Root veg - how to tell they're ready?!

[palborn]

As a relative newcomer to veg growing (have only grown toms and garlic before) I have a very daft question . When growing root veg how do you know when they're ready to pull up. I am growing beetroot, carrots and parsnips. Does something happen to the leaves so you know? Hope someone can help .

[scared55]

There are probably a lot of people who can tell you - I shall be interested to see as I have recently planted out some rutebaga.

However, there are fewer of us able to welcome you to the vine from within France!

KK

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Palborn,

Welcome to the vine! Firstly there are no daft questions, not on the forum anyway so don't be affraid to ask no matter how silly it may sound.

I don't have much experience but when my carrots and beetroot were groing you could see the tops of them just above the surface of the soil. You can pick and eat them while they are still small or leave them to grow a bit bigger. You could always pull a carrot out to see how big it is (and have a taste) then decide if you want to pull some more or leave them for a bit.

Good luck, Mandy

[lainey lou]

Hi Palborn!
Welcome to the vine!
I'm a new gardener too, I've grown beetroot and carrots but not parsnips, with the beetroot you could see approx how big they were by moving the leaves out of the way, with the carrots i checked by removing a little of the soil and having a look - I don't know if this is the correct way (probs not!) but it worked for me!!
lainey lou

[JennieAtkinson]

Hi Palborn and welcome to the Vine. We are all here to help each other, so don't be afraid of asking anything.

I find that root vegetables, particularly carrots, seem to propel themselves slightly out of the ground when they are ready. Otherwise just scrape gently a little bit of soil back from the stem and see if there is anything underneath.

[Cutecumber]

Nothing significant happens to the tops as the plants get older, so it's up to you to decide when to pull. Unless they look unhealthy or discoloured, don't be in a rush to harvest. Investigate gently first.

Beetroot always tend to protrude from the soil, so you can see how big they are growing. Carrots will be lower in the soil and you may not see a top at all, but there's no harm in carefully pulling away some soil to see how big the roots are.

You can work out, if you recorded the sowing time, how old the plants are. To give you a general guide, it might take around 2 and half to three months for both your carrots and beetroot to get to a decent size - that is, there is enough to eat but they are still tender and crisp. During their next month, if there is enough nutrient for them, they will bulk up even more. Beetroot are best pulled when they are golf ball size - try not to let them get too big without trying a few young ones, at least. Carrots can be picked young or left to mature - some varieties are specifically used for one or other of these purposes.

Whatever you do, don't pull them because they should be ready - use your eyes and if you think they are too small, leave them for a few more weeks.

It'll be great when you harvest your first ones - it's dead exciting!

[Snadger]

The flavour of parsnips is said to improve with a touch of frost! Beetroot are more tender and less woody if pulled when they are a bit immature and on the small side.
Basically carrots are ready when, if you pull a few they are of a size that makes you want to take a bite from them!

[Charlie Farley]

i planted my very first parsnips this year. been wonderin when n how to check em. they went in about march/april- im so excited!

[vegnut]

Hi Palborn. As and when you thin your carrots may give you some idea how they are doing, unless you are a carefull seed sower and dropped one seed to it's station, you will have to thin them out (depending on the type). If you do uncover the necks, cover them back up to stop greening. Parsnips, as was said before, wait till the first frost before pulling, then pull every other one to make more room for the ones left in the ground. Enjoy

[palborn]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I guess I'm going to need to have a rummage under the soil.

I don't know what anyone else thinks but it's been quite hard going for a first timer this year. Shed loads of slugs have destroyed so many of my seedlings that I nearly lost heart. Also the weather has been so awful. Have made the decision to start seeds off in plugs next season as I can't bear losing so many plants again.

[mandyballantyne]

Don't get dis heartened Palborn, it has been a tough year for all of us. Wet weather, slugs, blight the list goes on.

Just think about what has worked this year and enjoy it, when you taste your first carrot you will know what I mean.

You have had a great year by simply starting to grow. Things that grew great last year have totaly failed for me but others have been great.

Enjoy, Mandy

[Flummery]

I'm of the 'raking about underneath to have a look' persuasion. Carrots and parsnips in particular don't mind if you gently scrape away the soil from around the neck to see how big the root is. If they look a decent thickness lift one or two to see. If not, cover them up again and look in a couple of weeks time.

[Snadger]

I'm of the 'raking about underneath to have a look' persuasion................................

There's that word............. 'FERTLING'.............. rearing it's head again!

[Jenny22Cumbria]

Hi all,

I've grown carrots for the first time this year and today curiosity got the better of me and I had to have a peek! When I looked just under the surface of the soil they were really small but I was just chuffed that they're orange!

On the subject of slugs and snails - this is my second lot of carrots this year. The first lot survived until just after thinning and then were eaten. I think it was slugs as I had an allotment at the time and they were EVERYWHERE! In my patch at home I've isolated it with copper piping (which slugs and snails won't cross) and then applied nematodes. Can't recommend them enough! They're parasites for slugs and seem to have done their job - and they're an organic control!