When to plant carrot in Washington
Carrot is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Washington's frost dates of Mar 24.
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 26 – Aug 9
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 1 – Oct 21
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 80 d
Washington's 234-day season leaves this much room.
Carrot on Washington'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
MAR 24
NOV 17
Common questions
When can I sow carrot outdoors in Washington?
Direct-sow around mid March (Mar 12–Apr 2) in Washington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will carrot be ready to harvest in Washington?
Expect to harvest from around mid May (May 11–May 31) in Washington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant carrot in autumn in Washington?
Yes — Washington supports a second, autumn sowing of carrot around late July (Jul 26–Aug 9), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Washington?
Washington has roughly 234 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 Washington's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.