Vegetable root depth
 

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

Vegetable root depth
 

actually, the most efficient method of covering root veggies for use in winter or
over wintering is to mound the marsh hay up and over the bed. Ingrid

(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



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Vegetable root depth
 

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.

Vegetable root depth
 

Vegetable root depth
 

On 3 Oct 2003 08:16:58 -0700, (simy1) wrote:

(Scott) wrote in message . com...
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.

It depends. Do you want them to survive or to thrive? Tomatoes go down
four feet. Chicory or beet go down six feet.

!!!! I am always surprised at how *shallow* veg plant roots are. Even
in thoroughly tilled and amended soil, when I pull up tomato plants at
the end of the season, the roots (the ones that come up with the
plant) don't seem to be more than 8-10" deep. Of course root hairs may
be deeper, but waaay short of 4'. A beet root tapers to the size of a
toothpick within 6". I can't imagine that 6' of good loose soil is
required to grow one.

Some veg are nourished not by providing great depth, but mounding soil
or compost around a relatively shallow planting -- potatoes, celery.
The directions that came with my asparagus crowns said to trench to a
depth of 18", build a long 5-6" mound in the middle to support the
crowns, and gradually add compost each year.

I also have successfully grown many (small tomatoes, chiles) veg in
pots that were no deeper than 10". Nobody in their right mind (flame
shield on) is going to till and amend a to a depth of 4-6'.

Vegetable root depth
 

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 15:36:59 -0400, Frogleg wrote:


!!!! I am always surprised at how *shallow* veg plant roots are. Even in
thoroughly tilled and amended soil, when I pull up tomato plants at the
end of the season, the roots (the ones that come up with the plant) don't
seem to be more than 8-10" deep. Of course root hairs may be deeper, but
waaay short of 4'. A beet root tapers to the size of a toothpick within
6". I can't imagine that 6' of good loose soil is required to grow one.

Some veg are nourished not by providing great depth, but mounding soil or
compost around a relatively shallow planting -- potatoes, celery. The
directions that came with my asparagus crowns said to trench to a depth
of 18", build a long 5-6" mound in the middle to support the crowns, and
gradually add compost each year.

I also have successfully grown many (small tomatoes, chiles) veg in pots
that were no deeper than 10". Nobody in their right mind (flame shield
on) is going to till and amend a to a depth of 4-6'.



10-12" is plenty enough for any vegetable. Simple as that. But I agree with
you.

Vegetable root depth