When To Plant Delicious Carrots Outdoors

There’s nothing like the taste of a homegrown carrot; I’m a firm believer that you won’t find anything more crisp and flavorful at the supermarket. Carrots are among my favorite root vegetables to grow in the garden; they don’t take up a lot of space, can be grown alongside or under many other plants, and offer decent yields. This guide will help you grow highly nutritious and delicious carrots in the home garden, steps away from the kitchen!

Carrots & Cold Tolerance

Did you know that carrots taste sweeter after a couple of frosts? Carrots are semi-hardy plants, meaning they can tolerate light frosts down to 28°F (-2 °C). If you have row covers, cold frames, or hoop houses, they can survive even cooler temperatures. Germination rates will be slower in the cold, but you can absolutely get started in sub-zero temperatures, making growing carrots all the more appealing. Expect the first leaves to emerge about three weeks after planting.   

Succession Sowing Carrots

Carrots are best direct-sown in the garden, which can be done about 3 to 5 weeks before the last frost date in your region. For multiple harvests, sow seeds every 3 weeks, but keep in mind that they grow, mature, and taste better in cooler temperatures than in summer heat. Sow a last batch of carrot seeds 12 weeks before the first fall frost. This sowing will ensure a final harvest just before the snow flies. 

How to Plant Carrots in the Garden

Whether in a raised bed, container, or in the ground, carrots prefer loose, fluffy, sandy soil at least 12 inches deep. For best results, plant them in a spot that gets full sun or partial shade. Remove stones before planting, as they can lead to misshapen veggies. Don’t bother with manure or fertilizer; this will lead to carrot forking. The Farmer’s Almanac recommends working old coffee grounds into the soil instead. Sow the seeds ¼ of an inch deep, 3 to 4 inches apart in rows one foot apart. Carrot seeds are small, so achieving this will be difficult; consider using pelleted seeds if you can find them. These seed types are coated with a natural, degradable material that makes spacing much easier. If you can’t find pelleted seeds, don’t stress; we’ll talk about thinning a little later! After sowing the seeds, cover them with a layer of vermiculite or compost. In his book, The Vegetable Gardening Book, Joe Lamp’l recommends covering the seeds with old burlap sacks to keep the soil moist for the longer germination period.  I love to plant carrots beneath taller crops, like tomatoes, or interplant them with other quick-growing veggies, like radishes. 

Growing Carrots in Grow Bags

If you don’t have a large space but happen to have a sunny patio or balcony, you can still grow carrots at home! Many root crops do quite well in grow bags provided they are deep enough, and the soil conditions are right (see above). Carrots do best in 10-gallon bags or bigger. 

Carrot Pests

Carrot plants are prone to some pest problems, including carrot rust fly, flea beetles, root-knot nematodes, and wireworm. To help prevent pests, you can install floating row covers immediately after planting the seeds, removing them only for watering, thinning, and harvesting. 

Thinning Carrot Seeds

Carrot seeds are tiny, so getting the spacing right at planting is extremely challenging. If you don’t have pelleted seeds, you’ll notice the leaves of several plants pop up in the same spot. Thinning the plants is absolutely necessary for proper growth. Go through your carrot rows with a pair of scissors, leaving only one carrot plant every 2 to 4 inches. Nobody said this was going to be fun or enjoyable; thinning carrots is a tedious task, and it’ll take some time to get the job done. 

Favorite Carrot Varieties

I’ve experimented with a few different carrot seeds over the years, and these are some of my favorites: 

• Danvers Half-Long 
• Witches Fingers 
• Atlas 
• Scarlet Nantes