When to plant · 23 cities · zones 6a–7a
When to plant carrots in Indiana
Direct sow nantes carrot around Apr 8 — the Indiana statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 22 across 807 ZIP codes and 124 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.
Indiana carrots, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 22, first fall frost Oct 20, 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 8 | Jun 17 | 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 Indiana's ZIP codes resolve to.
Carrots in Indiana, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapoliszone 6b | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | Jun 15 |
| Fort Waynezone 6a | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Evansvillezone 7a | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 30 |
| Fisherszone 6a | Apr 21 | Apr 7 | Jun 16 |
| South Bendzone 6a | May 1 | Apr 17 | Jun 26 |
| Carmelzone 6a | Apr 21 | Apr 7 | Jun 16 |
| Bloomingtonzone 6b | Apr 15 | Apr 1 | Jun 10 |
| Hammondzone 6a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | Jun 18 |
| Noblesvillezone 6a | Apr 21 | Apr 7 | Jun 16 |
| Lafayettezone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | Jun 21 |
| Greenwoodzone 6a | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | Jun 15 |
| Garyzone 6a | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | Jun 17 |
| Munciezone 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | Jun 11 |
| Westfieldzone 6a | Apr 21 | Apr 7 | Jun 16 |
| Kokomozone 6a | Apr 27 | Apr 13 | Jun 22 |
| Terre Hautezone 6a | Apr 15 | Apr 1 | Jun 10 |
| Andersonzone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | Jun 14 |
| Elkhartzone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | Jun 21 |
| Jeffersonvillezone 7a | Mar 31 | Mar 17 | May 26 |
| Columbuszone 6b | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | Jun 6 |
| Mishawakazone 6a | May 1 | Apr 17 | Jun 26 |
| Lawrencezone 6a | Apr 18 | Apr 4 | Jun 13 |
| West Lafayettezone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | Jun 21 |
What Indiana 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 Indiana: questions
When should I plant carrots in Indiana?
Direct sow around Apr 8 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 28 in the warmest tenth of Indiana's ZIP codes to Apr 14 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 7 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Indiana?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 22. In the warmest tenth of Indiana's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 11; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 28.
When will Indiana carrots be ready to harvest?
Nantes Carrot planted on the statewide date is ready around Jun 17: 70 days from sow.
More for Indiana
- 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 → · Indiana frost dates → · How frost-date math works →