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When to plant carrots

Carrot family, Daucus carota subsp. sativus

Spacing
3″ apart
Per sq ft
16
To harvest
60–80 days
Frost
Light frost OK

Companion plants for carrots

What to grow next to carrots, what to keep away, and what is only tradition. Every pairing says how strong the evidence is.

Grow together 11

Helps, or shares the bed well.

  • Onion Mixed Interplanting onions or leeks reduced carrot fly in some trials, but only with several onion rows per carrot row; a token onion does nothing.

    Onion guide

  • Leek Mixed Interplanting onions or leeks reduced carrot fly in some trials, but only with several onion rows per carrot row; a token onion does nothing.

    Leek guide

  • Bell pepper Practical Low, quick crops use the space between slow-growing pepper plants without competing for light.

    Bell pepper guide

  • Hot pepper Practical Low, quick crops use the space between slow-growing pepper plants without competing for light.

    Hot pepper guide

  • Bush bean Practical Root crops and beans use different soil depths and seldom compete.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Bush bean guide

  • Pole bean Practical Root crops and beans use different soil depths and seldom compete.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Pole bean guide

  • Pea Practical Peas grow up while carrots grow down; both like cool spring weather.

    Pea guide

  • Lettuce Practical Shallow-rooted lettuce and deep-rooted carrots share a bed without competing.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Lettuce guide

  • Red leaf lettuce Practical Shallow-rooted lettuce and deep-rooted carrots share a bed without competing.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Red leaf lettuce guide

  • Radish Practical Radishes sprout fast, mark the slow carrot row and break the soil crust for the carrots.

    Radish guide

  • Garlic Practical Slim onion foliage casts little shade, so low crops grow between the rows.

    Garlic guide

Keep apart 3

Shared pests, disease or competition.

  • Dill Practical Same family: dill shares carrot rust fly and, if both flower, can cross with carrots grown for seed.

    Dill guide

  • Parsnip Practical Same family, same pests (carrot rust fly, leaf blights). Spread them out.

    Parsnip guide

  • Celery Practical Same family, same pests (carrot rust fly, leaf blights). Spread them out.

    Celery guide

Tradition only 6

On many charts, with little or no evidence.

  • Tomato Tradition Said to help “Carrots love tomatoes” is a famous book title, not a research finding. They don’t compete much, which is the real reason it works.

    Tomato guide

  • Cherry tomato Tradition Said to help “Carrots love tomatoes” is a famous book title, not a research finding. They don’t compete much, which is the real reason it works.

    Cherry tomato guide

  • Chives Tradition Said to help Said to improve carrot flavor. No evidence.

    Chives guide

  • Rosemary Tradition Said to help Said to repel carrot fly by scent; field tests of aromatic repellents have failed.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Rosemary guide

  • Sage Tradition Said to help Said to repel carrot fly by scent; field tests of aromatic repellents have failed.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Sage guide

  • Parsley Tradition Said to help Traditional pairing; both are in the carrot family and share pests.

    Parsley guide

Studied Field or lab research shows an effect, at least under some conditions.
Mixed Some studies find an effect, others don’t, or it only works in a narrow way.
Practical Explained by light, space, timing, support or a shared pest or disease.
Tradition Widely repeated, but with little or no evidence behind it.

See every pairing side by side in the companion planting chart, or try them in a bed with the garden planner.

When to plant carrots by city

Sow carrots outdoors from 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost. For a fall crop, sow 10–12 weeks before your first fall frost. Here is what that means for 2027 in cities across the US, using each city’s average frost dates (NOAA 1991–2020). Pick the city with the climate most like yours, or enter your ZIP code above.

City Last frost Sow outdoors Fall crop
Seattle, WA (9a) Mar 13 Feb 20 – Mar 27 Aug 25 – Sep 8
Portland, OR (8b) Feb 25 Feb 4 – Mar 11 Sep 8–22
Sacramento, CA (9b) Jan 12 Dec 22 – Jan 26 Sep 23 – Oct 7
Phoenix, AZ (10a) Jan 5 Dec 15 – Jan 19 Oct 11–25
Salt Lake City, UT (7b) Mar 31 Mar 10 – Apr 14 Aug 16–30
Denver, CO (6a) Apr 30 Apr 9 – May 14 Jul 20 – Aug 3
Dallas, TX (8b) Mar 2 Feb 9 – Mar 16 Sep 6–20
Minneapolis, MN (5a) Apr 23 Apr 2 – May 7 Jul 24 – Aug 7
Kansas City, MO (6b) Apr 4 Mar 14 – Apr 18 Aug 10–24
Chicago, IL (6b) Apr 10 Mar 20 – Apr 24 Aug 13–27
Columbus, OH (6b) Apr 20 Mar 30 – May 4 Aug 1–15
Nashville, TN (7b) Apr 1 Mar 11 – Apr 15 Aug 8–22
Atlanta, GA (8a) Mar 24 Mar 3 – Apr 7 Aug 16–30
Raleigh, NC (8a) Mar 28 Mar 7 – Apr 11 Aug 16–30
Philadelphia, PA (7b) Mar 30 Mar 9 – Apr 13 Aug 25 – Sep 8
Boston, MA (7a) Apr 4 Mar 14 – Apr 18 Aug 17–31

In frost-free parts of Florida, southern California and the Gulf Coast, timing is about heat instead: grow carrots from fall through winter.

Carrot spacing

In a square-foot bed, plant 16 per square foot. In traditional rows, space plants about 3 inches apart with 12 inches between rows.

Keep the seedbed moist for the 2–3 weeks carrots take to sprout.

One square foot planted with carrots, as drawn in the planner.

How to grow carrots

Carrots are easy once you get them to sprout; the 2–3 weeks they take to come up is where most first attempts fail. Loose, stone-free soil gives long straight roots, and short varieties work in heavier soil or containers.

Sun and soil

Full sun and deep, loose, well-drained soil, ideally sandy loam, with a pH of about 6.0–6.8. In clay, use a raised bed or grow short types. Water evenly to keep roots from cracking.

Planting

  1. Sow ¼ inch deep from 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after the last frost, once soil is at least 45°F.
  2. Keep the seedbed constantly moist until seedlings emerge, which takes 2–3 weeks. A board or row cover laid over the row helps; lift it as soon as sprouts show.
  3. Thin to 3 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart when seedlings have a few true leaves.
  4. For a fall crop, sow 10–12 weeks before the first fall frost.

Care

  • Water regularly; wet-dry swings cause split roots.
  • Avoid fresh manure and heavy nitrogen, which cause forked, hairy roots.
  • Pull a little soil or mulch over exposed shoulders to keep them from turning green.
  • Weed carefully and early; carrot seedlings are small and slow.

Harvest

Carrots are ready when the roots reach full color and size for the variety; brush back soil at the top to check thickness. Loosen soil with a fork before pulling. Fall carrots sweeten after frost. Twist off tops and store at 32°F with high humidity.

Common problems

  • Forked or stunted roots: Caused by rocks, compacted soil or fresh manure. Loosen soil deeply and add well-rotted compost.
  • Cracked roots: From uneven watering. Keep soil steadily moist and harvest on time.
  • Carrot rust fly: Rusty tunnels in roots from small maggots. Cover rows with row cover from sowing and rotate the bed.
  • Aster yellows: Yellow, bunched leaves and hairy, bitter roots, spread by leafhoppers. Pull infected plants; row cover keeps leafhoppers off.

Varieties to try

  • 'Scarlet Nantes' — sweet, cylindrical, blunt tip
  • 'Danvers Half Long' — tapered, handles heavier soil
  • 'Red Cored Chantenay' — short and stout, good for clay
  • 'Bolero' — Nantes-type hybrid that stores well

Crop rotation

Carrots belong to the carrot family (Apiaceae). Carrot rust fly and leaf blights carry over. Light feeders. Relatives that count as the same family for rotation: parsnip, celery, parsley, cilantro, dill.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant carrots?
Sow carrots outdoors from 3 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost. For a fall crop, sow 10–12 weeks before your first fall frost. Type your ZIP code above for exact dates, or see the city table.
What grows well with carrots?
Good neighbors for carrots include onion, leek, bell pepper, hot pepper, bush bean and pole bean. Each one is listed above with the reason and how strong the evidence is.
What should not be planted with carrots?
Keep carrots apart from dill, parsnip and celery. Same family: dill shares carrot rust fly and, if both flower, can cross with carrots grown for seed.
How far apart should I plant carrots?
In rows, space carrots about 3 inches apart with rows 12 inches apart. In a square-foot bed, plant 16 per square foot.
How long do carrots take to grow?
About 60–80 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on the variety and the weather.
Can carrots handle frost?
Carrots tolerate a light frost but not a hard freeze. Cover them if temperatures will drop into the mid-20s °F.

Sources

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