Root vegetables are the kind of vegetables that are grown underground, which means that their edible part is generally grown under the ground. It is the root, tuber, or bulb of the plant that is considered edible, and most of these vegetables are packed with the goodness of different vitamins and minerals.
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Several vegetables fall under this category, such as carrots, onions, horseradish, and potatoes. Not only do root vegetables add variety to one's meals but they can be cooked in a lot of different ways as well. If you are planning to grow some root vegetables in your kitchen garden, then here are some options that you can consider.
Also Read: Start Your Own Organic Kitchen Garden
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* Carrots
Carrots are generally grown in the cooler seasons, such as winter and spring. To grow carrots at home, one simply has to arrange for carrot seeds and select a place in the garden where they have to be soon. One has to sow the seeds at least one inch apart from each other. The seeds of the carrot are extremely small and also take a considerable amount of time to grow properly.
Hence, if a person wants to accelerate the growth of carrots, then mixing carrot seeds with some radish seeds can be a great idea. Radishes are generally faster when it comes to germination and can be a great accompaniment to carrots. The soil for carrots has to be kept properly moist and needs to be watered from time to time.
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* Garlic
Garlic is yet another root plant whose underground structure is the edible part. It is the bulb part of the garlic that is consumed and it consists of several cloves that are joined together to form an unbloomed flower-like structure. For planting garlic at home, one has to first create a trench that is at least 5 to 6 inches deep. In this trench, one has to add some fertiliser and level it up to at least 3 inches.
Then one has to add the garlic clove in a pointed position and partly cover it with some soil. Repeat this process and keep each clove of garlic at least 4 to 6 inches apart from the others. Now the cloves have to be covered properly with some soil and mulch. Generally, garlic harvesting begins in the summer. Remember to keep this soil intact and not let it become too loose.
* Onions
Onions can be grown from the seed of the onion plant or one can take sets of small bulbs from the onion plant. Initially, the planting of onions should be done indoors and the plant should be allowed to grow for at least six weeks before finally transferring it outside. It is quite easy to find the seedlings or the seeds of onion plants in the garden centre or even online. One can start planting onions at the onset of spring.
To plant onions at home, one has to begin by making a trench in the soil that is at least 1 to 2 inches deep. Each seedling should have a distance of 2 to 6 inches from the other seedling. Cover the seedling or the seed with some soil and water. Generally, onions are harvested in comparatively drier weather, which is usually at the onset of autumn. However, it may also depend on the type of onion that one has chosen.
* Potatoes
Potatoes can be grown from the seed pieces of the potato plant. One can also simply take a couple of eyes off or sprout the potato and plant it during the winter season. Generally, the harvesting of the potato plant is done in the early spring season, when the potato plants are in full bloom. The potato plant needs a lot of loose soil around itself so that there is enough space for the tubers to grow and form. The right time to take out the potato plant is when the top of the potato plant begins to die. One has to carefully lift the tubers with the help of a garden fork.
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* Radishes
Radishes are abundantly available on the market during the winter and spring seasons. These often take a lot less time to mature as compared to a lot of the vegetables on this list. Also, the best part about radishes is that one can choose different varieties and colours that they would like to grow in their garden. The seed of the radish can be directly sown into the chosen area in the vegetable garden. The right time to start growing the radish is any time between early spring and the onset of summer or at the beginning of autumn.