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Questions tagged [root-vegetables]

Use this tag for questions on plants with an underground edible part that is used as a vegetable. Examples: Carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, ginger, etc.

In horticulture, agriculture, and culinary usage, the term "root vegetable" refers to any plant with an edible part below ground. However, botany distinguishes between true roots (tuberous roots and taproots) and non-roots (tubers, rhizomes, corms, bulbs).

Here are some examples of this classification:

True root vegetables:

  • Taproot Carrot, parsnip, radish
  • Tuberous Root Sweet potato, cassava

Non-roots eaten as vegetables:

  • Corm Chinese water chestnut
  • Rhizome Turmeric, root ginger
  • Tuber Potato, yams
  • Bulb Onion, garlic

Corms, Rhizomes, and Tubers are considered "modified stems" rather than true roots.

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Crop rotation theory v. practice

Every guide to growing vegetables will have an early section on rotating roots, brassicas and legumes. There might even be a little diagram with neat evenly spaced and sized areas marked out for each group. It always sounds so simple in theory. But…
Tea Drinker
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Why did my carrots split in a way that looks like legs?

This is the first year I've grown carrots. What gave them legs? I have a theory that the seedlings merged together. I don't know if that is just silly or if carrots just naturally grow like this.
Fatmuemoo
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How do I grow root vegetables in pots/grow-bags?

We have a flat (apartment) with no garden, but would love to grow root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. Is it possible to grow these in a pot, container or grow-bag, or do they need too much depth for this? If it is possible, what containers…
robintw
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My second year garlic has flowers. Is it safe to eat?

Apparently I didn't find all my garlic bulbs last fall and they grew to 4 feet tall this spring. They have a large, white flower head. I want to try cooking with it, but don't want to risk my family's health.Does anyone know if the different parts…
agent-j
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Why don't my radishes swell up?

When I grow radishes, I find that some of them don't swell up to form the globe I expect; instead the root stays thin. These are planted in the same bed and at the same time as radishes that do swell. I believe I'm doing everything right:…
Niall C.
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How do I know when to harvest my potatoes?

I'm sure I've heard before that the time to harvest potatoes is when the flowers fall off. Is that right or is it more complicated than that? For example, does it differ based on climate or variety, etc.?
Highly Irregular
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Should I knock over the tops of onions when they get to a certain height?

I was told two years ago that it is a good idea to knock over the top of an onion plant to encourage it to grow bigger in the middle. That worked good two years ago, but it didn't work at all last year so I'm thinking it was just coincidence. Is…
Peter Turner
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How do I grow sweet potatoes in a pot?

I planted some attractive sweet potato vines in a 6 inch deep pot -- about 1.5 ft in diameter. I didn't expect them to grow extensively. However, with watering regularly, they certainly are growing like crazy. I'm wondering if I should take the time…
Doug T.
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Why are we instructed not to use manure before planting carrots?

It's said that we shouldn't use manure when preparing ground intended for carrots. Is it that carrots don't thrive on manure, or is it that they fork and splinter too much? What about other roots? Radishes, beetroots etc?
Tea Drinker
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Can I harvest beetroot early as "micro beetroots"?

I bought a pack of beetroot seeds today, but there are a lot more than I thought (250). Seems like farm sort of quantities far more than my window sill can hold. Anyway, I had the idea to grow them all as micro beetroots. Can I pull them out at any…
Tom Gullen
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How can I tell when root vegetables are ripe?

I have never planted root vegetables before so I don't know how to tell whether it is ripe or not without pulling the root out of the soil and seeing it. I love beets and I love carrots also but if I ever grow them, I am going to have to know when…
Caters
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Should I earth up my radishes to prevent them from being eaten or should I pull them out?

My back yard lacks a bit of sunshine so things don't grow as fast, but they do grow. I've recently planted radishes for the first time and they have already started pushing out of the ground, however they are not very large, maybe half the diameter…
going
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How can I grow my own sweet potato starts?

I have always used pre-grown sweet potato slips, but since the source of sweet potatoes I have been using is unreliable, I am looking for how to grow my own in fairly large quantities. How should I do this if I am using a cold frame?
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How long does it take to start sweet potato slips?

@Om Patange asked this in a comment on this sweet potato question and I'm curious about the answer: How long does each step [in starting sweet potato slips] take? I ask to know how long before spring I should start the process so that I have…
bstpierre
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How and for how long can home-grown onions be stored?

How should I prepare home-grown white or yellow onions for long-term storage? This answer says the ideal conditions for storing onion sets for re-planting and storing mature onions is the same, but it doesn't mention some important details I have…
Adam Wuerl
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