Edible Roots: Everything You Need to Know

Although growing edible roots, sometimes known as tubers or bulbs, such as carrots, beets, turnips, and onions, presents some particular difficulties, they are typically simple to cultivate. Before you harvest them, you won’t know if there is an issue because the edible portion grows underground and isn’t visible. 

Create a sturdy seedbed or raised bed to get started. Beginning as soon as the earth thaws in the early spring, thin and weed as needed. Additionally, as the weather cools in the late summer, you may plant edible roots.

The simplest crops to raise are radishes and turnips, while the toughest are potatoes and carrots. Radishes grow quickly and are often ready for harvest in 30 days. Compared to radishes, turnips take roughly 60 days to mature and require much more area. Because they are susceptible to pests, diseases, and problems with in-ground development that are challenging to monitor and control, potatoes and carrots are more challenging to cultivate.

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Edible roots: Cultivation of different kinds of edible roots

1.  Beets (Beta vulgaris)

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Although beets are regarded as a root crop, the leaves are also tasty. Beet cultivation’s most challenging aspect is probably thinning the plants. Similar to its close relative Swiss chard, the seeds grow in clusters. If the clusters are not broken up, the sprouting seeds will be too crowded to form into bulbs. To promote germination, leave seeds in water that is at room temperature overnight.

Beets taste best when picked fresh and tiny since they develop fast. As you harvest them, a succession plant will appear. They are surprisingly delicious for such an earthy vegetable, especially when roasted.

2.  Carrots (Daucus carota)

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The long, thin carrot we most often see takes several months to mature, yet several pests above and below the soil start eating your carrots before they are fully grown. Carrots are a popular vegetable.

If your previous attempts at growing carrots failed, you could have more luck with one of the shorter kinds like “Paris Market” or “Little Finger.” They may be eaten early and successively planted all summer long, are just as delicious and crisp as longer carrots, and mature more quickly.

Additionally, carrot seeds are small and sluggish to sprout. To help you distinguish your rows, sow some radish seeds among your carrots. Carrots should be thinned to allow room for the roots to expand. If your soil is heavy or compacted, incorporate some sand into the carrot bed prior to planting.

3.  Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)

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Although it’s quite simple to cultivate horseradish, a little goes a long way. Horseradish is very difficult to cultivate, even in small quantities. In most places, the plants are perennial, so if you leave some roots in the ground, they will soon re-grow and spread. However, don’t let it stop you. Always consider growing it in a pot. You might also follow the advice of professional growers and remove the horseradish patch, treat it like an annual plant, and start again next year.

4.  Shallots and onions (Allium cepa)

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It’s not too difficult to cultivate onions. The work-intensive part is planting them. You can begin them from seeds, transplants, or sets, which are small cured onion bulbs. The easiest to plant and the quickest to develop are the transplants while being the most expensive. Water sparingly when starting plants from seeds because the little, thin shoots are prone to damping off.

According to the amount of daylight they require to grow, onions may be divided into three different groups. Short days, long days, and medium days are some of them. The success of your onion plants will depend on the length of the day and the amount of sunlight available, so be sure to select from the appropriate category for your area and growing season.

Shallots are plants that resemble gourmet onions but have a milder flavour and grow similarly to garlic. Even though shallots are often planted in the fall, they may be grown just as rapidly as any other onion. The offsets produced by each bulb are ready for harvesting the following season.

5.  Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa)

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In most regions, parsnips grow well and preserve for months, even becoming sweeter with a little cooling. Carrots and potatoes, which are simpler to cultivate and may be harvested early, have displaced them. Parsnips are worth the wait and the effort because of their deliciousness. Different types might range from being barely nutty to honey-sweet.

Raw, mashed, sautéed, and roasted parsnips are all delicious options. They do take 3 to 4 months to develop, which is one drawback. So, plant your seeds in advance and then relax while you wait for a treat.

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6.  Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

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Despite not being a root crop as they are stem tubers, potatoes are cultivated and harvested similarly to other root crops. They grow pretty fast and may be started quickly from actual potato chunks. However, certain bugs enjoy them just as much as you do.

The only way to experience the enormous variety of potatoes is to cultivate them yourself. For planting, you should buy potato seedlings. Commercial potatoes intended for consumption occasionally receive a treatment to prevent sprouting. When chopping seed potatoes, make sure to leave two eyes on each piece. Allow the cut surfaces of the pieces to cure for a day or two, so they develop a firm surface. Your “seed” is shielded from rot and diseases carried by the soil during this drying-out period.

As soon as the leafy green portion of the seedlings breaks ground, plant your seed potatoes cut side down and begin to build dirt mounds around them. Additionally, potatoes thrive in containers and are quickly harvested by just tossing the container.

7.  Radishes (Raphanus sativus)

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Radishes grow quickly and taste great when added to a salad. They make excellent plants for a child’s garden because they are among the easiest veggies to cultivate. You should plant your seeds as soon as the earth begins to warm up since they need chilly temperatures to avoid bolting. Radishes come in a broad range of colours and shapes, including long, sliver-thin radishes, spicy radishes, and winter radishes, which are excellent roasted as a side dish.

8.  Rutabaga (Brassica napus)

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When eaten fresh, rutabagas have a crunchy, cabbage-like acidity, but when cooked, they become nearly buttery and delicious in sweetness. They are used in pies because they are so tasty. They don’t need a lot of room and are simple to cultivate with little insect issues. Get your seeds started early if your planting season is short since rutabagas do require a growth season of 90 days or more. Rutabagas may last for months if properly preserved.

9.  Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas)

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Sweet potatoes are tuberous roots that are often generated from slips, which are tiny tuber fragments with roots. They require a four-month growth season; hence, they are rarely produced in colder locations. Although it is quite simple to start plants in pots and take them outside after the earth has warmed, some kinds are better suited to northern settings.

By putting a little sweet potato in a glass or small jar and submerging one end of it in water, you may develop your slips fast. The potato’s eyes will start to sprout fresh, green growth in a few weeks. Leave a little of the potato connected after cutting the young vine from it. Plant either in a garden or 4-inch containers.

10.  Turnips [Brassica rapa]

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Turnips come in a lot more varieties than you may imagine. You may initially consume the root bulb as well as the leaves. Turnips’ green leafy sections are the most nutrient-dense parts of the plant, but the turnip root may also be used to make several delectable recipes. 

If you pick the young greens, they will continue to resprout. And not every turnip has a white top and a purple top. There are also creamy, vivid crimson turnips and delicate, little golden turnips. They all develop quickly and with little difficulty. Within two months of growing turnips, you may be eating them.

 

FAQs

What advantages can edible roots offer?

Since they are rich in essential nutrients like vitamins A and C, magnesium, and dietary fibre, edible roots are healthy for your health.

What distinguishes an edible root from an edible tuber?

To create new plants, tubers can be divided, although edible roots are often multiplied through division.