Scorzonera

[shushkin!]

Hi

Is anyone growing this unusual root veg? Will I have problems pulling
the roots out?
My soil is a decent loam but it does have a lot of stones in it.

[HeyWayne]

I've got problems just saying it!

I would imagine that a quick fork around the area should loosen the soil up enough to pull it. Just make sure you don't get too close I guess.

[Snadger]

I've got some seeds but didn't get round to sowing them (missed the boat, shame on me.!) From what I can gather, if the plant doesn't make a big enough root the first year you can leave it in for a second year to increase in girth!
I sowed Salsify last year and thought the seed must have been duff as nothing came. Imagine my surprise when this large beautiful flowered plant appeared this year and after googling it I found out it was a salsify plant. Lovely blue flowers similar to a passion flower which only open when the suns out. It's now seeded (massive dandelion like heads)and I have collected some seed, so now I can sow both Salsify and Scorzonera in the spring!

[di]

Have you eaten any of the salsify Snadger?We were also really impressed by the flowers but somehow never got round to trying any of the tubers!!harvested a few but was always put off a bit by the leaky/milkiness look of them!Do you know if that's how they're supposed to be?

[shushkin!]

Cheers for the info everyone. I thought I read that they are not so good once
they have flowered. THey are supposed to benefit from a touch of frost like
parsnips.

[vicky]

I grow salsify as a border plant as it has such pretty flowers and fabulous dandelion clocks which the children love!
I have tried eating it but found the flavour rather nasty and it was too fiddly and time consuming to prepare for such a small amount (I boiled it then rubbed off the skin then fried in butter)
I know it's a biennial (like carrots and parsnips are in the wild), don't know if that makes any difference to harvesting times?

[Two_Sheds]

I grew lots of Scorzonera last year, and said I wouldn't bother again.
1) the roots are really deep ... 2ft plus
2) by the time you've peeled the root, there's not much left to eat
3) it oozes latex, which is really unpleasant on your fingers
4) the flavour ain't all that - pretty bland.