When to plant · 1 city · zone 8a
When to plant carrots in Washington, DC
Direct sow nantes carrot around Mar 10 — the Washington, DC district-wide median, counted from a last spring frost of Mar 24 across 57 ZIP codes and 3 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.
Washington, DC carrots, by step
Statewide median last frost Mar 24, first fall frost Nov 18, 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 10 | May 19 | 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 Washington, DC's ZIP codes resolve to.
Carrots in Washington, DC, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washingtonzone 8a | Mar 29 | Mar 15 | May 24 |
What Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC: questions
When should I plant carrots in Washington, DC?
Direct sow around Mar 10 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 10 in the warmest tenth of Washington, DC's ZIP codes to Mar 26 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 6 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Washington, DC?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Mar 24. In the warmest tenth of Washington, DC's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 24; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 9.
When will Washington, DC carrots be ready to harvest?
Nantes Carrot planted on the statewide date is ready around May 19: 70 days from sow.
More for Washington, DC
- 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 → · Washington, DC frost dates → · How frost-date math works →