by Rex Trulove

Created on: May 13, 2009   Last Updated: April 10, 2011

It isn't hard to understand what root vegetables are, as they are much as they sound. However, root vegetables are more than this.

It isn't uncommon for a gardener to hear that an area is great for growing root crops, or that another isn't very good for root vegetables. For this information to be helpful though, it is important to have an understanding of just what root vegetables are, and the various uses that they can be put to.

Thankfully, it is easy to understand. A root vegetable is simply any vegetable that is primarily an under the ground crop. Roots are important for any vegetable, but with many, the root isn't the main part harvested. For instance, tomatoes are a plant that doesn't have edible roots. In fact, since a tomato belongs to the nightshade family, the leaves, stems, and roots should not be eaten at all. The fruits are delicious and healthful though.

An example of a root vegetable is a potato. No other part of the plant is eaten except for the tubers it creates under the ground.

Part of the confusion that can occur however, is that the root of a root crop may not be the only edible part. For example, beets and turnips are both root crops, but the leaves are good to eat as well. Carrots, another root vegetable, have leaves suitable for drying and adding to recipes as flavoring, such as in soups and stews. Still, with all three of these, the part growing under the ground is the primary reason for growing the vegetable. The root is the most valuable part of the plant.

It is sometimes surprising to find that root vegetables don't always do best when grown in loose damp soil. For instance, in the 1980s, the often-arid area around Klamath County in Oregon grew more potatoes than the entire state of Idaho. Oregon was known as an excellent place to grow potatoes, but that isn't the only root crop grown. Many thousands of tons of sugar beets, onions, and garlic are also grown in the state. Note that onions and garlic are also edible from top to bottom, but it is the underground bulbs they are usually grown for.

Southern Oregon and extreme northern California are also known for the quantities of horseradish produced. Horseradish is another root vegetable grown primarily in hotter and drier areas. The leaves aren't used, but the root is superb when properly prepared. It is a major constituent in homemade cocktail sauce and goes great with roast beef, for instance.

For the home gardener, the list of root crops is extensive: Carrots, radishes, turnips,

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