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Root vegetables are used in every thing from the Sunday roast to soup and stews. Custom Search 
Root vegetables have traditionally been a main staple of our winter crops, used in everything from the Sunday roast to soups and stews. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, they will help keep you healthy and well fed over the winter. Because they are cool weather crops, these vegetables can be cultivated in the fall after the warm weather crops have passed their prime.
Beets
Beets are another of the root vegetables that are well adapted to all parts of the country because of their tolerance to heat and their resistance to cold. They will not, however withstand severe freezing. In the northern states, with their severe winters, beets are grown in spring, summer, and autumn. Beets are sensitive to acidic soils; therefore it is a good idea to apply lime if your soil test shows the need for it. Good beet quality depends on quick growth; to accomplish this this the soil must be fertile, well drained, and in good friable condition. Midsummer heat and drought may interfere with beet germination. By mulching so that the seeds will not bake and by keeping the soil damp until the plants are up, much this trouble can be avoided. Make successive plantings at intervals of about three weeks in order to have a continuous supply of young, tender beets throughout the season. Beet greens are a wonderful and flavorful alternative to spinaches and chard. Pick when mature and cook as you would other greens.
Carrots
Carrots are one of the most popular root vegetables and are usually grown in the fall, winter, and spring in the warmer sections of the country, where they will provide an almost continuous supply. In the North however, carrots can be grown and used throughout the summer. Carrots will grow in almost any type of soil as long as it is moist, fertile, loose, and free from clods and stones, with sandy loams and peat the best. Those beautiful long slender carrots you see in the produce department are difficult for the home gardener to grow because that type of carrot requires a very deep and loose soil, and it is difficult to create these conditions. Experiment with the chunky blunt carrots for varieties known as half-longs. They're every bit as tender and tasty as the commercial varieties. Because of their hardiness, carrots may be planted as early in the spring as the ground is warm enough to be worked. Succession planning in intervals of three weeks will insure a continuous supply of tender carrots. Carrots must be harvested before the hard frosts occur' due to the danger of injuring the roots.
Parsnips
Parsnips which are not as well known as other root vegetables, can be grown throughout the United States, however, they must have warm soil and weather at planting time, although they will not thrive in midsummer in the South. Any deep, fertile soil will grow parsnips, but light friable soil, with no tendency to bake is best. Stony or lumpy soils are objectionable; they may cause rough, prongy roots. When buying parsnip seeds be sure they are fresh as they do not age well. Anything more than a year old may not germinate. Parsnips germinate slowly, but it is possible to hasten the process by covering the seed with the mulch such as leaf mold, sand, a mixture of ashes or peat, and then rolling a light soil over the row after seeding. This will usually speed up the process and improve germination. Parsnips can be dug and stored in a root cellar or left in the ground if desired. Freezing in the ground improves the quality of the parsnip.
Radishes
Radishes are a cool weather root vegetable that will stand up to cold weather, but they cannot withstand heat. In the South, they do well in autumn, winter, and spring. In the North, they may be grown in spring and autumn. This root crop will grow in any type of soil as long as it is rich, moist, and friable. Apply additional fertilizer when the seeds are sown; conditions must be favorable for quick growth. Radishes that grow slowly have a pungent flavor and are too strong tasting. Radishes are the quickest to mature of all our garden crops. They remain in prime condition only a few days, which makes small plantings at one week or 10 day intervals advisable. There are two of radishes-The mild, small, quick maturing variety reaches edible size in from 20 to 40 days; and the more pungent, large winter radishes which requires 75 days or more for growth. Gather and store them like other root crops.
Turnips and Rutabaga
Turnips and rutabaga,also known as Swedes, are similar cool season root vegetables and are among the most commonly grown and widely adopted crops in the United States. They are grown in the South chiefly in the fall, winter, and spring; and in the North mainly in the spring and autumn. Rutabagas do best in the more northerly areas; turnips are better for gardens in the South. Turnips reach a good size in from 68 to 80 days, rutabagas need about a month longer. Being susceptible to heat and hardy to cold, these root vegetables should be planted as late as possible for fall use, allowing time for maturity before a hard frost. The importance of planning turnips as early as possible for the spring crop is emphasized. When seeding in rows, cover the seeds lightly; when broadcasting, rake the seeds in lightly with a garden rake. Turnips may be thinned as they grow, and the tops used for greens. Although there are both white fleshed and yellow fleshed varieties of turnips and rutabaga, most turnips are white fleshed and most rutabagas are yellow fleshed
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