Root Crops

Root vegetables are relatively easy to grow with few production problems. They come from several different crop families and include crops like carrot and parsnip (Parsley Family); radish, rutabaga, and turnip (Mustard Family); and other crops like beets (Goosefoot Family).

Root crops are mostly cool-season vegetables that grow best in the spring and fall, but there are heat tolerant varieties for summer plantings. Some are successfully grown in unheated greenhouses or high tunnels, planted in January or February and then again in October or November. This allows harvest either early in the spring or through the winter to supply local or specialty markets.