Root vegetables are a root vegetable that grows underground. Many gardeners want to grow them at home but don’t have much experience.
We asked our garden experts for different root vegetables that are easiest to grow and tips to care for and harvest them. Some of the recommended plants include:
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Turnips
- Beets
Read through the top 10 easy-to-grow root vegetables for your healthy meal.
Amy Armstrong from Conservatorymarket.com
Sweet potatoes are an excellent choice for beginning gardeners as they are easy enough to grow.
When choosing your sweet potatoes, keep in mind that a few ornamental plants named after the fruit are not edible.
Purchase your seeds from a seed supplier or simply buy the best sweet organic sweet potatoes you can find at the grocery store.
Cut them into small pieces (quarters) and let them harden up. You want the parts you cut to callus over.
Plant in nice fertile, loose soil about 10-18” apart. Know that any kind of potato you grow will take over a large area and keep on growing.
Contain them in a raised bed, and know that that bed will be your designated potato bed from now on.
You’ll know that potatoes are ready for harvest when the top of the plant starts to die back. When that happens, it’s time to dig them up.
No matter how certain you are that you’ve harvested all the potatoes at the end of the season, you’re sure to get more that pop up next year.
Jordan Collins from Two Lions 11
Growing root vegetables bring along a range of benefits. They’re perfect for low-calorie diets and are rich in antioxidants, making them healthy for the body.
- Spring onions & onions
- Garlic
- Scallions
- Parsnips
Most root crops share common preferences and requirements when it comes to taking care of them. They all love well-drained and loose, fertile soil.
When you’re setting the scenes from planting these root plants, add about 3 inches of compost 3 months before the planting.
This is advisable as putting it in just before planting can stimulate foliage to veggies because of the fertilizer’s high nitrogen levels.
On the other hand, onions won’t suffer from this as they love nitrogen which helps them grow leaves.
Make sure you’re getting the spacing right when planting root crops, as it’s essential.
- For onions – 4 inches apart
- For scallions – 2 inches apart
For watering, you can get deeper roots by avoiding frequent watering. This way, you’re forcing the roots to receive moisture from further down in the soil.
It’s better to soak them once a week as opposed to frequently watering them.
Erinn Witz from Seeds and Spades
Root vegetables can be easy to overlook among the exciting varieties of tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and the like. But that’s a shame because root vegetables tend to be both easy to grow and delicious.
Turnips and beets all meet these conditions, making them an excellent addition to your planting roster.
Turnips.
This is a root crop that you can plant in the spring and again in the fall. Given that you cure and store them properly, you can enjoy your fall turnips for several months into winter.
Beets.
Both beet greens and roots are edible, and the greens are a true nutritional powerhouse.
Loose, well-draining soil gives your root vegetables plenty of space to reach their full growth size and sugar content while also avoiding the danger of excessive moisture and rot.
If you’re growing your root crops in-ground, make sure to add organic matter to your soil to improve the aeration, nutrient levels, and drainage. Compost is an excellent choice, as are finely shredded leaves, well-rotted manure, and worm castings.
For root crops in containers, skip the topsoil or garden soil. These soils tend to compact quickly, stifling root growth and yielding poor harvests.
Instead, always fill your containers with light, well-draining potting mix.
Ed Wike from Garden Grow Guide
Carrots
are the easiest root veggies to grow. They are healthy and delicious but need enough soil depth to grow to their full size.
Growing carrots in your garden are won and lost at the time of planting the seeds. If they’re too close together, it will be hard. Also, make sure the soil is at least 1 foot deep.
Laura Durenberger from Reduce, Reuse, Renew
Radishes are one of the easiest root vegetables to grow, in my opinion. These root vegetables are quick growing and tend to tolerate various soil conditions, sunlight, and moisture.
While they prefer full sun, they will grow in part shade. Radishes, on average, can be harvested within 2-3 weeks of planting, which makes them great for planting in spots with slower-growing vegetables.
For example, I plant radishes in between my tomatoes or zucchini. By the time the radishes have grown and are ready for harvest, the tomatoes and zucchini are just starting to expand.
Finally, radishes can tolerate cooler temperatures, meaning you can start planting early and continue planting late into the growing season.
There are many different types of radishes on the market, allowing for a wide variety of tastes. Use radishes in salads or roast with other root vegetables.
Pay attention to the date to harvest on the seed packet. If you leave the radishes in the ground for too long, they can start to get mushy. Additionally, the plant will begin to bolt (flower), which signifies that the root may be past its peak.
Melanie Musson from USInsuranceAgents.com
Raised flower beds provide ideal conditions for root vegetables, but they’re hearty and will grow in most soil types. Rocky soil won’t yield as hearty a harvest as soil without rocks.
Almost all soil can use a boost of nutrients from home compost. Not only will it help your root vegetables grow more healthy, but it will also help your home become more sustainable.
Water your plant beds a few days before planting and cover them with grass clippings to help them retain the moisture.
Conclusion
Vegetables have many benefits, such as being rich in nutrients, making your meals more delicious, and preventing aging.
Therefore, growing vegetables in your garden is highly recommended by gardening experts. Hope you have found the right plants for your garden.
