When to plant · 17 cities · zones 7a–8b
When to plant carrots in Virginia
Direct sow nantes carrot around Mar 28 — the Virginia statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 11 across 892 ZIP codes and 143 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.
Virginia carrots, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 11, first fall frost Oct 30, 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 28 | Jun 6 | 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 Virginia's ZIP codes resolve to.
Carrots in Virginia, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beachzone 8b | Mar 29 | Mar 15 | May 24 |
| Chesapeakezone 8a | Mar 23 | Mar 9 | May 18 |
| Richmondzone 7b | Apr 3 | Mar 20 | May 29 |
| Norfolkzone 8b | Mar 17 | Mar 3 | May 12 |
| Newport Newszone 8a | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 27 |
| Alexandriazone 8a | Mar 24 | Mar 10 | May 19 |
| Hamptonzone 8b | Mar 24 | Mar 10 | May 19 |
| Suffolkzone 8a | Mar 27 | Mar 13 | May 22 |
| Roanokezone 7b | Apr 3 | Mar 20 | May 29 |
| Portsmouthzone 8b | Mar 23 | Mar 9 | May 18 |
| Lynchburgzone 7b | Apr 17 | Apr 3 | Jun 12 |
| Harrisonburgzone 7a | Apr 21 | Apr 7 | Jun 16 |
| Leesburgzone 7b | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | Jun 11 |
| Blacksburgzone 7a | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Charlottesvillezone 7b | Apr 2 | Mar 19 | May 28 |
| Manassaszone 7a | Apr 12 | Mar 29 | Jun 7 |
| Danvillezone 7b | Apr 8 | Mar 25 | Jun 3 |
What Virginia 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 Virginia: questions
When should I plant carrots in Virginia?
Direct sow around Mar 28 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 16 in the warmest tenth of Virginia's ZIP codes to Apr 12 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 29 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Virginia?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 11. In the warmest tenth of Virginia's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 30; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 26.
When will Virginia carrots be ready to harvest?
Nantes Carrot planted on the statewide date is ready around Jun 6: 70 days from sow.
More for Virginia
- 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 → · Virginia frost dates → · How frost-date math works →