Root crop is what? Root storage

Root 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. It is better to say that this is a modified root.

Modifying the root

Root is a vegetable with a modified root. This is due to the appearance of an additional function. The root begins to accumulate spare nutrients: starch, sugar and other components. That's why they grow in size, they become thicker and fleshier. Most of the roots are biennial plants. The first year they develop roots and stem. In the second year, the seeds ripen. Roots are usually rich in different groups of vitamins.

Species classification

There are different kinds of root crops. These include carrots, radishes, beets, rutabaga, parsnips, celery, parsley and turnips. Some of them include a huge amount of essential oils. This is the reason for their use as spicy vegetables in conservation and the production of different dishes. Root crop is a kind of vegetables that are divided into 3 types: beets, carrots and radishes. Consider them. The type of carrot combines parsley, parsnip, carrots and celery. Their distinctive feature is the deposition of nutrients in the bast of the plant. Therefore, their value depends on the reduction of the woody part, that is, the core. To the type of beet, there are 3 species: sugar beet, dining and fodder. The nutritional value of these vegetables also increases with a decrease in the central part. But root crops like radish, which include turnips, radish, rutabaga and radish, have a large share of useful substances in the core. Sowing of root crops can be carried out in early spring in a moist, well-loosened soil.

Carrot

One of the most ancient plants is the root crop of carrots. His food was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. At the time of the Middle Ages, carrots were considered to be delicious vegetables and it was only in the 17th century that it was cultivated everywhere in Europe. On the territory of our country, this root was grown since ancient times. It is used not only in raw form, but also sour, pickle, get juice. Carrots produce dietary food. It holds a huge amount of sugar and minerals. This vegetable is rich in iron, potassium, phosphorus, microelements. Predominantly valued root vegetables are carrots for the content of carotene. Depending on the size of the vegetable is divided into species. Long carrots (more than 20 cm), short (up to 5 cm) and semi-long (from 7 to 20 cm).

This root should be sown early in the spring. The gatherings take a long time due to a significant amount of essential oil. So that the seeds sprout faster, before sowing, they must be soaked in clean water or with the addition of aloe juice, soda or ash. After that, they must be washed and kept for several days in the refrigerator. Since the seeds are very small, they are mixed with sand to make it easier to land. The optimum depth of sowing 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 conserve heat and accelerate germination.

To scare off pests from carrots, you can sow calendula or onions between them. With their specific smell they will protect the root crop from parasites. The carrot is often attacked by a leaf block. To combat it, plants need to be sprayed with the infusion of tobacco. He will not bring any harm to the entrances and will scare off the pest.

Parsley

Our diet enriches many plants. The root of parsley is hard to even imagine. All people used to eat leaves. However, the underground part of the plant is also rich in useful substances. It all depends on your preferences. Because of the large amount of essential oils, parsley has an original smell.

Beet

This vegetable has been used for food since time immemorial. Beet root is grown in all regions of our country. Because of long-term storage, the vegetable in question is used for cooking for a year. The value of beet is also high in sugar concentration. It also contains malic and oxalic acid. It should be noted that the beet root combines manganese, iron, potassium and calcium, and its tops are rich in carotene, vitamins of group B and C. Therefore, the vegetable is considered very useful.

Beet seeding is usually carried out at the end of April, when the minimum soil temperature is 6 ° C. If you put seeds in the cold ground, then the plant can simply bloom and not form a root. The most delicious are fruits with a diameter of up to 8 cm. They are not very fibrous and are well cooked. You can use wooden boxes to store beets. In them, stack the fruits, pouring them with sand.

Potatoes

Hardly anyone in our country can imagine his diet without a vegetable called potatoes. Root crop grows well in different regions. He is regarded as a light-loving plant. The main points in its cultivation are fertilizing with fertilizers, weed control and hilling. To plant potatoes the best are small tubers (with a chicken egg). To get a better harvest, they are germinated before planting. For this, the potatoes are scattered into a single layer under a canopy with a temperature of about 13-15 ° C. So the sprouts will be thick and strong, and therefore will not break off when planting. Potatoes very well loosen the soil. Therefore, it is used for cultivating new sites. For a better crop, the soil is fertilized with both organic and mineral mixtures. With the germination of potatoes, we need to pay attention to the control of weeds so that they do not interfere with the development of the stem and root. But after closing the plants weeding should be stopped. This is done to avoid damage to the fetus. The optimal period for harvesting a vegetable is the beginning and mid-August. First, they let it dry out in the sun. But do not leave it for long, as this leads to the greening of the potatoes. After that, it not only changes color, but also the taste, and also becomes poisonous to humans. Although this change is considered useful for seed materials. From these tubers you can grow beautiful potatoes. The root crop is damaged by cold already at -2 ° С. Therefore, it should be stored at a temperature of 2-5 ° C and sorted several times during the winter to remove the damaged fruit and break off the sprouts.

Problems with preservation of root crops

Considerable dangerous for the conservation of root crops are white, gray, black, bacterial and core rot, as well as bacteriosis. Optimal conditions for saving are the temperature of +1 ° C and humidity of 95%. The longest vegetables root crops lie in sand trenches with a depth of half a meter and a width of up to 100 cm. An important step is the cleaning of the crop from the ground and its careful inspection. For storage, select those instances on which there is no damage. If the vegetables have been extracted from the moist soil, they must be dried well before being placed in the cellar.

Preserving vegetables

Root storage depends on their type. For example, beets are well adapted to long-term savings. The crop is cut off immediately after extraction from the ground. Beetroot is placed in stacks or bins, interspersed with sand. Small yields are stored in special containers or boxes. For prolonged saving of carrots, sand is also used. Consider the principle. First they make sand mounds 3 cm thick. Carrots are put on them. Then, 3 cm of sand is poured on top again, another row of vegetables is placed. Do not densely fold root crops, so as not to interfere with the flow of air. To ensure long-term preservation of vegetables, the remains of the previous crop must be carefully cleaned. Then we disinfect the walls well and bleach them with lime to destroy possible fungi.

Useful features

The benefit of root vegetables is also in the fact that with their help you can treat illnesses and strengthen the human body. It has been scientifically proven that the use of carrots reduces the likelihood of suffering from cancer. And beet, in turn, lowers the pressure. That's how root can help! Root beet due to the content of folic acid and silicon has a rejuvenating effect on the body. This vegetable tones the intestines and promotes the activation of the brain. Carrots, thanks to the content of beta-carotene, are indispensable for skin care and maintenance of the work of the organs of vision. In addition, its use increases immunity. Pasternak is recommended to include in the diet as a dietary vegetable (for the replacement of potatoes). To relieve the body of toxins, it is necessary to eat radish in food. The best way to cleanse the intestines from toxins and remove cholesterol is to add a seasoning with horseradish to food. It is also effective in fighting cancer cells. Celery is recommended for people who struggle with excess weight. It not only cleanses the body of toxins, but also breaks down fats, and accelerates metabolism. That is why the root crop is not only an opportunity to diversify your diet, but also a chance to get better.

Neutralization of vegetables

The main danger of purchased vegetables are nitrates. We can not be completely sure of the quality of the root crops we bought, so it is worth knowing some methods of neutralizing them. For example, in potatoes, more nitrates accumulate in the skin. Therefore, each tuber must be thoroughly cleaned before cooking. Beets accumulate nitrates in the tip and tip. Before preparing it, the upper and lower parts must be cut well, without regret. Radish is better to buy a normal size and a round shape. An oblong and coarse root usually contains more nitrates. If you are not sure that vegetables are not supersaturated with harmful substances, then before adding to the dish you need to make a heat treatment. Then most nitrates will go to decoction.