Jun 27
London, OH 6a — Apr 3 – Apr 10 Jun 2 – Jun 22
Perkins, OK 7b — Mar 13 – Mar 20 May 12 – Jun 1
Shedd, OR 8b — Feb 21 – Feb 28 Apr 22 – May 12
Seltzer, PA 6a — Mar 26 – Apr 2 May 25 – Jun 14
Custer, SD 5a — May 2 – May 9 Jul 1 – Jul 21
Lynchburg, TN 7b — Mar 17 – Mar 24 May 16 – Jun 5
Early, TX 8a — Mar 1 – Mar 8 Apr 30 – May 20
Ozona, TX 8a — Mar 6 – Mar 13 May 5 – May 25
Fillmore, UT 6a — Apr 13 – Apr 20 Jun 12 – Jul 2
Hillsville, VA 7a — Apr 4 – Apr 11 Jun 3 – Jun 23
Green Bluff, WA 6b — May 1 – May 8 Jun 30 – Jul 20
Gordon, WI 4a — May 1 – May 8 Jun 30 – Jul 20
Elk Garden, WV 6b — Apr 9 – Apr 16 Jun 8 – Jun 28

How to time carrot

Carrot is a half-hardy cool-season root. Half-hardy crops tolerate light frost, so they can go out a few weeks before the last spring frost but should be protected from a hard freeze. Direct-sow 2–3 wk before last frost, once the soil is at least about 45°F. It matures in roughly 60–80 days from sowing. It also works as a fall crop: count back from the first fall frost by its days-to-maturity plus a short buffer.

Find your own dates on the home planner, browse all crops, or read the methodology for the offsets and citations behind these windows.

Frequently asked questions

Is carrot frost-tolerant?
Carrot is a half-hardy crop. Half-hardy crops tolerate light frost, so they can go out a few weeks before the last spring frost but should be protected from a hard freeze.
How long does carrot take to grow?
About 60–80 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on variety and weather. Days-to-maturity ranges are typical values from U.S. Cooperative Extension planting guides.
Can I direct-sow carrot?
Yes — carrot is usually direct-sown rather than started indoors. Sow direct-sow about 2–3 weeks before the last frost, once the soil is at least about 45°F.
Can I grow carrot as a fall crop?
Yes. Carrot is commonly grown as a second, fall crop by counting back from the average first fall frost by its days-to-maturity plus a short buffer. The per-location pages show a fall planting window where the season allows one.