When to plant · 17 cities · zones 5b–7b
When to plant carrots in New York
Direct sow nantes carrot around Apr 17 — the New York statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of May 1 across 1,819 ZIP codes and 186 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.
New York carrots, by step
Statewide median last frost May 1, first fall frost Oct 14, 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 17 | Jun 26 | 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 New York's ZIP codes resolve to.
Carrots in New York, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Yorkzone 7b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 27 |
| Buffalozone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Yonkerszone 7b | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | Jun 15 |
| Rochesterzone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Syracusezone 6a | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | Jun 24 |
| Albanyzone 6a | Apr 27 | Apr 13 | Jun 22 |
| New Rochellezone 7b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 27 |
| Mount Vernonzone 7b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 27 |
| Schenectadyzone 6a | Apr 27 | Apr 13 | Jun 22 |
| Uticazone 5b | May 1 | Apr 17 | Jun 26 |
| White Plainszone 7a | Apr 12 | Mar 29 | Jun 7 |
| Hempsteadzone 7b | Apr 2 | Mar 19 | May 28 |
| Troyzone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | Jun 14 |
| Niagara Fallszone 6b | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | Jun 21 |
| Binghamtonzone 6a | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 30 |
| Freeportzone 7b | Apr 7 | Mar 24 | Jun 2 |
| Kiryas Joelzone 6b | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | Jun 5 |
What New York 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 New York: questions
When should I plant carrots in New York?
Direct sow around Apr 17 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 19 in the warmest tenth of New York's ZIP codes to Apr 30 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 16 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in New York?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is May 1. In the warmest tenth of New York's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 2; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 14.
When will New York carrots be ready to harvest?
Nantes Carrot planted on the statewide date is ready around Jun 26: 70 days from sow.
More for New York
- 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 → · New York frost dates → · How frost-date math works →