When to plant · 31 cities · zones 6a–7a
When to plant carrots in Ohio
Direct sow nantes carrot around Apr 10 — the Ohio statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 24 across 1,178 ZIP codes and 140 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.
Ohio carrots, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 24, first fall frost Oct 22, 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 10 | Jun 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 Ohio's ZIP codes resolve to.
Carrots in Ohio, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbuszone 6b | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | Jun 15 |
| Clevelandzone 7a | Apr 8 | Mar 25 | Jun 3 |
| Cincinnatizone 6b | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | Jun 11 |
| Toledozone 6b | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | Jun 15 |
| Akronzone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Daytonzone 6b | Apr 18 | Apr 4 | Jun 13 |
| Parmazone 6b | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | Jun 15 |
| Cantonzone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Lorainzone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Hamiltonzone 6b | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | Jun 17 |
| Youngstownzone 6a | May 1 | Apr 17 | Jun 26 |
| Springfieldzone 6a | Apr 25 | Apr 11 | Jun 20 |
| Ketteringzone 6b | Apr 18 | Apr 4 | Jun 13 |
| Elyriazone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Middletownzone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Newarkzone 6a | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | Jun 24 |
| Cuyahoga Fallszone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Lakewoodzone 7a | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | Jun 15 |
| Dublinzone 6b | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | Jun 17 |
| Euclidzone 7a | Apr 8 | Mar 25 | Jun 3 |
| Beavercreekzone 6b | Apr 18 | Apr 4 | Jun 13 |
| Mansfieldzone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | Jun 21 |
| Mentorzone 7a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | Jun 21 |
| Delawarezone 6b | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | Jun 14 |
| Strongsvillezone 6b | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | Jun 15 |
| Fairfieldzone 6b | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | Jun 14 |
| Cleveland Heightszone 6b | Apr 8 | Mar 25 | Jun 3 |
| Grove Cityzone 6b | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | Jun 18 |
| Huber Heightszone 6b | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | Jun 11 |
| Reynoldsburgzone 6b | Apr 18 | Apr 4 | Jun 13 |
| Lancasterzone 6a | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | Jun 17 |
What Ohio 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 Ohio: questions
When should I plant carrots in Ohio?
Direct sow around Apr 10 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Apr 3 in the warmest tenth of Ohio's ZIP codes to Apr 17 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 10 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Ohio?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 24. In the warmest tenth of Ohio's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 17; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 1.
When will Ohio carrots be ready to harvest?
Nantes Carrot planted on the statewide date is ready around Jun 19: 70 days from sow.
More for Ohio
- 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 → · Ohio frost dates → · How frost-date math works →