Even though growing scorzonera or salsify isn’t very popular, it’s worth growing this very long tapered roots.
Scorzonera and Salsify are usually linked in gardening books and seed catalogues because they are from the same daisy family, they are grown for their roots.
Many people think Scorzonera has an ugly appearance, but…they do have a very delicious flavour. Salsify looks like a thin parsnip but the flavour is far better than a parsnip – many people say the flavour is like asparagus.
They look very similar when grown together – they both have an upright leaf, the biggest difference between the two is that scorzonera leaves are quite broad, and the salsify leaves are narrower.
The other difference between these two is the flowers and the roots. Scorzonera has yellow flowers, whilst the salsify flowers are purple. Scorzonera roots are black skinned – though they are white inside. Whilst the salsify root is pale-skinned and is very much shaped like a small parsnip.
Sowing scorzonera or salsify
Growing scorzonera or salsify is easy. These roots should be sown in an open and sunny condition. They like a deep and stone-free soil, the seeds should be planted about 20cm apart. These hardy seeds can be sown as soon as the ground is dry and warm which also gives them the longest possible growing season.
Growing scorzonera and salsify is easy – there isn’t much work to them once you have sown them. Make a seedbed outside you need to rake over the soil and stamp it down with the bottom of the rake to make a fine seedbed. But two stakes on either end to mark a straight line and make a 1” shallow drill along the length of the string with a trowel. Sow the seeds about 20cm apart. You need to keep the seed bed moist when the weather is dry, do not over water.
Germination usually takes about 14 days. You will also need to water in dry weather, mulching will help with keeping moisture in the soil. Also you need to regularly weed around the plants, mulching will also help keep the weeds down.
Pests and diseases
Scorzonera and salsify are a gardener friend as they are one of the vegetables that is rarely affected by any diseases.
Harvesting
The roots can be lifted from October onwards. You can leave the roots in the ground over the winter. Many gardeners lift as the roots are needed.
When lifting scorzonera or salsify you need to take care not to break its fragile roots, this is particularly important when digging they roots up in frosty weather.
