Gardeners get excited when they see that first tiny green tomato nestled in the yellow flower of the tomato plant. The emerging of peppers, cucumbers and squash bring glee to their hearts.

Root vegetables are different though. These plants keep the edible parts underground, showing only their stalks and fruitless flowers. These are your onions, your carrots, your beets and turnips. Potatoes are root vegetables as are radishes and parsnips.

Gardeners need to recognize the signs of maturity from the plant growth above ground. Only when she pulls the plant from the ground does she see the fruit, or vegetable rather, of her labor.

Many root vegetables are tubers, such as potatoes. The potato is not technically a root; it is part of the stem of the potato plant, the part that grows underground.

Garlic and onions are not tubers. They are the bulbs of the plant. A carrot, though, is a root, or more specifically, a taproot. The carrot grows underground, acting as a main root, only to grow tiny roots that continue to burrow into the soil. Other taproot vegetables include radishes, beets, parsnips and turnips.

Any vegetable, though, that grows beneath the soil is commonly referred to as a root vegetable.

The gardener knows when to harvest her root vegetables by watching that part of the plant that grows above ground. When the potato plants have ceased to flower, she can harvest small baby potatoes. Waiting until the foliage has died back yields larger potatoes, potatoes that can be stored for up several weeks, or even months, in a cool, dry place.

Carrots can be harvested when the gardener sees a tiny crown of orange emerging from the soil. The carrot will grow close to the soil's surface, showing the top of its head when it's ready to be plucked from the ground.

Onion stalks dry and fall over, and like the carrot, may show some of itself to the gardener. The garlic bulb will remain hidden, but can't hide its dried stalk.

One of the delights of root vegetables is the variety of rich, earthy flavors they offer. Roasting them brings out great aroma and texture. Thinly sliced radishes add kick to garden salads. And who doesn't love a baked potato?

Though gardeners may not be able to see the first peep of a parsnip as it begins its journey to maturity, the root vegetable remains a favorite in home gardens. Their versatility of flavor and texture, and in many cases their longevity, make them attractive plants to include in the kitchen garden.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Mcrae.
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