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A Red carrot freshly pulled from the garden

How to Grow Red Carrots From Seed

By Maxim Kaufman — Founder & CEO, Organo Republic

Updated July 2026

Red carrots add warm color to the garden, with slender reddish-orange roots and a mild, sweet flavor. They reach 6 to 8 inches in about 70 days and grow just like standard orange carrots. Their red pigment deepens with cooking, so they are lovely roasted as well as raw. Add a few to a mixed planting for a rainbow harvest of orange, red, purple, yellow, and white.

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This is the quick guide to Red. For the full step-by-step on starting seeds, sowing, feeding, and troubleshooting carrots, see our complete guide to growing carrots from seed.

Quick start

Sow red carrot seed directly a quarter inch deep in loose, stone-free soil, since carrots resent transplanting. Keep the surface moist through the 14 to 21 day germination, then thin to 2 to 3 inches apart. Water evenly and steadily. Harvest the slender reddish roots at full size in about 70 days.

Best tip

Red carrots bring their best color and mild sweetness when grown in cool weather, so aim for a spring or fall crop and keep the soil evenly moist. Unlike purple types, their red pigment actually deepens with cooking, so they roast beautifully. Grow them alongside orange, purple, yellow, and white carrots for a colorful rainbow bunch.

At a glance

How to Grow Red Carrots From Seed — growing specifications at a glance
Botanical name	Daucus carota subsp. sativus
Plant type	Cool-season biennial grown as an annual
USDA zones	2 to 11 (grown as an annual)
Sun	Full sun (6+ hours); tolerates light shade
Days to maturity	about 70 days
Height	Roots 6 to 8 inches
Spacing	Thin to 2 to 3 inches apart
Water	Even and steady; about 1 inch a week

Uses

Red carrots are mild and sweet, good raw in salads and crudites and especially attractive roasted, since their red color deepens with heat. They add warmth to a mixed carrot bunch and cook down nicely in soups and stews. Use them anywhere you would use an orange carrot, and save the tops for the kitchen.

Frequently asked questions

How long do red carrots take to grow?

Red carrots mature in about 70 days from sowing, similar to orange varieties. Let them size up fully for the sweetest flavor.

What do red carrots taste like?

They have a mild, sweet flavor, much like a standard carrot but a touch milder. The color, not a strong taste, is their main appeal.

Do red carrots keep their color when cooked?

Yes, unlike purple carrots, the red pigment in red carrots actually deepens with cooking, so they roast and cook beautifully. That makes them one of the best colored carrots for hot dishes.

Can I grow red carrots with other colors?

Absolutely, they grow exactly like orange carrots and are perfect mixed in with purple, yellow, and white types for a rainbow harvest. Sow them together in the same bed.

Ready to grow your own? Red carrots give you mild, sweet roots with a warm red color that deepens when cooked. For the full step-by-step, see our complete carrot growing guide linked at the top of this page.

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By Maxim Kaufman — Founder & CEO, Organo Republic

Maxim founded Organo Republic in 2017 and personally selects, tests, and grows the heirloom, non-GMO varieties the company offers. Under his leadership, Organo Republic was named Agri Business Review’s Top Non-GMO Seed Variety Solution 2026.