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

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.

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.

(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.

Thanks!
Scott

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

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'.

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.

(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

I think you also have to judge how vigorous growth needs to be. I mean
a carrot is *A* carrot. But a tomato plant may grow 20' of vine from a
single point in the dirt and grow many pounds of fruits. I think roots
will grow wherever they CAN grow. I think whatever depth you provide
large plants, they will take advantage of it. Small plants that are
naturally limited in size when mature probably won't have 2' roots
even if it is there.

Howevere, If I put a tomato at the end of a trench container I will
find roots throughout the container, even at the other end (assuming
conditions are not inhibiting growth). My 12x12x10deep containers with
tomatoes and peppers are solid with roots. I can lift the entire cube
of dirt up with the plant.


Which brings me to ask the group...

...is that bad for next season? Having a container with so many
roots? Will they rot away by spring or are they going to take up space
from the next root system. I've already dug up the main root
ball(shook loose the dirt and discarded).



At some depth the roots are going to encounter more compressed clay
and rock. That is where the roots will probably stop growing
vigorously. Although I'm sure some will wind through cracks and spots.

I dug out 18-20 inches of bed and weeded out stones (I admit, somewhat
obsessively, only the smallest pebbles got by). I found that about 10%
of the plant bed was rocks. Now I went farther and deeper than many
do, but as a first season gardener THAT plant bed did excellent for
me. Surprised my neighbors and even their friends who have been
growing veggies. I don't know if it will produce in future years but
despite the rain and the cold my plants seemed to do well. Two tomato
plants produced 26 lbs(150 tomatoes) and I still have 11 lbs(90
tomatoes) on the vine. Not bad for a guy who has murdered a few
houseplants in his time.

My containers are typically 10-11" deep and none thrived the way the
prepared bed did. I planted two bell peppers, one in the prepared bed,
one in the soil next to it. The prepared bed has grown much larger and
produced twice as many peppers(25 to 13).

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
1st Year Gardener