Weldon Burge - Grow the Best Root Crops

by Weldon Burge

Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers relied on their root cellars for delicious, nutritious winter meals. Today, the root cellar seems like something from a bygone age, something sadly antiquated in our fast-food, TV-dinner society. No wonder fewer gardeners grow root crops these days.

Too bad.

Root crops dont deserve the bad rep. They have long, fascinating histories, dating back to the dawn of man. Our primitive ancestors foraged for wild roots before learning to cultivate their favorite varieties. Beets, carrots, parsnips, radishes, and turnips were common crops in the early civilizations of Asia, Africa, South America, and the Mediterranean region.

Why have the root crops survived for thousands of years? Because they produce large yields in limited space, and most are easy to grow. They are some of the first vegetables harvested in the spring, and some of the last in the garden come winter. Many can be stored right in their beds under a thick mulch, to be harvested as needed all winter long. Their true versatility, however, is best experienced in the kitchen!

This bulletin will briefly describe how to grow and use the best root cropsbeets, carrots, celeriac, parsnips, spring and winter radishes, rooted parsley, salsify, scorzonera, turnips, and rutabagas.

The key to growing the best root crops is in proper soil preparation. Root crops need a loose, friable soil that is deeply worked and drains well. They also require more phosphorus and less nitrogen than leaf and cole crops, and heavy feeders like corn and melons. An overabundance of nitrogen, in fact, causes some root crops to produce bushy tops and hairy, spindly, or forked roots.

Till the seedbed to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. As you do so, work in plenty of organic matter to improve the soil. This is particularly helpful if you have a clay soil. I use a balanced compost containing a variety of organic materials, including leaves, wood ashes, old straw, weeds, pine needles, and garden residues. The compost helps the soil retain moisture without getting waterlogged, allowing air to circulate around the roots, and keeps the soil thriving with beneficial microorganisms and earthworms. I also add clean sand to help drainage, then rake the soil to remove all rocks and clods.

If you use a commercial fertilizer, select 0-20-0 (also known as superphosphate) for your root crop bed. Rock phosphate is an excellent source of phosphorus, and superphosphate is simply rock phosphate treated with acid to make the phosphorus more accessible in the soil. Sprinkle the fertilizer over the bed, about 8 pounds per 100 square feet of garden, and rake it into the top inch of soil where young feeder roots can best use it. Bone meal is also high in phosphorus but releases its nutrients slowly over the season. Use it with long-season root crops like parsnips and salsify.

Experienced gardeners agree: root crops produce best in raised beds, planted in blocks rather than single-file rows. If you have a heavy clay or shallow soil, growing long root crops like carrots, parsnips, and salsify is next to impossible without a raised bed.

Why grow root crops in raised beds?

1. Root crops are cool-weather vegetables. The earlier you can plant them in the spring, the better. A raised bed warms and dries out faster than surrounding ground, permitting earlier sowings. This is particularly beneficial in areas that receive much spring rain. Raised beds drain well and seldom puddle after a downpour.

2. A raised bed has deeper, looser topsoil and more concentrated nutrients than surrounding ground, allowing for better root development. The beds are easier to prepare, and you have better control over the soils friability and fertility.

3. Because you can walk in the pathways between the beds, rather than on the beds themselves, soil compaction is eliminated.

4. Raised beds are easier to weed and harvest because they are 6 to 12 inches higher than the ground. I usually sit on the frame as Im working in the bed. Root crops must be sown and thinned, a back-breaking chore without a raised bed!

5. Using the square-foot method in each raised bed, Ive found it much easier to plan and sow root crops in succession, sowing a block at a time. I get double the production that I would in a single-file row. Close spacing in blocks saves limited garden space, smothers weeds, keeps the soil cool and moist, and makes thinning and harvesting easier.

My raised beds are contained in 4 x 8 frames, 6 inches high, made of pressure-treated lumber. When starting a new bed, I stake out a 4 x 8 area, then dig it by hand with a spade to a depth of about 12 inches. I construct the frame over the prepared area, then fill the frame with a mixture of topsoil, compost, sand, and peat moss. Nothing could be better for growing the tastiest carrots and parsnips!

Ive discovered only one disadvantage for growing root crops in a raised bed. The perimeter dries out faster than the rest of the bed. If not watered regularly, plants near the edge of the bed can bolt and produce tough, bitter roots. A mulch often prevents this problem.

When planning your seedbeds, consider the root crops you already enjoy and those youd like to try, then open some seed catalogs and do some armchair shopping.

Following are capsule descriptions of each of the major root cropstheir particular growth habits, sowing and growing tips, recommended varieties, and suggestions for kitchen preparationsto help you along.

Dating back to prehistoric times, beets were originally grown for their nutritious greens. The tiny roots were used only for medicinal purposes. The traditional, round-rooted beet were familiar with today wasnt developed until the Christian era. Beets werent widely cultivated until the 1800s, but now they rank just behind carrots and radishes as the most popular homegrown root crop.

Theres really no excuse for neglecting to plant beets. Theyre easy to grow and store, produce large yields in limited space, and are delicious when harvested young and tender. Beets are truly a double-duty crop. Both the leaves and the roots are nutritional and tasty.

My favorite spring varieties are Early Wonder, Red Ace, and Ruby Queen, but dont limit your selection to just those. If you plan to pickle or can beets, plant the long slicing varieties, Cylindra, Forono, and Formanova. These carrotlike beets are smooth and tender, without side roots. Slices are bite-size and uniform, perfect for salads, pickling, and canning.

If youre tired of red-stained sinks, bowls, and kitchen counters, try Golden beets. They dont bleed like their red relatives. They dont become as woody or as poor in flavor when left in the ground too long (but they taste better when small). They have bright orange skin and succulent yellow flesh, a wonderful alternative to regular red beets. If you have trouble getting your kids to eat red beets, try some Golden beets. The only disadvantage with Golden beets is their low germination rate, which means only that you have to sow the seeds thicker than youd normally plant beet seeds.