Shallow rooted veggies?

[wifezilla]

We just had part of our roof replaced and I now have some gutters that I can use to grow things. Besides lettuce, what has a shallow root system that would grow well in a gutter?
I am finding out that bok choy puts down a pretty deep root so that is out. Kohlrabi maybe? Bush peas or beans? One place did strawberries. Any other ideas?

Here are some of my inspirations...
http://greenupgrader.com/7556/diy-vertical-garden-with-reclaimed-gutters/
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/agcomm/writing/2004/strawberries.htm

 

[vfem]

Holy wow... I just took out a book from the library that had a chapter with a number of graphs of the depth of certain veggies roots!

I'll be right back and I'll get you a list of the shallow one's they named. Or at least the one they show the graphs of.

 

[vfem]

Sorry... I see nothing in there that is super shallow. They show cauliflower and lettuce needed at the least depth at 2 ft.

But there were a lot of veggies not shown and no fruit.

What about blueberries? They are very shallow rooting?!

 

[Greenthumb18]

Here's what i found:

Onion, lettuce, and round radish seem to be very shallow rooted so these should be great.


Hope this helps!

 

[wifezilla]

I hadn't thought of blueberries. Hummmmm...

I am thinking of using the gutter pieces in my hoop house along the back wall. A blueberry bush might be too bushy and round.

Found this...
" Shallow-rooted vegetables will have a greater demand for water than deep-rooted crops, so keep a watchful eye on them. A few shallow-rooted crops include lettuce, corn, potato, and radish.

Moderately deep-rooted vegetables include bean, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, cantaloupe, pepper, pea, summer squash, and turnip.

Deep-rooted vegetables include asparagus, lima bean, pumpkin, winter squash, sweet potato, tomato, and watermelon. "

This site has a chart for container gardening depth...
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1647.html

It looks like my best bets are:
Lettuce
Spinach
Kale
radish (well, not daikon, but regular red radishes)

Other possible plants include:
Beets
Bush beans
Green onion

 

[vfem]

You can go with some the high country blue berries which are basically canes... that said, maybe raspberries?!

Anyways... my gut just says its PERFECT for strawberries because you will have awesome control over runners.

P.s. - I read that in some types, beets need to send roots down to 10 ft!!!! It was in that book I was talking about earlier.

 

[journey11]

Oh yeah, totally perfect for strawberries!

 

[wifezilla]

What about India Mustard?

 

[Hattie the Hen]

In the UK quite a lot of gardeners start their peas in lengths of guttering then when the frost has left their vegetable gardens they slide the whole short row out into a shallow trench in the soil. It gives them peas a couple of weeks earlier. It is also an advantage in areas where mice are a pest as they love pea-seeds. The peas in the guttering are grown under cover initially.


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[ducks4you]

Green (salad) onions don't have a deep root.