Soil Preparation for Root Crops

I plan to divide the crops into the four beds according to what type of plant they are and what their needs are. One bed, for example, will have all the root crops. 

Root crops such as Cylindra Red Beets, Little Finger Carrots, Imperator 58 Carrots, Champion Radish, and Snowball Turnips differ among themselves in appearance as well as in taste. However, they also have certain things in common. For one thing, they all love fertile soil which is rich in organic matter and has lots of nutrient called phosphorus in it. Roots need extra phosphorus (the P in N-P-K), which can be found in bone meal, wood ashes, and rock phosphate. As with all crops, root crops need high quality compost or well-rotted manure for good drainage, air circulation, and slow release nutrients. However, if manure is not aged, it will add too much nitrogen, giving you more top growth than root growth. It may also burn new seedlings as they germinate.
As well as phosphorus, root crops also need soft, light soil in order to grow. They also enjoy a soil pH of 6-6.5. Do a soil test, and add amendments as recommended.

Bone Meal
Bone Meal contains a high amount of phosphorus at 12 to 24 percent immediately available to plants. It's usually applied once a year at planting time, but can also boost phosphorus for individual plants or crops by side dressing and watering in.

Fish Emulsion
Fish emulsion provides a phosphorus boost to plants with rapid results when used as a foliar spray. It's an organic fertilizer made from whole fish and fishing industry by-products. It works fast but is also used up quickly and can be applied on a consistent schedule throughout the growing season. Unlike commercial formulas, fish emulsion doesn't cause harmful salts to accumulate in soil.

Worm Castings
Compost with worm castings is an organic soil amendment that may add some phosphorus to soil, but more importantly, it frees up existing phosphorus. If your soil test results show adequate phosphorus levels, but your garden is struggling, worm castings help eliminate the poor uptake problem. This is a specialty organic soil conditioner with plenty of micro-nutrients but it requires special materials and equipment and commercially sold product can be pricey.

Lime
Phosphorus breaks down best in soil with a balanced pH level of 7 to 7.5. Acidic soil can bind it and prevent plants from using it. When soil test results show high acidity, garden lime can balance pH and release phosphorus that was previously unavailable. It consists of granulated limestone or dolomite with high concentrations of calcium and magnesium. Lime is applied once just before planting.

Rock Phosphate
Rock phosphate is mined rock with high levels of phosphorus. Basalt, granite and rhyolite are examples of this type of rock. Soft rock phosphate is a powdered form added to soil at planting time. Rock phosphate is also used in larger form as a decorative mulch. This is a slow release form that takes five years to break down completely.

In addition, root crops like cool weather. Direct seed into the garden in spring when the soil temperature is 50º-60º. Thinning is a crucial part of growing root crops. Crowded plants will reduce your yields. Leave the strongest plants to grow to maturity. Optimal spacing for beets and parsnips is 3-4”, carrots 1-3”, and turnips 6-8”. Wash your thinnings, and toss them in a salad or stir fry. Succession plantings every 2-3 weeks in summer, and a late summer planting for fall digging will provide a bountiful harvest for the whole year.