Vegetable · Apiaceae

When to plant carrots

Sow in the final bed or container. Disturbing the young taproot during transplanting can produce forked or misshapen roots.

Sow direct

3 weeks before

Counted from your last spring frost.

Days to maturity (estimate)

60-80

From sowing to first harvest; cultivar and conditions matter.

Frost tolerance

Hardy

How much cold the plant itself will take.

Choose a place for estimated dates and local climate checks.

Timing, in frost-relative terms

These offsets are the starting assumptions used by our calendar for carrots. They do not establish suitability in every climate. Your seed packet, cultivar and local growing advice take priority; in frost-free places the calendar uses monthly temperature patterns instead.

  • Sow direct 3 weeks before the last frost.
  • Expect 60–80 days to maturity, counted from sowing.
  • Sow again every 21 days for a continuous supply.
  • Can also be sown in late summer for an autumn crop or to overwinter.

Getting the timing right

Prepare a fine seedbed and remove stones. Keep the surface evenly moist while seeds germinate; a dry crust can stop small seedlings emerging.

Frost tolerance

Check the named variety and local forecast before exposing young growth. The catalog cold-damage figure is a reference, not a guarantee: plant age, acclimatisation, wind and the duration of a freeze affect damage.

Classified as hardy, with a catalog cold-damage reference of -6°C (21.2°F). Exposure duration, growth stage and acclimatisation change cold tolerance.

How to use a frost date without treating it as a promise

Before you plant carrots

Use the calendar to plan ahead, then check the conditions in your own garden.

  • Measure the soil at sowing depth. Aim for at least 7°C (44.6°F); the calendar estimates soil warmth from air temperatures and cannot measure your bed.
  • Frost tolerance does not make saturated or frozen soil suitable for planting. Wait until the bed can be worked without smearing or compacting it.
  • Use the maturity range on your seed packet when choosing a variety. Cold, short days and transplant stress can make harvest later than the calendar estimate.

Getting a reliable carrot crop

Prepare a fine seedbed and remove stones. Keep the surface evenly moist while seeds germinate; a dry crust can stop small seedlings emerging.

Choose a short-rooted variety for shallow containers or heavy soil. Thin crowded seedlings to the spacing on the packet so roots have room to develop.

Repeat small sowings while the local window is open. The final sowing needs enough time to reach maturity before growth slows in cold weather.

Further reading: RHS carrot growing guide . General crop guidance; local dates on this site are calculated separately. Source checked 18 September 2026 by Safe to Plant; this is not an expert review.

How the dates are calculated and their limits · Keep a growing record · Report a local discrepancy

Local planting estimates

Carrots in…

Shanghai China Beijing China Shenzhen China Guangzhou China Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Istanbul Turkey Lagos Nigeria Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Chengdu China Lahore Pakistan Mumbai India São Paulo Brazil Mexico City Mexico Karachi Pakistan Tianjin China Delhi India Wuhan China Moscow Russia Dhaka Bangladesh Seoul South Korea Tokyo Japan Dongguan China Cairo Egypt Xi’an China Nanjing China Hangzhou China Foshan China London United Kingdom New York City United States Jakarta Indonesia