Edible earthscape - jason and haruka oatis; claire berger at CFSA Conference 2015. This handout/these slides were presented at the 30th Annual Carolina Farm Stewardship Association by the Author. Please do not reproduce without the express consent of the authors.

1. T E C H N I Q U E S F O R
S U C C E S S W I T H R O O T
V E G E T A B L E S
E D I B L E E A R T H S C A P E S

2. D A I K O N

3. V A R I E T Y A N D S E E D P R E P
• Minowase
• Early August to late September
• Miyashige
• Minowase Early
• April Cross
Varieties
Planting Season
Hybrids (Kitazawa Seed Company)
Open Pollinated (Baker Creek
Seed)

4. • Direct seed in furrows by
hand-sowing rather than using
a seeder
• 3.5 foot wide raised beds
• 1/2 inch
SOIL PREP, SPACING AND SOWING
Sowing Method
Soil Preparation
• Furrows amended with
compost and mycorrhizae
Seed Depth
Spacing
• 12 inches
• Works well in a polyculture

5. CROP MAINTENANCE, DISEASES AND PESTS
• Overhead sprinklers with drip
tape
• Keep bed healthy by weeding,
thinning and mulching
• Use row covers when below 28º
• Watch for flea beetles, harlequin
bugs and moles
• Root rot can happen with too
much water in soil

6. H A R V E S T , P O S T H A R V E S T A N D
S T O R A G E
Harvest
Post Harvest
Storage
• Leverage out of ground with
digging fork
• Spray clean with hose
• Cut off greens
• For short term storage, keep in
fridge
• For long term, wrap in
newspaper or put in bucket of
sand and keep in root cellar

7. MARKETING, EATING AND HEALTH BENEFITS
Marketing
• It’s all about presentation
• Cooking demonstrations
• CSAs and restaurants
• Share recipes with
customers
Health Benefits
• High in vitamin C • Facilitates efficient digestion • Natural diuretic
• Anti-inflammatory & antioxidant compounds • Rich source of calcium
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/daikon.html
Daikon Steaks
• Sell as individual roots

8. SEED SAVING
• When doing your own seed saving, cross-pollination is possible
Watermelon Radish Purple Daikon

9. G O B O ( J A P A N E S E B U R D O C K )

10. S O I L P R E P A R A T I O N A N D S P A C I N G
• March - August
• Maturity reached in 70-240
days
• Start seeds in trays and
transplant after 3-4 weeks
• 2 feet
• 3 foot wide beds, deeply tilled
or forked
• Place drip tape and cover with
leaf mulch
Varieties
Planting Season
• Takinogawa
• Watanabe Early (Kitazawa)
Sowing Method
Spacing
Soil Preparation
Seed Depth
• 1/4 inch
• Amend with compost and
micrrohizae

11. • Well drained soil will
reduce risk of rot
• Minimal weeding with
occasional compost tea
C R O P M A I N T E N A N C E

12. HARVEST

13. 1. Cut leaves and clear the space
2. Place digging fork at least 8
inches away from root stem

14. 3. Create a pentagon with your
fork keeping an 8 inch radius

15. 4. Leverage your fork and lift gently
5. Brush off the dirt and search
ground for any broken pieces

16. P O S T - H A R V E S T A N D
S T O R A G E
• Spray the root to loosen and discard thick soil
• Cut off stem
• Wash gently in standing water
• Remove root hairs
• Store in refrigerator

17. • Sell in 1/2 pound bundles
• Kimpira Gobo
Farmer’s Market and
CSA
Eating
• Good for stir fries, roasting
and soups
• Gobo burgers
Health Benefits
• High in potassium
• Rich in iron, magnesium,
vitamins C and E
• Reduces blood sugar and
cholesterol levels
M A R K E T I N G , E A T I N G & H E A L T H
B E N E F I T S

18. SEED SAVING

19. G I N G E R & T U R M E R I C

20. Sowing Method
Soil Preparation
Seed Depth
Spacing
• Direct seed sprouting rhizome
pieces
• 1 x 1 foot raised beds amended
with compost and mycorrhizae
• 2 inches
• 1 foot
Varieties
Planting Season
• Big Kahuna
• Early March (pre-sprouting) and
May (sowing)
SOIL PREPARATION, SPACING AND SOWING
• Yellow Hawaiian
• Red Turmeric

21. • Keep beds weeded and hilled
• Alternate feeding them with compost tea and epsom salt water
every other week
• Keep temperatures above 40º by keeping them under row covers or
in a greenhouse
• Be mindful of water content in soil to prevent rot and mold
CROP MAINTENANCE

22. HARVEST, POST-HARVEST AND STORAGE
Baby Ginger
Turmeric
• Harvest mid-September through
late October
• For short term, store in fridge
otherwise keep in freezer
• Harvest before first hard frost in
November through December
• For short term, store in fridge
otherwise keep in freezer

23. M A R K E T I N G , E A T I N G & H E A L T H
B E N E F I T S
Marketing
Eating
Health Benefits
• Farmer’s Market
• CSA
• Farm Pick-up
• Restaurants
• Teas
• Cooking spice
• Immunity boost drinks
• Ginger aids in stomach health
• Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory
and most effective when eaten with
black pepper

24. SEED SAVING
• Mature seed ginger is harvested in January and should be kept dry and
at a cool room temperature

25. T A R O

26. Sowing Method
Soil Preparation
Seed Depth
Spacing
• Place sprouting corms directly into
soil
• 1 x 1 foot raised beds of well-
worked, loose soil
• 2 - 3 inches
• 1 foot
Variety
Planting Season
• Sato Imo
• Late April - late May
Bed Maintenance
• Drip tape woven between
plants
• Heavily mulched and
occasionally weeded
SOIL PREPARATION, SPACING AND SOWING

27. HARVEST, POST-HARVEST AND STORAGE
Harvest
Post-Harvest
Storage
• Use digging fork to uproot plant
• Separate corms by breaking them
off of the mother
• Wash off excess dirt and lay to dry
• Keeps best when stored in a cool
dry space

28. MARKETING, EATING AND HEALTH BENEFITS
• Sell by the pound at Farmer’s Markets
Eating
• Can be prepared many different ways
to achieve different textures and
flavors
• Alone it is best boiled or
roasted
• Also great in curries,
soups, fritters and poi
Health Benefits
• High levels of dietary fiber
along with vitamins A, C,
E and B6

29. • Separate the sprouting seed corms from the food corms
• Store sprouting corms in peat moss or coir
SEED SAVING
• Remove all corms from the mother

30. B E E T S

31. SOIL PREPARATION, SPACING AND SOWING
Variety
• Early Wonder Tall Top
• Detroit Red
• Golden Detroit
Planting Season
• Year-round!
• But best in early March and
early July to late August
Sowing Method
• Direct Seed
• Hand sewn
Soil Preparation
• Amend raised beds with
compost, wood ash and
mycorrhizae
Seed Depth
• 1/2 inch deep in furrows
Spacing
• Thin at least 4 inches apart
• Maintain 10 inches
between rows

32. • Mesh cleaning table
• Store in fridge or root cellar
• Proper cleaning is important for
effective presentation and
marketing

33. C A R R O T S

34. Sowing Method
Soil Preparation
Seed Depth
Spacing
• Direct seed, hand sewn
• Amend well-worked, raised
beds with compost and
mycorrhizae
• 1/4 inch in furrows
• Thin to 2-3 inches
Variety
Planting Season
• Red Cored Chantennay
• Mid-February through mid-March
Bed Maintenance
• Overhead sprinkler system
• Keep bed soil bare
SOIL PREPARATION, SPACING AND SOWING
• 6-8 inches between rows; there
should be 5 rows per bed
• Cosmic Purple
• Mid-August through
mid-September

35. S W E E T P O T A T O E S

36. Variety
• Murasaki
Planting Season
Sowing Method
Soil Preparation
Planting Depth
Spacing
• 18 inches
• 2 to 3 inches
• 1 x 1 foot raised beds with drip
tape and amended with rice
hulls, mycorrhizae and mulch
• Grow slips in greenhouse from
selected ‘seed’ potatoes
• Mid-May through mid-June
SOIL PREPARATION, SPACING AND SOWING
• Carver
• Japanese

37. CROP MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE
• Pull up side roots
• May be affected by scurf or
voles
• Leave to cure in a warm, dry
area (like greenhouse) for at
least 7 days
• Store in a cool, dry place
where temperatures stay
above 50º

38. P A R S N I P S

39. Variety
• Harris Model
Planting Season
Sowing Method
Soil Preparation
Seed Depth
Spacing
• 8 inches
• 1/4 inch
• 3.5 foot wide raised, mulched
bed
• Direct seed in amended mounds
• Early April - early July
SOIL PREPARATION, SPACING AND SOWING
• 3 - 4 seeds per mound
• Amend each mound with
compost and mycorrhizae
Maintenance
• Thin to one plant per mound

40. CROP STORAGE
• Pour a layer of dry sand
into a 5 gallon bucket
• Place an even layer of
parsnips on the sand
• Continue alternating sand
and parsnips until the
bucket is full
• Seal the bucket with a lid
and store in a root cellar

41. Haruka and Jason Oatis
Edible Earthscapes
edible.earthscapes@gmail.com
https://edibleearthscapes.wordpress.com
Facebook keyword: Edible Earthscapes