What Is Gentian Root

Kept dry, garlic bulbs will last for several months depending on variety. A crop harvested in early spring is called green garlic, and for this you'll dig up the entire plant. This article originally ran in the November/December 2016 issue of Hobby Farms.

Choose a well-drained site, and if you live in the south, pick a location with afternoon shade. Sift through the soil to reveal the tubers. There are many named varieties of oca found throughout the world, but those known as New Zealand yams are among...

One that comes in a fun color, of course! Space sweet potato slips about 12 inches apart in a row on top of the planting berm. Damaged tubers should be eaten immediately, but the rest can be placed in a single layer in a warm (80 to 85 degrees F), well-ventilated,...

Instead, grab the radish where it meets the soil, and twist the root gently as if unscrewing it from the ground. Sometimes breaking the rules turns out OK. My top priority was planting carrots, but I mixed in the daikon seeds as a companion crop.

Step 4: Care For Your Carrots When growing carrots in containers, there's nothing more important than making sure they receive adequate moisture. Harvest your carrots all at once, or just pull a few a day and use them as needed.

Because this nutrient's availability is dependent on the soil pH, it's essential to keep the pH between 6.0 and 6.8. This is one of the most valuable beet growing tips for gardeners because soil pH is all too often overlooked.

These members of the onion family grow in small clumps, with the bulbs sometimes poking up out of the soil as the plants grow. The best soil pH for shallots is between 5.5 and 6.5, but other than that, shallots aren't overly picky about soil conditions,...

Homegrown beets taste nothing like their processed counterparts. Here in Pennsylvania, I sow my first row of carrots in the middle of April, and I continue to sow a new row of seeds every three or four weeks throughout the summer.

The skin does in fact contain even higher amounts of many of the sweet potato's legendary nutritional elements, such as beta carotene. Real yams are native to Africa, while sweet potatoes are native to the United States.

Fennel also needs a fair bit of water, so if you're going to irrigate just one crop, this is it. Mulch Established Plants When you're cultivating around fennel, be careful not to disturb the roots with your hoe or cultivator, as it may cause the plant...

It has light-tan skin with white flesh. If I don't wash the harvested potatoes, they'll store for several months in the dark, cool conditions of my basement. In fact, sometimes the yield is too good—we've had years when we can't eat them all before...

We planted our horseradish plants in a raised bed with wooden sides. I, however, like to grind it when someone in my house is suffering from sinus congestion. Manage the Spread If you do not have horseradish in your garden, I'd like to make you into a...

Soil pH should be 6.5 to 7.5. When to plant: Direct-seed in very early spring (ideal soil temperatures for germination are between 55 and 65 degrees). Spinach can be grown under floating row cover to prevent leaf miner and aphid damage.

If a soil test indicates a need for this essential nutrient, adding an organic phosphorus fertilizer , like bonemeal or rock phosphate, to the planting area a few weeks before seeding will ensure the growing roots have ready access to this nutrient right...

Because phosphorus becomes tied-up and unavailable for plant use at lower pH levels, it's important to maintain an average soil pH of around 6.5 in the vegetable garden in order to enable the plants access to plenty of phosphorous.

Sunchokes are creamy, nutty and delicious when steamed or roasted. Your gut will thank you for it! Read up on other root vegetables to add to your garden: Crop Profile: Sweet Potatoes Video: How to Plant Potatoes Video: 8 Tips to Harvest and Store Radishes...

Weeding and watering are additional considerations. Herbs Harvest herbs like dill and parsley before the plants blossom to encourage growth. Carrots and celery require a lot of moisture, while parsnips can get by on less.

Soil requirements: Average, well-drained soil high in organic matter. When to plant: Best planted in late summer for fall harvests, but can be grown season-long. Roasted turnips are delicious, as are braised turnip greens with a touch of garlic and olive...

Indeed, anyone can grow a garden, and the best way to develop the ability to do so? This may sound like a big job, but most squash germinate in just a few days. It's row cover. Sow your corn, spread some mint leaves over the top to mask the smell, and...

Planting in an area with good ventilation, while taking care not to overwater, will help keep plants disease-free. So if you hope to harvest your rutabagas in the beginning of November, they should be in the ground no later than the beginning of August—July...

Those who grow plants for profit are sometimes pushing marketability and profit and the impulse purchase. Plant vendors are sometimes quite creative in packaging the "business end" of plants, but this can come at the expense of happy roots.

She grows six radish varieties and especially enjoys them thinly sliced between two pieces of buttered bread. Both can be prevented by using floating row covers to prevent access to egg-laying adults.

White Wonder Cucumbers These cukes have the look of traditional green cucumbers, but the skin and flesh is bright white. Plant pigments, such as caretenoids, chlorophyl, and anthocyanins, are involved in the function of a plant's metabolism.

Once they arrived in Europe, plant breeders focused their efforts on creating the familiar edible tubers we've come to know and love today. Wait for the Harvest As your potato crop continues to grow, aside from regularly watering your spuds, there's little...

Mix the boiled roots with buttermilk and butter and mash as you would potatoes. The best rutabaga varieties have roots with a sweet flavor and smooth, buttery texture. Throughout the season, make sure the plants receive ample moisture, watering when necessary...

I also made a mental note to do some research to learn more about this vegetable.To be perfectly honest, I recall seeing this plant described in several seed catalogs, but I never gave it a second thought.National Public radio reported that it was mentioned...

However, there are some varieties of artichokes—including Imperial Star, the one I'm growing—will grow in colder climates if afforded extra winter protection. I have to protect the roots from freezing temperatures with a deep, heavy layer of straw...