Lesser Known Root Vegetables

This is about the last chance to order alternative root vegetables. Cultivariable stops shipping March 31st. I have tried to grow just about all of them but I only succeeded with Yacon and Sunchoke(jeruselam Artichoke). Hopefully my Skirret made it though the winter.

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The Chinese artichoke looks like the betony I grow. African mint potato is easy to grow. Tubers might need stored inside in the winter.

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One of the names for it is Artichoke Betony. Yacon is essential a Dalia with a yellow standard daisy flower. Dalia’s roots are just as edible.

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I also have American Ground nut growing. 2 years in the ground but I have never dug them to check for spread.

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European Licorice (true licorice) is deciduous and hardy in a wide range of climates – from central Germany to here in 10b.

I enjoy Celeriac. I let it get large and prepare it like turnip.

Thai Ginger (galangal) – in comparison to Chinese Ginger – produces smaller tubers with tougher skins and very strong flavor. It is vigorous in a number of climates. I use my Champion juicer to jiuce it and freeze the extracts to be used in various condiments.

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Anyone have experience with Taro? The potato sized ones, not the huge one that I think only grows in very warm climates. Been cooking with them this winter. Was going to try planting the ones from the international mart. They’ve started to sprout.

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Yes, Taro, Eddo and Dasheen are all cultivars of Colocasia esculenta, Cultivars have been bred to reduced the toxin oxalic acid. The corms of all three cultivars are at safe levels obviously or they would not be sold retail. The leaves on the other hand of eddo still contain inedible levels of Oxalic acid while the leaves of Dasheen are used to make the Trinidad and Tobago version of Callaloo. There are likely more sub-cultivars under the generic name Taro that I would not assume editability of the leaf.

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Well, I want to briefly talk about skirret (Sium sisarum) germination—so guess this is the thread. :slight_smile:

I had very little luck germinating seeds this spring. I sowed two entire packets from two different sources, but ended up with only one skirret plant—though I think I see a few others just coming up, nearly four months (!) after sowing.


Neither of the vendors I purchased from recommends cold stratification. Some sources, however, recommend at least a month of cold stratification for skirret seeds—and I think they are right. I’ve also seen accounts on the web from people who say that commercial seed, sown without treatment, germinated poorly for them, but that established plants outside tend to self-sow freely: and that could be explained by natural winter stratification. So if you are going to try skirret from seed, consider fall sowing or a month or more of refrigerator stratification.

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excellent, I thought Skirret was hard to grow from seed.

I have had this Skirret for years but never harvested it. I moved it to a grow bag last year but this year its really taking off I think its from the Axomite I added last year.

going to have to make an episode for it.

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Very nice! Looks like it’s about time to give it a try!

:+1:

This guy after overwintering in-ground:

About an hour after taking this picture, I returned to discover that the neighbor’s dog had dug it up! I quickly replanted it (it was starting to make a nice bundle of roots), and expect it will be fine—if voles don’t eat it (and the voles were probably what the dog was after). Three others in the same bed are also starting to grow.

I am starting more skirret seeds right now. Most skirret seeds from commercial sources have very low germination rates, even after stratification, whereas my own seeds (from this same plant, which bloomed in its first season) have a very high germination rate, with no apparent need for stratification. I am beginning to suspect that skirret seed loses viability very quickly—and so the fresher the better.

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For those interested in this sort of thing, thought I’d mention that the skirret seeds I got from the following small seed company are proving to have excellent germination rates—far better than skirret seeds from any of the other commercial sources I’ve tried:

I sowed the seeds several weeks ago and placed the humidity domed flats out in an unheated mud room, where they experienced fluctuating temps, including some cool nights. Don’t know whether this helped or not—it has not helped with previous seed batches, in any case—but I’m seeing at least 30% germination occurring right now, and more will likely follow.

Anyway, for those interested in experimenting with this ancient perennial root crop, this might be an inexpensive way to get a start. The packet contained a generous amount of seed.

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