When to plant · 9 cities · zones 7a–8a
When to plant carrots in Arkansas
Direct sow nantes carrot around Mar 14 — the Arkansas statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Mar 28 across 615 ZIP codes and 117 NOAA stations.
The rule: Direct sow two weeks before the last frost and keep the top half-inch of soil damp for the 14–21 days it takes to germinate.
Arkansas carrots, by step
Statewide median last frost Mar 28, first fall frost Nov 5, 2027 season. Each cultivar's own indoor lead time and days to maturity, same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Cultivar | Start indoors | Sow | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Direct sow | Mar 14 | May 23 | 70 from sow |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost. Statewide dates are the ZIP-weighted median of every NOAA 1991–2020 station Arkansas's ZIP codes resolve to.
Carrots in Arkansas, city by city
Nantes Carrot, scheduled from each city's nearest NOAA station — the same dates as its frost page.
| City | Last frost | Sow | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rockzone 8a | Mar 21 | Mar 7 | May 16 |
| Fayettevillezone 7a | Apr 15 | Apr 1 | Jun 10 |
| Fort Smithzone 8a | Mar 25 | Mar 11 | May 20 |
| Springdalezone 7a | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 30 |
| Jonesborozone 7b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 27 |
| Rogerszone 7a | Apr 12 | Mar 29 | Jun 7 |
| Conwayzone 8a | Apr 2 | Mar 19 | May 28 |
| North Little Rockzone 8a | Mar 16 | Mar 2 | May 11 |
| Bentonvillezone 7a | Apr 12 | Mar 29 | Jun 7 |
What Arkansas carrots need
Scarlet Nantes Carrot Seed
The carrot that makes a fermented habanero sauce work. It brings sweetness and body so the sauce has texture without thickener and heat without being one-dimensional.
Organic Seed Starter Potting MixMust have
Seed-starting mix is not potting soil with a nicer label — it is finer, lighter, and low in nutrients on purpose, because a seedling's first roots want air and moisture, not fertiliser.
Ocean Forest Potting SoilMust have
Pre-charged with enough nutrition to carry a transplant for its first month without feeding, which is exactly the window when most container plants stall.
5-Gallon Fabric Grow Bags, 5-Pack
Fabric pots air-prune roots and drain faster than a plastic pot can, which is the entire reason container tomatoes fail. Five gallons is the honest minimum for a pepper; a tomato wants ten.
Rapitest Soil Test Kit
In-ground growers are guessing until they test. pH outside 6.0–6.8 locks nutrients out no matter how much fertiliser you add, and no amount of feeding fixes that.
3-in-1 Soil Moisture / Light / pH Tester
Used for one thing — is the root zone actually dry six inches down — it prevents both halves of the most common container failure. Ignore the pH scale on it entirely.
Garden Harvest Basket with Tool Caddy
A harvest basket that doubles as a colander means the hose rinse happens in the garden, and the dirt stays outside. On a 20-pound tomato day that is a genuine time saving.
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Carrots in Arkansas: questions
When should I plant carrots in Arkansas?
Direct sow around Mar 14 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 2 in the warmest tenth of Arkansas's ZIP codes to Mar 26 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 13 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Arkansas?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Mar 28. In the warmest tenth of Arkansas's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 16; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 9.
When will Arkansas carrots be ready to harvest?
Nantes Carrot planted on the statewide date is ready around May 23: 70 days from sow.
More for Arkansas
- When to plant tomatoes
- When to plant peppers
- When to plant tomatillos
- When to plant basil
- When to plant onions
- When to plant cilantro
- When to plant mustard greens
Carrots in every state → · Arkansas frost dates → · How frost-date math works →