When to sow Carrot in the UK
Carrot is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Carrot is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant's timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow outdoors | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| South Coast and Channel | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| South East and Home Counties | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| East Anglia | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| Wales and West Coast | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| Northern England | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| Northern Ireland | late February to early July | late May to late October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late February to early July | late May to late October |
Growing notes
Sow thinly to avoid thinning, which releases scent that attracts carrot fly; sowing after mid-May and lifting before late August avoids the worst carrot fly generations.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 6 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 20 cm
- Plants per m²
- 150
- Days to maturity
- 84 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.08 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 25 cm
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Succession sowing
Worth sowing in batches. Sow again every 21 days, up to about 4 sowings in a season, for a longer picking window rather than one glut.
What usually goes wrong
- carrot fly
- forked roots in stony soil
- root splitting
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for carrot.