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03-10-2003, 06:22 AM

In article ,
(Scott) wrote:

Can anyone recommend a source where I could find out how deep various
plant roots need to be to survive? This would be nice to know when
preparing a new garden bed - obviously a carrot needs a deeper bed
than a radish or lettuce, for example.

Thanks!
Scott

Robert Kourik has some root-depth data in his book Designing and
Maintaining your Edible Landscape Naturally (Metamorphic Press, 1986)
which he got from old work by John E. Weaver (Root Development in
Vegetable Crops, McGraw-Hill, 1927). Generally, if you have good soil
they go a lot deeper than you might imagine. (And best growth is
obtained on deep soils.)
I've experimented with box beds with various depths. For carrots I've
always grown Chantenays, for which a 10" deep bed is adequate. Parsnips
and Daikon need more, most other crops need less.