🥕When to Plant Carrot (2026)
Sow directly — carrots hate being transplanted. Tolerates light frost.
- Type: Cool-season
- Method: Direct sow
- Days to harvest: 70
- Spacing: 3" apart
- Sun: Full sun
- Companions: onion, lettuce, tomato
Is Carrot right for your USDA zone?
Carrot is a cool-season crop, which means it thrives in the mild temperatures of spring and fall. Gardeners in zones 3a through 7b get the longest carrot season — you can plant in early spring and again in late summer for a fall harvest. In warmer zones (8a-10b), grow carrot as a winter crop from October through February when temperatures are coolest.
Carrot needs about 70 days from sowing to harvest, so any zone with at least 84frost-free days can grow it successfully. Check your zone's specific dates in the table below.
Carrot planting dates by zone (2026)
| Zone | Start Indoors | Sow / Transplant | Harvest From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | — | Apr 24 | Jul 3 |
| Zone 3b | — | Apr 24 | Jul 3 |
| Zone 4a | — | Apr 19 | Jun 28 |
| Zone 4b | — | Apr 14 | Jun 23 |
| Zone 5a | — | Apr 9 | Jun 18 |
| Zone 5b | — | Apr 4 | Jun 13 |
| Zone 6a | — | Mar 30 | Jun 8 |
| Zone 6b | — | Mar 25 | Jun 3 |
| Zone 7a | — | Mar 20 | May 29 |
| Zone 7b | — | Mar 15 | May 24 |
| Zone 8a | — | Mar 4 | May 13 |
| Zone 8b | — | Feb 22 | May 3 |
| Zone 9a | — | Feb 4 | Apr 15 |
| Zone 9b | — | Jan 20 | Mar 31 |
| Zone 10a | — | Jan 10 | Mar 21 |
| Zone 10b | — | Dec 25 | Mar 5 |