No, carrots perennial plants they are not. Carrots are biennial plants that complete their full life cycle over two years and then die. They do not come back year after year like true perennials. Most gardeners treat them as annuals and harvest the root in the first growing season.
The carrot life cycle starts when a seed sprouts in spring or fall. During year one, the plant focuses on growing leaves and storing energy in the orange root you eat. If you leave that root in the ground through winter, year two brings a tall flower stalk that produces seeds. The plant then dies after spreading those seeds.
I left a row of carrots in my garden over winter one year to see what would happen. The green tops died back with the first hard frost but the roots stayed firm in the frozen ground. Come spring, new leaves pushed up from each crown. Within weeks a thick stalk shot up 3-4 feet tall and covered itself with white umbrella shaped flowers.
Are carrots annual or biennial? The answer is biennial but most gardeners grow them like annuals. We harvest the root in year one before it has a chance to enter its second year flowering phase. This makes sense because the root is what we want to eat. Letting carrots flower means the root becomes woody and loses its sweetness.
The carrot plant lifespan depends on when you planted and when you harvest. Spring planted carrots can be ready in 60-80 days if you pick them young. Fall planted carrots can sit in cold soil for months before you dig them. Either way, once you pull that root the plant dies. Only carrots left unharvested live long enough to reach year two.
Biennial crops differ from annuals and perennials in specific ways. Annual plants complete their whole life in one growing season. Perennials live for many years and produce flowers and seeds each season. Biennials take that middle path with one year of growth followed by one year of flowering before they die.
You might want to let a few carrots go to seed for saving. Choose your best looking roots from the fall harvest and leave them in the ground. Mark the spot so you do not dig them by mistake in spring. The flowers will attract bees and other pollinators to your garden. Collect the dry seed heads in late summer for planting next year.
Seed saving works best if you grow only one carrot variety or keep different types far apart. Carrots cross pollinate with each other and with wild relatives like Queen Anne's Lace. Mixed pollen produces seeds that may not grow true to the parent plant. Keep at least 500 feet between varieties for pure seed.
The orange root you harvest in year one holds all the energy the plant saved up for flowering. That stored sugar and starch fuels the second year growth. By the time seeds form the root has given up all its sweetness. What remains is tough, woody, and bitter. Always harvest for eating before the plant shifts to flower mode.
Now you know carrots are biennials grown as annuals in most gardens. Pull your roots in year one for the best eating. Leave a few over winter only if you want seeds for next season. The carrot life cycle is simple once you see how the two year pattern works out in real garden conditions.
Read the full article: Growing Carrots: Full Guide for Beginners
