Radishes and turnips are among the easiest to grow, and potatoes and carrots are some of the hardest. Radishes grow fast, usually ready to harvest within 30 days. Turnips take about 60 days and require a lot more space than radishes. Potatoes and carrots are harder to grow because they are prone to pests, disease, and in-ground growth issues that are difficult to monitor and control. Here are some tips to get you growing root vegetables for your kitchen. Beets grow quickly and taste best when harvested small and young. Succession plant as you pluck them for a continual harvest. For such an earthy vegetable, they are surprisingly sweet, especially when roasted.
USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 11Sun Exposure: Full sun or part shadeSoil Needs: Loamy soil
Carrot seeds are also tiny and slow to germinate. Sow some radish seeds among your carrots to help identify your rows. Thin carrots to give the roots enough space to grow. Work some sand into the carrot bed before planting if your soil is thick or compacted.
USDA Growing Zones: AnySun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Loose, well-draining soil
USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9Sun Exposure: Full to partial sunSoil Needs: Loose, rich soil
Onions come in three separate categories according to the length of the daylight they need to mature. These include short day, long day, and medium day. Length of the day and the available sun will determine the success of your onion plants, so be sure to choose from the correct category for your climate and growing season. Shallots are mild-tasting, somewhat gourmet onion-type plants that grow like garlic. You can grow shallots as quickly as any other onion, but shallots are generally planted in the fall. Each bulb produces offsets to be harvested the following summer.
USDA Growing Zones: Adaptable but best in zones 5 and 6Sun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Firm, acidic soil from sandy loam to heavy clay
USDA Growing Zones: Any Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade Soil Needs: Slightly acidic loose soil
There is an incredible diversity of potatoes; the only way to sample them is to grow them yourself. You should purchase seed potatoes for planting. Commercial potatoes sold for eating are sometimes treated to discourage sprouting. When cutting seed potatoes for planting, include two eyes in each cut piece. Let the cut pieces dry for a day or two, so the cut side forms a hardened surface. This drying-out period protects your “seed” from soil-borne diseases and rot. Plant your seed potatoes cut side down and start mounding soil up around the seedlings as soon as the leafy green portion breaks ground. Potatoes also grow well in containers, and it’s easy to harvest them by simply tipping over the container.
USDA Growing Zones: AnySun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Loose, loamy soil
USDA Growing Zones: Any Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade Soil Needs: Rich, well-draining soil
USDA Growing Zones: AnySun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Slightly acidic fertile, well-draining soil
You can quickly grow your slips by placing a small sweet potato in a glass or small jar with one end submerged in water. In a few weeks, the eyes on the potato will begin to send out new green growth. Cut the new vine from the potato, leaving a small portion of the potato attached. Plant in 4-inch pots or directly into the garden.
USDA Growing Zones: 8 to 11Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soil
USDA Growing Zones: AnySun Exposure: Full to partialSoil Needs: Fertile, slightly acidic, well-draining soil
