Oat root: cultivation, care & harvest

The oat root is an old vegetable that is becoming increasingly popular. How to successfully plant oat roots in your own garden.

The oat root, also called white root, had long disappeared from the gardens at home and replaced by black salsify, but it has begun to return. Read here how to cultivate and care for oat roots in the garden and how you can use the harvest later.

Oat root: origin and characteristics

The oat root (Tragopogon porrifolius) is now unknown to us as a root vegetable, but that was not always the case. Some know them better by their other names: Purpur-Bocksbart, Habermark or Weißwurzel. The oat root has its origins in the eastern Mediterranean, from where it was spread throughout Europe, including Germany, by the Romans. Your wild form, the

Tragopogon porrifolius subsp. eriosperm, can still be found today in large parts of Greece, Italy and Turkey. It has been used as a vegetable since ancient times. With us, however, the cultivated oat root became long-term through close relatives Salsify (Scorzonera hispanica) because it delivers higher yields.

The oat root, like the black salsify, belongs to the genus of the goatee (Tragopogon) and thus to the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The biennial, herbaceous plant is usually only cultivated as an annual because its roots are harvested. The approximately 20 to 30 cm long, white taproot is similar to black salsify with milky juice. If you let them grow, the oat root develops a height of 60 to 120 cm in the second year and forms several flower heads along a bluish green stem. The leaves are narrow, smooth and mostly juicy green. When it comes to flowering, the typical basket flower baskets appear in June and July, the petals of which are cloudy-purple to purple-lilac in color. The diurnal movement of the oat root flowers is special. That is, they open in the morning and close again at noon. At the end of the flowering period, the fruit cluster gradually dries up and is reminiscent of the dandelion's dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).

Grow oat roots

Oat roots can be grown in almost any garden. All sunny and partially shaded beds that are deep enough for root vegetables are suitable as a location. A humus and stone-free as well as light or sandy soil is preferred, but is not a must. In contrast to black salsify, oat root can break up hardening in the soil and thus has a soil-improving effect. Locations with heavier soils are therefore also suitable. If the bed is prepared in the previous year, it is advisable to add organic fertilizer to the soil. For example, manure or compost are suitable. Alternatively, if the bed is still planted in autumn of the previous year, you can create ideal properties for plant growth by using a soil activator. For example, ours is suitable for this Plantura organic soil activator, because its long-term effect provides lasting support for the oat roots and, at the same time, promotes the build-up of humus in the soil through microorganisms. Both potatoes and other root crops are ideal as a previous crop. Root crops are all those crops in which the soil should be chopped regularly as they grow in order to suppress weeds and keep the soil loose.

One too Mixed culture cultivation loves the oat root. Good partners are especially leeks (Allium porrum), Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes), Celery (Apium graveolens) or different types of lettuce.

The oat root seeds are sown directly into the bed. The best time for this is spring between March and May. To do this, the seeds are placed two fingers deep in the prepared bed with a row spacing of around 30 cm. The seeds germinate after about 10 to 14 days and should then be separated at a planting distance of about 5 to 10 cm so that each plant has enough space.

tip: When separating the seedlings, do not simply pull them out of the ground, as this can damage the roots of neighboring plants. It is better to cut out the excess oat root plants with a knife or scissors and sacrifice them so that the remaining plants can grow better.

Care of the oat root

During growth, the oat root is an undemanding plant.
Nevertheless, care should be taken to ensure a good supply of water, especially during the dry summer. If the oat root is too dry, the roots can become lignified and shoot. This means that the plant stops growing in thickness at an early stage in order to begin flowering.
In addition to regular watering, weeds should also be removed so that the oat roots can grow without restriction.
Additional fertilization is not necessary during growth.

Harvesting oat roots: procedure, taste and preparation

In autumn the oat roots are ready to be harvested. However, since they will continue to grow for a long time, it is advisable not to start harvesting until the end of October. Since the oat roots are hardy, harvesting into February is possible without any problems. For this, however, the plants should be protected with a layer of straw to prevent freezing and thus make harvesting easier. A digging fork or spade can be used to harvest the oat roots. Simply prick near the root, loosen and lift the soil so that the oat root can be pulled out. Be careful not to break the roots. Oat roots can be stored for a long time in a box filled with sand, even in the cellar.

Just like the black salsify, the oat root can be used as a root vegetable; it does not even need to be peeled. Steamed, fried, deep-fried and processed into puree or soup, it tastes delicious. The oat root also tastes delicious raw, for example as a raw vegetable salad. The taste of the oat roots is very similar to that of the black salsify, but it is a little sweeter and more aromatic. It is reminiscent of the taste of oysters, which is why the oat root is also called ‘oyster plant’ in English. The ‘Sandwich Island’ variety in particular is very nutritious and is therefore an ideal winter vegetable. It is a little smaller, but very robust and impresses with its delicate, nutty-sweet aroma. The leaves of the oat root can be eaten as a salad or a spinach vegetable.

Are you looking for even more unusual vegetables for your garden? Also, check out our article on the one related to oat root Meat cabbage.