Carrots are a vegetable garden staple grown for their sweet crunchy roots that come in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes. And while they’re not difficult to grow, carrots can be a bit fussy to establish. Knowing how to plant carrot seeds can mean the difference between a so-so harvest or a bumper crop of homegrown roots. In this article you’ll learn when to plant carrot seeds, how to do it right, and get tips on caring for your crop. 

Why you need to know how to plant carrot seeds

As one of the most popular root crops, no vegetable garden is complete without several rows of carrots (Daucus carota). This cool season crop offers a wide range of types and varieties with roots in traditional orange as well as red, purple, white, and yellow. You’ll also find differing maturity times with the earliest carrots ready just 5 to 6 weeks from planting and others needing 3 months of growth before harvest. 

One of the most important steps for success is knowing how to plant carrot seeds. The tiny seeds need to be sown at the right time and planted at the proper depth. Too deep and they may never break through the soil, too shallow and they may dry up before they get a chance to germinate. Plus, if you overcrowd carrot seeds they grow so densely they won’t size up. Below you’ll get all my tips on planting, establishing, and harvesting a generous carrot crop.

Types of carrots

When choosing which types of carrot seeds to grow, consider your garden and growing season. If you have deep, loose soil, you can plant long-rooted Imperator types. If want to grow in pots and planters, it’s usually best to stick to a type with compact roots like Amsterdam or Chantenay. More on the six different types of carrots:

• Imperator – Imperator varieties are the classic carrots with long slender roots that taper to a sharp point. The can grow 10 inches or more in length, but require light, stone-free soil to ensure straight roots. 
• Chantenay – These are fun carrots to grow as they have a unique squat, conical shape. They can grow 4 to 5 inches at the shoulder, narrowing to a point. They’re perfect for gardens with heavy clay or shallow soils. 
• Danvers – The roots of Danvers varieties have a typical carrot shape with round shoulders and pointed roots. They grow up to 8 inches long and 1 to 1 1/2 inches across at the top. 
• Nantes – Nantes are my favorite type of carrot to grow. Most varieties are relatively early to mature, and excellent in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. They’re often described as ‘cigar’ shaped as they have blunt, not pointed tips. They grow 7 to 8 inches long.
• Amsterdam – Want true baby carrots? Plant Amsterdam varies. The slender roots can be harvested when just 3 to 4 inches long or wait until they reach their mature 6 to 7 inch size. They have a sweet taste and are early to crop. 
• Paris Market – Also called ‘Parisian’, these pint-sized varieties have rounded roots that grow 1 to 2 inches across. They have a sweet flavor and are perfect for pots and gardens with shallow soil.

Preparing the garden for planting carrots

Give your crop the best start by doing a little garden prep before you sow carrot seeds. This root vegetable prefers a site that offers full sun and deep, loose soil. It should be free of stones and debris so the roots are able to grow straight. Raised beds are ideal for growing carrots, especially if your native region has clay soil. Sandier soils are fine for carrots, but I’d suggest adding compost to boost the fertility before planting.

I incorporate about an inch of compost to my raised beds, but don’t go too heavy on organic matter like manure as too much nitrogen can prompt stunted, hairy, or even forked roots. For this reason also avoid high nitrogen fertilizers. If a soil test shows nutrient deficiencies in your soil, you can apply a balanced organic vegetable fertilizer that provides some nitrogen, but also nutrients like phosphorous and potassium. Like most vegetables, the ideal soil pH for carrots is in the 6.0 to 6.8 range. 

How to plant carrot seeds

Carrot seeds are best direct sown outdoors, not started inside because they don’t transplant well. The roots of transplanted carrots may grow forked or stunted. Yet because the seeds are quite small, it’s easy to plant too many, resulting in dense clumps of seedlings that need to be thinned. My strategy is to mix my seed packet of carrot seeds with a tablespoon of sand or vermiculite. This makes seed sowing easier and more uniform.

Plant the seeds a half inch deep and a half inch apart in 2 inch wide bands. Space the rows 16 to 24 inches apart, depending on the variety. The key to good carrot seed germination is to pay close attention to soil moisture for the first few weeks. Maintain a lightly damp soil – don’t let the soil dry out and crust over as this makes it very hard for the seeds to break through. I find laying a length of floating row cover overtop my just-planted carrot bed helps retain moisture for good germination. Expect it to take 7 to 21 days for the seeds to sprout, depending on the temperature. 

If you find sowing tiny carrot seeds challenging you can buy pelleted seeds which are coated in organic clay. These are easier to plant and space properly, but they are more expensive. And you need to be extra mindful about soil moisture to help dissolve the coating and prompt germination. 

When to plant carrot seeds: 4 options

As for timing, carrots can be seeded at different times of the year for the longest possible harvest. I enjoy homegrown carrots in late spring, summer, autumn, and even winter! Here are 4 options for when and how to plant carrot seeds:

1) How to plant carrot seeds for a spring crop

Carrots thrive in the cool weather of spring and to encourage the earliest crop I plant fast maturing varieties like Yaya, Mokum, and Adelaide. The roots of Adelaide, for example, are ready to pull just 50 to 55 days from seeding. I start to direct sow early carrots 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost. If the temperatures stay cool, the seeds are slow to germinate and it may take up to 3 weeks to see the tiny sprouts. A cold frame, mini greenhouse, polytunnel, or other type of season extender is an easy way to speed up germination, but it also allows you to plant carrots even earlier. 

2) How to plant carrot seeds for a summer harvest

For a summer crop I plant carrot seeds in spring opting for maincrop varieties like Scarlet Nantes, Purple Dragon, Rainbow, and Imperator. These need around 65 to 75 days of growth before the roots mature. Sow the seeds in early, mid, or late spring. Carrots germinate best when the temperature is between 50 to 85 degrees F (10 to 30 degrees C), however if sowing seeds in high temperatures you’ll need to water more often to keep the soil consistently moist for germination. 

3 How to plant carrot seeds for a fall harvest

Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables to grow in autumn because the roots taste even sweeter after a few frosts. However, to enjoy the reward of fall carrots, I need to plant several months earlier, in mid-summer, or about 10 to 12 weeks before the first fall frost. My go-to carrots for fall include Imperator, Purple Haze, Sugarsnax 54, and Glow Stix Moonrise Mix. 

As noted above, establishing carrots when the temperatures are high and the soil is dry isn’t easy. This is where a mini hoop tunnel comes in handy. I bend lengths of 12 gauge wire in a U-shape overtop my just-seeded carrot bed, covering the hoops with a length of shade cloth or row cover. This reduces the temperature and slows moisture evaporation from the soil to promote good germination. Check daily and water often. Once the majority of the seeds sprout, remove the cover. 

4) How to plant carrot seeds for a winter crop

It’s a treat to be able to harvest sweet carrots all winter long – and it’s easier than you think! Just use the same planting schedule and strategies for autumn carrots. I direct seed 10 to 12 weeks before the first frost, depending on the variety, and use a mini hoop tunnel to improve germination rates.

You can seed winter carrots in cold frames, beds to be deep mulched, or in a greenhouse. As temperatures drop in late autumn, deep mulch your carrot beds with a foot or more of straw or shredded leaves. I top this with a piece of old row cover to ensure the insulating materials don’t blow away in winter storms. Mulching prevents the soil from deep freezing and allows me to dig super sweet carrots all winter long. 

Tips on caring for carrots

• Thinning – Even with careful seed sowing you’ll likely need to thin your carrot seedlings when they’re a couple of inches tall. My first thinning is to remove every second seedling so that the remaining plants are an inch apart. About a month later, I do a second thinning, removing every second seedling once again so the remaining roots are two inches apart. At this point thinning the carrots results in a bumper crop of tender baby roots that are sweet and delicious! 
• Watering – Maintain a lightly damp soil, but don’t overwater. If there has been no rain, I deep water weekly using a long-handled watering wand. 
• Weeding – Carefully remove weeds as they sprout as dense weed growth quickly chokes out carrot seedlings. I like to use a collinear hoe, running it down the rows to easily pluck out any weeds. 
• Hill soil – As your carrot crop grows, hill soil up over the shoulders of the roots if they start to heave out of the soil. This prevents greening and reduces bitterness. 

When to harvest carrots

No matter the time of year, my first carrot harvest is from thinning the roots. At this point the roots are just 2 to 3 inches long and very tender. The main carrot harvest takes place as the ‘days to maturity’ for my selected varieties approaches. This can range from 60 to 85 days, depending on the variety. Yet in reality, you can harvest carrots at almost any stage, so I often wander out to the garden to pull a handful of roots for the kitchen. Read our in-depth guide on harvesting carrots for fresh eating or storage.

One of the benefits of growing your own carrots – even in winter! – is harvesting the roots as you need them. If you wish to harvest the entire crop, storage options include placing the roots in damp sand in a cool spot like a basement, or for short-term storage, keeping carrots in the refrigerator. 

Carrot pest and disease issues

While carrots are generally easy to grow, there are a few pests and diseases issues to keep in mind. These include insects like carrot rust flies, sometimes called carrot fly, and leafhopper. Be sure to practice crop rotation and if these have been a problem in the past, set up tunnels covered with row cover or insect netting to exclude the insects.

The best way to prevent carrot diseases, like aster yellows, Cercospora leaf spot, and leaf blight is to follow a good crop rotation and space rows at the proper distance to allow good air flow. 

For more information on growing carrots be sure to read these articles:

• How to grow carrots in containers
• Tips on when and how to thin carrots
• How to tell when carrots are ready to harvest
• Grow a rainbow of carrots! The best bright-hued varieties