When to plant carrot in Ottawa
Carrot is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Ottawa's frost dates of Apr 29.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 26 – May 17
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 25 – Jul 15
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jun 20 – Jul 4
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Aug 26 – Sep 15
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 80 d
Ottawa's 161-day season leaves this much room.
Carrot on Ottawa's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
APR 29
OCT 8
Common questions
When can I sow carrot outdoors in Ottawa?
Direct-sow around late April (Apr 26–May 17) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will carrot be ready to harvest in Ottawa?
Expect to harvest from around late June (Jun 25–Jul 15) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant carrot in autumn in Ottawa?
Yes — Ottawa supports a second, autumn sowing of carrot around mid June (Jun 20–Jul 4), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Ottawa?
Ottawa has roughly 161 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow carrot to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow carrot as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Ottawa's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.