Can You Dig It?

When you think about it, some of the most nutritious vegetables grow where we can't even see them. Well, okay, that's not completely true. We can see the feathery tops of carrots and the thicker leaves of beets, radishes, rutabags, and turnips. But underneath all that greenery, the tasty veggies themselves are maturing underground, just waiting for a gardener to come along and pull them for the table.

Then yum...a delicious side dish of beets sprinkled with a little sugar and vinegar; crunchy carrots chopped into a fresh garden salad; tender turnips cooked with their greens...not only good tasting, but good for us, too.

If you want to grow great root crops, the first step is improving your soil. As writer Jessica Walliser points out in "Beautiful Roots," her article for the Jan/Feb issue of Hobby Farms Magazine, you need to break up the ground and clear it of any sticks, stones, or other plant roots. Then add some good quality compost or well-rotted manure to give your crops the loose, quick-draining soil they crave. Check with your county extension agent about fertilizer; he or she can test your soil and tell you what to add, and how much.

'Detroit Dark Red' is a sweet-fleshed beet that many of us grow without even realizing it's an heirloom--but it is, dating back to 1892. If you'd like to try a lesser-known heirloom, plant some Chioggia seeds. This old Italian variety gets its nickname, the "candy cane beet," from the rings of alternating white and rosy pink that are revealed when you slice it. You can see a picture in Jessica's article--very pretty.

For most of the country, it's still to early to plant, but not too early to dig and prepare your soil. (But do wait, if your ground is still wet. If you dig or till too early, the soil will dry into hard clumps. Wait until the ground dries out before you begin.)

So sharpen your shovel...mark off your rows...and dig in when the weather permits. A good root crop awaits you!