Forcing Vegetable Roots: A Winter Gardening Method Used for 100’s of Years
Forcing flower bulbs for early blooming is a well-known way to brighten up your house in winter. But did you know you can do the same with edible plants? Forcing vegetable roots is a historic technique to harvest fresh greens in the winter.
Historically, rhubarb and chicory were two of the most common forced vegetables, but you can use this technique with a wide variety of plants!
Forcing Vegetable Roots
Forcing works best with biennial or perennial plants. Annuals typically won’t regrow once the plant has died back.
Some plants that work well for forcing include:
- Rhubarb
- Strawberries
- Celery
- Beets
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic
- Chicory
- Sea Kale
- Asparagus
How to Force Roots for Winter Harvest
To force root crops, first, let them die back and have a break from growing in the fall.
During the winter, you can dig them up or simply bring them in if they are already potted. Moving them indoors where it is warmer mimics spring and will encourage your plants to start sprouting early.
Although some can be regrown in water, I’ve found it easier to put them in a pot with some dirt. The water method is more likely to rot your plants and the water will need daily changing.
Since your root crops will be growing from the stored energy in their roots, they don’t need much space and can be densely planted in a pot. It’s fine if the roots are touching each other.
Your potted root vegetables should be very lightly watered, keeping in mind that they are drawing most of their energy from the root itself.
Forcing Shoots for Salads
This works well with biennial roots, such as celery, carrots, beets, onions, and garlic. You simply replant them in a little soil in mid-winter.
You can plant roots that you grew in your own garden. Store-bought produce also works for forcing vegetable roots. Organic produce will sprout more reliably since it hasn’t been treated with chemicals to keep it from sprouting.
You can sometimes force just the top of a carrot or beet, or the bottom of a celery plant. Although they won’t grow as well without the entire root, you may still be able to harvest some green shoots for salad.
What if your vegetables are already sprouting? Forcing is actually a great way to salvage vegetables that are sprouting prematurely, such as those onions you didn’t use soon enough.
When you replant root vegetables, they won’t grow another ro
ot (except garlic). What you are growing is new leafy growth. Beets will grow greens that are great in a salad. Celery will grow new leaves perfect for soups and stews. Onions and garlic will grow sprouts similar to a green onion.
You can cut the shoots off and they will grow again for another harvest.
For darker leafy greens, force your roots in a sunny window or under a grow light. You can also force them in darkness, which will naturally blanch them. This works because unlike a new seedling that is dependent on light, forced root crops are growing from the stored energy in the root. Blanched greens will be lighter colored and milder flavored, although not as nutrient-dense as those grown with light.
Forcing Perennials
Perennials such as strawberries, rhubarb, and asparagus, should not be forced more than one year in a row. Forcing will weaken the plant since you aren’t allowing it to “rest” as long as usual in the winter. For this reason, replant your forced perennials outside in the spring so they can recover, and bring in a different set of plants each winter.
Rhubarb and asparagus can be grown in light or the dark. Strawberries should be grown in the light if you want to encourage fruiting.
Forcing vegetable roots is an easy way to spice up your winter pantry with healthy, fresh food. You can find more ideas on forcing vegetables at Grow Veg.
Have you forced veggies not listed in this article? Share them in the comments!
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