Carrot
Daucus carota subsp. sativus
Sow outdoors 2 weeks before your last spring frost. Space plants 2 in (5 cm) apart.
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 2.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Direct Sow
From seedRecommended- Sow outdoors2 weeks before your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 70 days after sowing
Optimal Fall Direct Sow
From seed- Sow outdoors13 weeks before your first fall frost
- First harvestabout 70 days after sowing
Growing carrot
- Spacing in the row
- 2 in (5 cm)
- Between rows
- 12 in (30 cm)
- Planting depth
- 1/4 inch
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Soil
- Loose, sandy, stone-free soil
- Life cycle
- Biennial
Direct sow; thin seedlings. Keep moist for germination.
Feeding
- How often
- At planting, then once at midseason. Skip the side-dressing if the tops stay deep green; avoid high-nitrogen feeds and fresh manure, which give leafy tops and forked roots.
Your carrot, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.