A root crop is an element of a plant. It contains a supply of nutrients. It is often associated with the root system. But it is not so. Better to say it's a modified root.
Changing the root
A root crop is a vegetable with a modified root. This is due to the appearance of an additional function. The root begins to accumulate reserve nutrients: starch, sugar and other components. That is why they grow in size, become thicker and fleshier. Most root crops are biennial plants. The first year they develop roots and stem. Seeds ripen in the second year. Root vegetables are usually rich in different groups of vitamins.
Species classification
There are different types of root crops. These include carrots, radishes, beets, swedes, parsnips, celery, parsley, and turnips. Some of them contain a huge amount of essential oils. This is the reason for their use as spicy vegetables in the preservation and preparation of various dishes. A root crop is a type of vegetable that is divided into 3 types: beets, carrots and radishes. Let's consider them. The type of carrot combines parsley, parsnip, carrot and celery. Their distinguishing feature is the depositionnutrients in the bast part of the plant. Therefore, their value depends on the reduction of the woody part, that is, the core. There are 3 types of beets: sugar beet, table beet and fodder beet. The nutritional value of these vegetables also increases with the reduction of the central part. But root crops such as radishes, which include turnips, radishes, swedes and radishes, have a large proportion of useful substances just in the core. Root crops can be sown in early spring in moist, well-loosened soil.
Carrots
One of the most ancient plants is the carrot root. It was used as food by the ancient Greeks and Romans. During the Middle Ages, carrots were considered a delicacy vegetable, and only from the 17th century did they begin to grow them everywhere in Europe. On the territory of our country, this root crop has been grown since ancient times. It is used not only in its raw form, but also fermented, pickled, and juice is obtained. Diet food is produced from carrots. It contains a huge amount of sugar and minerals. This vegetable is rich in iron, potassium, phosphorus, trace elements. The carrot root crop is mainly valued for its carotene content. Depending on the size, the vegetable is divided into types. Long carrots (more than 20 cm), short (up to 5 cm) and semi-long (from 7 to 20 cm).
The considered root crop should be sown in early spring. Gatherings take a long time due to the significant amount of essential oil. In order for the seeds to germinate faster, before sowing, they must be soaked in clean water or with the addition of aloe juice, soda or ash. After that theymust be washed and kept in the refrigerator for several days. Since the seeds are very small, they are mixed with sand to make planting easier. The optimum sowing depth is 2 cm. The width between the ridges should be at least 20 cm. After sowing, the area can be covered with a film to save heat and speed up germination.
To scare away pests from carrots, you can sow calendula or onions between them. With their specific smell, they will protect the root crop from parasites. Carrots are often attacked by psyllid. To combat it, plants need to be sprayed with infusion of tobacco. It will not bring any harm to the entrances and will scare away the pest.
Parsley
Our diet is enriched by many plants. Parsley root value is hard to even imagine. Everyone is accustomed to eating leaves. However, the underground part of the plant is also rich in nutrients. It all depends on your preferences. Due to the large amount of essential oils, parsley has an original smell.
Beets
This vegetable has been used as food since time immemorial. Beet roots are grown in all regions of our country. Due to long-term storage, the vegetable in question is used in cooking for a whole year. The value of beets is also in the high concentration of sugar. It also contains malic and oxalic acid. It is worth noting that the beet root combines manganese, iron, potassium and calcium, and its tops are rich in carotene, vitamins B and C. Therefore, the vegetable is considered very useful.
Beet sowing is usually carried out underend of April, when the minimum soil temperature is 6 °C. If you place the seeds in cold ground, then the plant may simply bloom and not form a root crop. Fruits with a diameter of up to 8 cm are considered the most delicious. They are not very fibrous and boil well. Beets can be stored in wooden crates. Fruits are placed in them, sprinkled with sand.
Potatoes
It is unlikely that anyone in our country can imagine their diet without a vegetable called potatoes. The root crop grows well in different regions. It is considered to be light-loving plants. The main points in its cultivation are fertilizing, weed control and hilling. For planting potatoes, small tubers (the size of a chicken egg) are the best. To get a faster harvest, they are germinated before planting. To do this, potatoes are scattered in a single layer under a canopy with a temperature of about 13-15 ° C. So the shoots will be thick and strong, and therefore will not break off when planting. Potatoes loosen the soil very well. Therefore, it is used to cultivate new areas. For a better harvest, the land is fertilized with both organic and mineral mixtures. With the germination of potatoes, attention must be paid to weed control so that they do not interfere with the development of the stem and root crop. But after closing the plants, weeding must be stopped. This is done to avoid damage to the fetus. The optimal period for harvesting vegetables is the beginning and middle of August. First, let it dry in the sun. But do not leave it for a long time, as itcauses potatoes to turn green. After that, it not only changes color, but also taste, and also becomes poisonous to humans. Although for seed materials such a change is considered beneficial. From these tubers you can grow beautiful potatoes. The root crop is damaged by cold already at -2 ° C. Therefore, it must be stored at a temperature of 2-5 ° C and touched several times during the winter to remove damaged fruits and break off sprouts.
Root preservation problems
White, gray, black, bacterial and core rot, as well as bacteriosis are considered quite dangerous for preserving root crops. The optimal conditions for saving are considered to be a temperature of +1 ° C and an air humidity of 95%. For the longest time, root vegetables lie in sandy trenches half a meter deep and up to 100 cm wide. An important stage is the cleaning of the crop from the ground and its thorough inspection. For storage, those specimens on which there are no damages are selected. If root vegetables were removed from moist soil, then they must be dried well before being placed in the cellar.
Preservation of vegetables
Storage of root crops depends on their type. For example, beets are well adapted to long-term storage. The tops are cut off immediately after being removed from the ground. Beets are placed in stacks or bins sprinkled with sand. Small crops are stored in special containers or boxes. For long-term conservation of carrots, sand is also used. Consider the principle. First, mounds of sand 3 cm thick are made. Carrots are stacked on them. Then top againpour 3 cm of sand, place another row of vegetables. Root crops should not be tightly folded so as not to impede the flow of air. To ensure the long-term preservation of vegetables, it is necessary to carefully clean up the remains of the previous crop. Then we disinfect the walls well and whitewash them with lime to destroy possible fungi.
Useful features
The benefits of root crops also lie in the fact that they can be used to treat ailments and strengthen the human body. It has been scientifically proven that eating carrots reduces the likelihood of suffering from cancer. And the beet, in turn, lowers the pressure. This is how the root can help! Beet root due to the content of folic acid and silicon has a rejuvenating effect on the body. This vegetable tones the intestines and helps to activate the brain. Carrots, due to the content of beta-carotene, are indispensable for skin care and maintaining the functioning of the organs of vision. In addition, its use improves immunity. Parsnips are recommended to be included in the diet as a dietary vegetable (to replace potatoes). To free the body from toxins, it is necessary to eat radish. The best way to cleanse the intestines of toxins and remove cholesterol is to add seasoning with horseradish to food. It is also effective in fighting cancer cells. Celery is recommended for people who are struggling with being overweight. It not only cleanses the body of toxins, but also breaks down fats and speeds up metabolism. That is why the root crop is not only an opportunity to diversify yourdiet, but also a chance to get he althier.
Decontamination of vegetables
The main danger of purchased vegetables are nitrates. We cannot be completely sure of the quality of the root crops we have bought, so it is worth knowing some methods for their neutralization. For example, in potatoes, more nitrates accumulate in the skin. Therefore, each tuber must be thoroughly cleaned before cooking. Beets accumulate nitrates at the tip and top. Before cooking it, the upper and lower parts must be cut well, without sparing. It is better to buy a radish of normal sizes and a round shape. An oblong and large root crop usually contains a higher amount of nitrates. If you are not sure that the vegetables are not oversaturated with harmful substances, then you need to heat treat them before adding them to the dish. Then most of the nitrates will go into the decoction.
