Root crops?

[Bettacreek]

So, I have carrots and beets that I want to try my hand at. The carrots, well, we really don't eat a lot of carrots, but, I have rabbits that I can share with. I plan to can several quarts for stews and such. The beets, well, mostly will be used for pickled eggs. Either way, I really want to grow them, but I worry about the soil. Can you plant them in regular old garden soil? I don't know how rocky it is, but I'm not concerned about how "pretty" they look, I just want them to grow.

 

[lesa]

I grow both these veggies in ordinary garden soil. It is best if you hill up dirt= so the roots have room to develop (unless you have loamy soil) Plant away and keep us posted on your progress... The beets are very easy to blanch and freeze and taste like heaven in the middle of winter...

 

[Mattemma]

I am growing beets and daikon rash this year.Got a juicer last month,so I will use those veggies. I did grow turnips last year,and added extra soil above hard clay to give the veggies room to grow. I read that alfalfa roots go deep,and help break up the soil.

 

[ducks4you]

I have put wood ash in the rows before planting beets, because they like it. I have had NO LUCK growing beets inside tiny "greenhouse-sized" pots, because they either dry out, or drown, or BOTH. Mine are starting in pretty large pots this year so that they can get a really good head start. Hope this helps!

 

[PotterWatch]

We have really hard, rocky soil and I have heard from many people around here that their root veggies don't do very well because of it. I had my husband build me a nice tall box to put my root veggies in, though I am trying some beets directly in the ground in my main garden just to see how they do.

 

[meriruka1]

My best crop is beets grown in ordinary garden dirt. The trick is to 'hill them up' meaning if you see the top of the beet poking up above the soil, pile some dirt on top to cover it, same with carrots - only the green parts should be sticking out of the soil.
I always roast my beets in a huge turkey roaster then slip off the skins when they cool down & freeze them. That way all you have to do is thaw and eat.

 

[ducks4you]

TOTALLY YUMMM!!!!

 

[Lavender2]

My best crop is beets grown in ordinary garden dirt. The trick is to 'hill them up' meaning if you see the top of the beet poking up above the soil, pile some dirt on top to cover it, same with carrots - only the green parts should be sticking out of the soil.
I always roast my beets in a huge turkey roaster then slip off the skins when they cool down & freeze them. That way all you have to do is thaw and eat.

yup, I agree ... and the beets seem to do okay in not so 'clean' soil, like picky carrots.
I prepare mine the same for freezing ... love the heat and eat!