When to plant carrots
Short answer
Carrots are semi-hardy: seeds can go in 0–2 weeks before your average last frost. Seeds need soil of at least 40 °F to sprout.[1, 2, 3]
Carrots at a glance
| Frost tolerance | Semi-hardy [1, 2] |
|---|---|
| Plant outside (seeds) | 0–2 weeks before the average last frost [1, 2, 3] |
| Soil temperature for seeds | At least 40 °F; best around 80 °F [1] |
| Time to harvest | About 70 days [1] |
Spring planting
- Spring, seeds: Can go in as early as 0–2 weeks before the average last frost. Sow seeds directly in the garden: carrots don’t grow well as transplants. [1, 2, 3]
Example dates for some US cities
Based on each city's main airport weather station: the date with an even chance of frost after it (32 °F). [4] Your own dates can differ: use the ZIP code box above.
| City | Average last frost | Plant outside |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | Mar 30 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 |
| Atlanta, GA | Mar 15 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth, TX | Mar 8 | Feb 22 – Mar 8 |
| Chicago, IL | Apr 16 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 |
| Denver, CO | May 5 | Apr 21 – May 5 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 23 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 |
| Seattle, WA | Mar 2 | Feb 16 – Mar 2 |
Questions people ask
Can carrots survive frost?
Only a little: semi-hardy crops are less tolerant of frosty nights than hardy ones, which is why they go in closer to the last frost date. [1]
What soil temperature do carrots seeds need?
At least 40 °F; they sprout best around 80 °F. [1]
How long do carrots take to grow?
About 70 days. [1]
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on November 6, 2026. The wording is our own. Frost dates: NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; NOAA does not endorse this site. Some guides are written for Utah: we use only their general rules, not their local calendar dates.
- Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720). Colorado State University Extension. Reviewed Sep 2024.
- Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah. Utah State University Extension. Revised May 2025.
- Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors: I. Planning. Utah State University Extension. Feb 2025.
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (frost dates). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
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