When to Plant Carrot in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Sow September to March. Right now in October you can sow.
Grow Carrot in your space
- Planting window
- Sow direct from September to March. Start early with cloches. Paris Market (round) matures fastest at about 60 days.
- Days to harvest
- about 10 weeks
- Sunlight
- Full sun (6+ hours). Tolerates light afternoon shade in hot climates, which can actually improve root quality.
- Water needs
- Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Inconsistent watering causes cracking and...
- Spacing
- 5cm apart, 25cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-6.8
- Shop price
- $1.93/kg average
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Carrot guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Carrots are Australia's most popular root vegetable and one of the most widely grown home garden crops. They demand loose, well-prepared soil and patience with germination but reward growers with sweet, crunchy roots. Direct sowing is essential. Carrots do not transplant. With the right variety selection, carrots can be grown in every Australian climate zone.
See what grows now in your own postcode
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | D | D | - | - | - | - | - | D | D | D | D |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 13.6°C (optimal range: 7–30°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like
In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.
How to Grow Carrot in Cold / Highland Australia
When to Plant
Sow direct from September to March. Start early with cloches. Paris Market (round) matures fastest at about 60 days.
- Soil
- Deep, loose, sandy loam free of stones and clods. The single most important factor for straight carrots is soil preparation. Dig to at least 30cm and remove all rocks. Heavy clay must be heavily amended with coarse sand and compost, or use raised beds. Do NOT add fresh manure. Causes forked, hairy, split roots.
- pH Range
- 6.0-6.8
- Sunlight
- Full sun (6+ hours). Tolerates light afternoon shade in hot climates, which can actually improve root quality.
- Spacing
- 5cm apart, 25cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Inconsistent watering causes cracking and splitting. Water deeply 2-3 times per week. Reduce watering slightly in the last 2 weeks before harvest to...
Companion plants: Spring Onion, Leek, Rosemary, Sage, Chive, Lettuce
Avoid planting near: Dill, Parsnip, Celery (shares diseases), Fennel
Grow before, grow after
Carrot belongs with the root crops, the roots and alliums turn of a four turn bed rotation.
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before root crops go back in. Roots fork and go leafy in fresh manure, so they take the bed after the heavy feeders have used it.
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Carrot
Recommended Varieties
- Nantes (Scarlet Nantes)
- Amsterdam Forcing
- Chantenay Red Core
- Paris Market
Key Challenges
- Very short growing season
- Cold soil
- Heavy rainfall in highlands causing rot
Pro Tips
- Canberra/Tablelands: start October with cloches, last sowing by mid-January
- Paris Market matures in 60 days. Your fastest option for short seasons
- Carrots left in ground through cold highland winter store beautifully, harvest as needed
Harvesting Carrot
When ready: Shoulder of carrot visible at soil surface, typically 2-3cm diameter for standard varieties. Foliage is still green and vigorous. Pull one test root to check size and colour development.
How to harvest: Loosen soil alongside row with garden fork before pulling. Grasp foliage close to crown and pull gently with a twist. In heavy soils, always fork first to avoid snapping roots. Twist off tops immediately after harvest.
Preserving: pressure canning
3 tested pressure-canning recipes for Carrot: 2 where it is the crop being canned and 1 where it is a main ingredient. Each one comes from published home canning guidelines. The conversion to Australian units is ours, with psi beside every kPa. Always follow your pressure canner's manual.
Worth growing?
A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 115 plants, about $27 worth at today’s Aldi, Coles and Woolworths prices, checked today.
That is roughly 14 kg at $1.93 a kilo.
Draw your carrot bed → No account needed.
Common Carrot Pests in Cold / Highland Zones
Carrot Rust Fly, risk: MODERATE (score: 47/100)In the pest library for carrot:
Root-knot Nematode, high severity Wireworms, moderate severity Curl grub (scarab beetle larvae), moderate severityOrganic prevention (Aphids (Carrot-Willow Aphid)): Avoid excess nitrogen. Maintain garden biodiversity. Plant alyssum and coriander nearby as habitat for beneficial insects.
Where to next
Supermarket Price
Current average retail: $1.93/kg (12-month range: $1.49–$2.90)
Grow your own and save on grocery bills.
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Carrot
When do you plant carrot in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Jul
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to May, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): all year
Does carrot grow all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.