When to plant · 22 cities · zones 5b–7a
When to plant carrots in Colorado
Direct sow nantes carrot around Apr 23 — the Colorado statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of May 7 across 493 ZIP codes and 190 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.
Colorado carrots, by step
Statewide median last frost May 7, first fall frost Oct 6, 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 | Apr 23 | Jul 2 | 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 Colorado's ZIP codes resolve to; 34 of 527 ZIPs have no datable freeze and are left out.
Carrots in Colorado, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denverzone 6a | May 4 | Apr 20 | Jun 29 |
| Colorado Springszone 6a | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 28 |
| Aurorazone 6a | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 30 |
| Fort Collinszone 5b | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 28 |
| Lakewoodzone 6a | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 28 |
| Thorntonzone 6a | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 |
| Arvadazone 6a | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 30 |
| Westminsterzone 6a | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 |
| Greeleyzone 5b | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 |
| Pueblozone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | Jun 21 |
| Centennialzone 6a | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 30 |
| Boulderzone 6a | May 6 | Apr 22 | Jul 1 |
| Longmontzone 5b | May 7 | Apr 23 | Jul 2 |
| Castle Rockzone 5b | May 9 | Apr 25 | Jul 4 |
| Lovelandzone 5b | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 28 |
| Broomfieldzone 6a | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 |
| Grand Junctionzone 7a | Apr 28 | Apr 14 | Jun 23 |
| Commerce Cityzone 6a | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 28 |
| Parkerzone 5b | May 9 | Apr 25 | Jul 4 |
| Littletonzone 6a | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 |
| Brightonzone 5b | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 28 |
| Windsorzone 5b | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 28 |
What Colorado 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 Colorado: questions
When should I plant carrots in Colorado?
Direct sow around Apr 23 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Apr 16 in the warmest tenth of Colorado's ZIP codes to May 23 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 21 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Colorado?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is May 7. In the warmest tenth of Colorado's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 30; in the coldest tenth, on or after Jun 6.
When will Colorado carrots be ready to harvest?
Nantes Carrot planted on the statewide date is ready around Jul 2: 70 days from sow.
More for Colorado
- 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 → · Colorado frost dates → · How frost-date math works →