When to plant carrot in Modesto
Carrot is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Modesto's frost dates of Jan 27.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Dec 26 – Jan 16
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Feb 24 – Mar 16
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 12 – Aug 26
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 18 – Nov 7
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 80 d
Modesto's 310-day season leaves this much room.
Carrot on Modesto'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
JAN 27
DEC 3
Common questions
When can I sow carrot outdoors in Modesto?
Direct-sow around late December (Dec 26–Jan 16) in Modesto, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 84%.
When will carrot be ready to harvest in Modesto?
Expect to harvest from around late February (Feb 24–Mar 16) in Modesto, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 78%.
Can I plant carrot in autumn in Modesto?
Yes — Modesto supports a second, autumn sowing of carrot around mid August (Aug 12–Aug 26), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Modesto?
Modesto has roughly 310 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 Modesto's frost dates.
Confidence 87/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.