It is rare to find a vegetable garden that does not grow carrots, potatoes and beets. Summer residents are used to growing these vegetables in their beds and are afraid of something new. But there are many other unusual and tasty root vegetables that can be planted on the site. They will add new flavors to familiar dishes and help you develop your cultivation skills.
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Sweet potato
It is a potato variety with a special sweet taste that resembles melon, pumpkin, banana or even chestnut. In another way, it is called sweet potatoes. Its inner flesh and rind come in a wide variety of shades. A sweet potato is a kind of perennial vine that creeps along the ground, so the area for its cultivation should be spacious and well-lit. The plant loves fertile soils, also responds favorably to fertilizing in the form of compost.
Jicama
These root vegetables have a sweet, crispy, white flesh similar to potatoes. The appearance of the vegetable resembles a radish. Another name is Mexican potatoes. It can be boiled, fried, baked, and even eaten raw. The plant needs to be watered abundantly, and it also needs a stable support. Experienced gardeners advise to cut the buds during the flowering period so that the root crops grow well.
Kislitsa
Sour cherry tubers replace potatoes in some countries, as they contain a lot of starch. The vegetable has an oblong shape and a strong aroma. It grows and develops normally both in the sun and in the shade, since it tolerates cool weather well.
Stachis tuberous
A very unpretentious plant that is both vegetable and medicinal. Has several other names - for example, Japanese potatoes or Chinese artichoke. Stachis in its raw form tastes like a nut, and when boiled it tastes like an artichoke. Rich in trace elements and vitamin C, prefers nutritious and loose soils.
Turnip
Now people quite rarely began to eat this vegetable, as they prefer ordinary potatoes more. Therefore, few people grow turnips now, despite the unpretentiousness of the plant. These root vegetables contain nutrients. You can grow them in any sunny area.
Radish
Similar to a radish, but larger. It also has an external resemblance to turnips, although the taste is much spicier. The radish needs a good area with fertile soil, illuminated by the sun. The peel of different varieties of this crop can be white, black, pink or greenish.
Swede
It resembles turnips in taste, shape and color, but larger. According to some summer residents, rutabaga is even tastier than its “brother”. This two-year-old culture is unpretentious: it loves cool regions, but it is not afraid of the heat either. Gardens with this vegetable need to be watered weekly to keep the fruit sweet.
Turnips
Root vegetables are white-purple in color with an interesting bittersweet taste. Turnip can be grown in almost all regions, as it is resistant to frost, loves coolness and tolerates high humidity.
Parsnip
The root vegetable resembles a carrot, but is white in color and has a more fibrous structure. Has a spicy sweet aroma. The plant prefers light loam or peaty soil, grows well in warm and bright places. Parsnip greens have a pleasant sourness and are used in salads.
Scorzonera
It looks like a black carrot. In its raw form, the root vegetable is almost never eaten, but if you grind and dry it, you get an excellent seasoning. The plant can grow up to 1 meter in height.
Katran
A good substitute for horseradish root, as it has the same spicy taste, therefore it is an excellent addition to meat dishes. Slightly softer than the latter, therefore it is used in salads and pickles. Katran leaves serve as a natural growth stimulant for onions and radishes, and can also be used as decorations for decorative beds.
Root parsley
There are varieties of parsley that are useful not only for their leaves, but also for their roots. In order for the underground part of the plant to develop well, be fleshy and fragrant, it is not recommended to cut the greens. Root parsley is found in many salads, pickles and infusions, and it is also a good seasoning for many dishes.
Celery root
It will take a lot of patience to grow this root vegetable as it takes 200 days to develop. The vegetable has a rounded shape and a light brown skin. Celery is usually grown in open areas with fertile and neutral soil.
All these root crops are rarely found in summer cottages, despite their unpretentiousness, taste and the content of a large amount of nutrients. But nevertheless, you should pay attention to these crops and allocate several beds to them in the garden.
Do you plant unusual root crops on the site?
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