When to plant carrot in Durham
Carrot is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Durham's frost dates of Apr 2.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 12 – Apr 2
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 11 – May 31
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jul 17 – Jul 31
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Sep 22 – Oct 12
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 80 d
Durham's 218-day season leaves this much room.
Carrot on Durham'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 2
NOV 1
Common questions
When can I sow carrot outdoors in Durham?
Direct-sow around mid March (Mar 12–Apr 2) in Durham, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 83%.
When will carrot be ready to harvest in Durham?
Expect to harvest from around mid May (May 11–May 31) in Durham, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 75%.
Can I plant carrot in autumn in Durham?
Yes — Durham supports a second, autumn sowing of carrot around mid July (Jul 17–Jul 31), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Durham?
Durham has roughly 218 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 Durham's frost dates.
Confidence 83/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.