Carrot
Nantes Carrot, Chantenay Carrot, Danvers Carrot, Imperator Carrot, Baby Carrot, Carrot
Requires loose, deep, rock-free soil — compaction causes forking. Sow directly 2–4 weeks before last frost; don't transplant. Thin to 2–3" — crowding causes stunted, deformed roots. Keep moist during germination (10–14 days). Leave in ground for 2–3 weeks after maturity in cold weather for maximum sweetness. Mulch for extended fall harvest.
- Germination
- 10–21 days
- Soil temperature
- 7–29 °C
- Harvest after sowing
- 60–80 days
- Spacing
- 5–8 cm
When to plant carrot
Sow outdoors from 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last spring frost.
Dashed line: typical last spring frost in zone 7 (Apr 5). Zone dates are averages; most of the UK is zone 8–9, central Europe 6–7 and the Baltics and Scandinavia 4–6. In the app, Tomatograph uses your garden's own frost dates.
How to grow carrot
- 1
Prepare the soil
Carrots need deep, loose, stone-free soil; compacted or stony ground makes forked roots. Don't add fresh manure before sowing.
- 2
Sow
Sow thinly 6 mm deep from three weeks before to two weeks after the last frost. Keep the surface moist: seeds take 10–21 days to appear.
- 3
Thin
Thin to 5–8 cm apart. Crowded carrots stay small and twisted. Thin in the evening and firm the soil afterwards to avoid attracting carrot fly.
- 4
Harvest
Lift from about 60–80 days after sowing. In cold weather, leaving mature roots in the ground for 2–3 weeks makes them sweeter. Sow every three weeks for a steady supply.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun
Water
Medium water
Temperature
4–27 °C
Frost tolerance
Frost-hardy — tolerates frost
Days to maturity
75 days
Plant spacing
5 cm
Ideal soil pH
6.5–7
How Tomatograph watches your carrot
Tomatograph checks your local forecast every morning and only speaks up when one of these applies to your garden.
- First frost within 14 daysReminder to mulch the roots before winter.
- 3 days at 35 °C or aboveHeat-wave alert while plants are flowering or fruiting: shade and water early.
- Humidity above 80% for 48 hoursCheck for aster yellows, which thrives in those conditions.
- Within a week of maturityHarvest-window reminder based on when you planted.
Carrot questions
- When should I plant carrot?
- Sow outdoors from 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last spring frost.
- How long do carrot seeds take to germinate?
- Usually 10–21 days at a soil temperature of 7–29 °C.
- How long until I can harvest carrot?
- About 60–80 days after sowing, depending on variety and weather.
- How far apart should I plant carrot?
- Allow 5–8 cm between plants.
- What grows well with carrot?
- Good neighbours include onion, leek, lettuce, pea.
Growing guide written by Tomatograph. Planting figures from openplantdb (CC0 1.0). Zone frost dates are averages from openplantdb (CC0 1.0).