Growing a Healthy Root Vegetable Garden in Your Home
Have you always wanted to try what it’s like to embrace sustainable living? Well, growing your own food is a wonderful way to live the lifestyle. You can start small like growing root vegetables in your back garden!
Root vegetables require time and effort to cultivate, but they’re well worth it when you’re eating roasted potatoes, carrots, or parsnips sautéed in olive oil from your own garden.
Any underground portion of a plant that humans consume is a root vegetable. They are gluten-free by nature, and many of them are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Learn about the types of root vegetables below before starting a garden.
Types of Root Vegetables
Root vegetables are excellent plants to have in your garden since they can be gathered over a long period and take up little space. They vary in size, shape, and properties, making it important for homeowners to know their differences to grow them properly.
Tuberous roots and stem tubers: These are underground storage organs where plants store nutrients for the winter or dry months. These root vegetables require damp, loose soil with plenty of drainages to thrive. Tubers can be grown in a deep flowerpot, a potato grow bag, a five-gallon bucket, or a garden bed.
Rhizomes: These are underground plant stems that give out stolons or runner branches that run horizontally over the soil surface, often known as creeping root stalks. Grow these root vegetables in raised beds to keep their stolons out of the way of your other crops.
Taproots: These are plants with a thickened root at the top that tapers to a point at the bottom. Taproots need loose, rock-free soil to develop unaffected.
Bulbs: These are often made up of stacked segments that grow just beneath the ground’s surface and create a leafy stem above the ground. To improve the flavor of other meals, use bulbs such as red onions, white onions, garlic, shallots, and leeks. A deep garden bed with a broad surface area and loose, well-drained soil is ideal for growing bulbs.
Corms: Like bulbs, these plants grow close beneath the surface of the soil and store nutrients to help them survive dry and cold seasons.
Root vegetables are a satisfying and productive crop, but they need to be cared for properly. Learn how to start and maintain a root vegetable garden below.
Make a Raised Garden Bed
A raised bed allows you to have more control over the type of soil in your garden, making it excellent for root vegetables. Root vegetables thrive in well-drained, deep, loose soil that allows their roots to develop freely. Root crops thrive in sandy loam and peat soils, but clay soils are difficult to grow in.
Perform a Soil Analysis
This will assist you in correctly adjusting your soil pH levels and ensuring that your soil contains sufficient nutrients. To enhance root growth, utilize organic fertilizers that are heavy in phosphorus and potassium. Soil pH between 6 and 7 is recommended for root growth.
Thin Out Your Sprouted Seedlings
Thin your crops by removing some seedlings from the ground. This will make room for the remaining plants to flourish. This is particularly crucial for root crops, requiring additional root areas to absorb sufficient nutrients.
In the future, remove the leaves after harvesting. This will keep moisture in the root and prevent it from flowing back into the shoot. Root vegetables should be kept in a cold, dark place.
Recognize the Growing Seasons for Root Vegetables
Although most root crops prefer cool conditions, some can thrive in the heat of July. Beets, radishes, carrots, and turnips are all easy-to-grow cool-weather vegetables that yield a good harvest in a short space.
Plant white potatoes as soon as the ground thaws in late winter to take advantage of the cool weather. Sweet potatoes call for a long, hot growing season. Onions and garlic are part of the few crops that may be planted in the fall and harvested in the spring because the bulbs overwinter underground.
Conclusion
Now it’s time to put the advice to practice because root crops belong in every vegetable garden. Because most root crops are cold-resistant, they will thrive long into the fall and may even survive the first frost. You’ll have a fresh supply of root vegetables all winter and into the spring if you have suitable home storage facilities.
If you’re looking for a dedicated edible garden tips blog, Blossom & Broom has got you covered! We also provide more tips on home and garden aesthetics. Check out our content today!
