Growing Carrots In Your Raised Garden Bed

Nov 5, 2025

Carrots come in dozens of colors and sizes. They are also highly tolerant of a wide range of temperatures, from freezing to warm, making them an ideal crop to grow during the fall, spring, and, for some gardeners, even the winter months.

Growing Carrots In Your Raised Garden Bed

How to Grow Carrots: Tips and Timelines

Depending on your growing zone, there are different times of the year when you can safely plant carrot seeds outdoors. As you plant closer to winter, you'll need to be more attentive to unexpected freezes, especially if your carrots are still young seedlings. If you've just missed your ideal date range or wish to plant further into the cold seasons, sow faster-maturing varieties or add a covering to help retain soil warmth. Here's one of our very first videos on how to make a simple greenhouse covering for your garden. You can also find your growing zone here if you don't know it yet .

Carrot Planting Date Ranges By Growing Zones

Zone 3: Late-April to Late-August

Zone 4: Mid-April to Early-September

Zone 5: Early April to Early June | Early August to Mid-September

Zone 6: Early April to Late May | Early August to Early-October

Zone 7: Early March to Mid-May | Mid-August to Early November

Zone 8: Mid-February to Mid-April | Early September to Mid-November

Zone 9: Mid-January to Mid-April | Mid-September to Mid-November

Zones 10 & 11: Late September to Mid-March

Essential Tips for Growing Carrots

Spacing: Carrots are grown 12-16 plants per Garden Grid™ square.
Planting: Seeds only need to be planted 1/4" deep & thrive in loose soil, making carrots ideal for raised garden beds.
Temperature: Carrots prefer mild to cold weather to mature (40 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit soil temp), but they can withstand prolonged frost as they approach maturity. You can keep your garden's soil temperature warmer by keeping it moist & mulched. Here are some additional garden frost management tips to keep your plants growing through the cold.
Watering:
- Seeds & seedlings: Water daily until established (here are tips on that).
- Mature Plants: Water often enough to keep the soil moist ~2" below the surface.
Sunlight: Carrots do best in moderate to full sun, so make sure they're grown in an area that receives 6 or more hours of sun exposure per day.
Harvest: Harvest time typically ranges from 50 to 80 days after planting, depending on the variety you choose.