Topic: Roots in or out

[5rod]

 ???
I was told that you should always leave many types of root in so they add nitrogen to the soil, but is it worth it and how long to leave them?.
As I believe that when you add your own compost this does the same.
What's your views and any advice!

[cornykev]

Hi 5 rod I leave my cauli and cabbage roots in because I was told they may regrow in miniature version and runners are left in for nitrogen reasons, others with more experience will come along with more advise.  ;D ;D ;D

[redimp]

I have read that the sulphates in brassica roots combat onion whiterot and this is why farmers (apart from monoculture farmers ::)) rotate brassica then onions.  Luckily this is what I do and as I have a little bit of the rot in my soil, I am leaving my brassica roots in situ this year.  Others though warn that this is a way to get club root.  I would think that is only really a problem if club root is about and I don't rotate.

[star]

I leave pea and bean roots in, they and all legumes develop nitrogen nodules on the roots. This nitrogen is more available to the next crop in this form.

I hope I got that the right way round....Im sure I'll be corrected if Im wrong.

I do the same wth cabbage for the new growths, if you cut a cross on the cut stem you can get 4 small cabbages!

[Lauren S]

I have left all my beans in situ hoping to add nitrogen to the soil. Plus I still have beans that will hopefully produce me some bean seeds for next year.

Lauren  :)

[Tee Gee]

Call me old fashioned but I like to get everything (or at least as much as I can) out of the beds after harvesting.

OK there are those that will say that such things are 'habitats' for wildlife, true!! but wildlife can spread disease!!

As I see it; if you put those plants mentioned into the compost heap to rot down then add the eventual compost to the beds mentioned e.g onions is this not a similar thing?

Incidentally I never compost the roots of brassicas, only the tops just in case there is a hint of disease on them that is not obvious when dug up.

As I say call me 'old fashioned' but it has held me in good stead for the past thirty years or so!!........and dare I say it.........I don't have 'clubroot!!

[sawfish]

Pea and bean roots take nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots so thats why you leave them in. They should leave the soil more fertile after growing unlike other crops.

[star]

Do I understand you correctly Tee Gee? Do you mean you dont compost onions in case of white rot. I understand the brassica roots not being composted. I dont compost them either.

Am I doing wrong though by leaving my brassicas in for a few extra weeks to get a few smaller heads? I do follow a good rotation.

And I have been composting old onions.......... :-[ :-[

[redimp]

Composting healthy onion matter is another way of possibly combatting white rot.  There is enough of the allium left to wake the sclerotia but not enough to feed it thus it starves to death.  Adding allium matter that is infected to the compost heap will make the problem worse unless the heap gets very hot for a number of days.

[Barnowl]

Does sweetcorn count as a legume?

[star]

Composting healthy onion matter is another way of possibly combatting white rot.  There is enough of the allium left to wake the sclerotia but not enough to feed it thus it starves to death.  Adding allium matter that is infected to the compost heap will make the problem worse unless the heap gets very hot for a number of days.

Thanks for that RC, I dont tend to add dodgy onions to the heap so it should be ok :D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Does sweetcorn count as a legume?

I doubt it. Botanically it's a grass, but it doesn't add anything to the soil, while the important thing about legumes is that they do.

[Barnowl]

Thanks Robert. I thought with all that starch the roots might be worth leaving in for next year's potatoes - will clear them to the compost.