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Root Vegetables: A Grower’s Guide
Root crops reward careful planning with dependable, nutrient-dense harvests
From carrots and beets to lesser-known crops like salsify and oca, root vegetables are foundational to productive gardens and market farms. Root A Grower's Guide provides clear, practical guidance for growing a wide range of root crops efficiently, using proven biointensive methods that support both yield and soil health.
Based on The Market Gardener Method, this concise, highly illustrated handbook helps growers understand what root crops need—and how to meet those needs with thoughtful preparation, timing, and care.
What this Book Offers
Profiles of 20 diverse root crops, with clear guidance for each
Practical instruction on soil preparation, spacing, and timing
Strategies for sowing, transplanting, irrigation, and fertility management
Organic approaches to pest control, disease prevention, and crop rotation
Harvest and storage techniques that preserve flavor, nutrition, and quality
Rather than treating root vegetables as secondary crops, this guide shows how they can anchor a productive growing system when managed with intention and precision.
Who this Book is For
Home gardeners expanding beyond basic root crops
Market gardeners aiming for reliable, storable yields
Growers refining crop rotations and soil management
Readers seeking practical alternatives to high-input methods
Anyone wanting dependable harvests from resilient crops
Jean-Martin Fortier draws on decades of farming experience in challenging climates to share methods that balance productivity, efficiency, and long-term soil care.
Root Vegetables is part of the Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener series—designed to support growers at every stage with practical, field-tested knowledge.
If you want root crops that store well, taste better, and support a healthier growing system, this guide will help you get there.
From carrots and beets to lesser-known crops like salsify and oca, root vegetables are foundational to productive gardens and market farms. Root A Grower's Guide provides clear, practical guidance for growing a wide range of root crops efficiently, using proven biointensive methods that support both yield and soil health.
Based on The Market Gardener Method, this concise, highly illustrated handbook helps growers understand what root crops need—and how to meet those needs with thoughtful preparation, timing, and care.
What this Book Offers
Profiles of 20 diverse root crops, with clear guidance for each
Practical instruction on soil preparation, spacing, and timing
Strategies for sowing, transplanting, irrigation, and fertility management
Organic approaches to pest control, disease prevention, and crop rotation
Harvest and storage techniques that preserve flavor, nutrition, and quality
Rather than treating root vegetables as secondary crops, this guide shows how they can anchor a productive growing system when managed with intention and precision.
Who this Book is For
Home gardeners expanding beyond basic root crops
Market gardeners aiming for reliable, storable yields
Growers refining crop rotations and soil management
Readers seeking practical alternatives to high-input methods
Anyone wanting dependable harvests from resilient crops
Jean-Martin Fortier draws on decades of farming experience in challenging climates to share methods that balance productivity, efficiency, and long-term soil care.
Root Vegetables is part of the Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener series—designed to support growers at every stage with practical, field-tested knowledge.
If you want root crops that store well, taste better, and support a healthier growing system, this guide will help you get there.
128 pages, Paperback
Published September 16, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
December 12, 2025
Real Rating: 4.75* of five
The Publisher Says: Root Vegetables: A Grower's Guide offers an essential roadmap to cultivating Jean-Martin Fortier's 20 favorite varieties using biointensive techniques. Discover hidden gems for your garden, from staples to heirloom curiosities, with detailed guidance on growing, managing, and harvesting nutrient-packed root crops. Master the art of growing nutritious, versatile, and flavorful root vegetables with Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive farming methods.
Root Vegetables: A Grower's Guide uncovers the secrets to cultivating a wide range of root crops, from familiar favorites like potatoes and carrots to lesser-known gems like oca and salsify. Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive approach maximizes yield while nurturing soil health, making this guide invaluable to home gardeners and market farmers alike.
This richly illustrated, full-color guide includes:
A step-by-step introduction to "The Fortier Method" for sustainable, high-yield microfarming
Botanical insights into root vegetables, from ancient wild varieties to modern cultivars
Detailed profiles of 20 nutritious and versatile crops, with practical advice on growing each
Techniques for soil preparation, sowing, transplanting, fertilizing, and irrigation
Organic practices for managing pests, diseases, and crop rotations
Tips for optimizing harvest and storage to preserve flavor and nutrition.
Root Vegetables is part of the Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener series. It's designed to provide novice to expert growers with practical knowledge to succeed using the principles of biointensive, regenerative agriculture on a human scale.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: As with LIVING SOIL: A Grower’s Guide, this book is part of the ongoing Market Gardener series.
The series is meant to inform as well as inspire the people who love growing things to apply ecologically sound methods of doing so, most especially to food production. It is the use of land that matters the most...a house and flower garden matter very little to someone who's constantly hungry, or worse, starving. As our climate uncertainty shifts from "can we stop the looming disaster" to "how best can we mitigate the inevitable disaster" it behooves every privileged one of us to learn all we can about growing some of our own food to reduce the stress on a system that's going to be more stressed soon.
Start with foods you want to eat, like:
The entire series is currently available, and could be a literal lifesaver.
Well worth your time and treasure.
The Publisher Says: Root Vegetables: A Grower's Guide offers an essential roadmap to cultivating Jean-Martin Fortier's 20 favorite varieties using biointensive techniques. Discover hidden gems for your garden, from staples to heirloom curiosities, with detailed guidance on growing, managing, and harvesting nutrient-packed root crops. Master the art of growing nutritious, versatile, and flavorful root vegetables with Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive farming methods.
Root Vegetables: A Grower's Guide uncovers the secrets to cultivating a wide range of root crops, from familiar favorites like potatoes and carrots to lesser-known gems like oca and salsify. Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive approach maximizes yield while nurturing soil health, making this guide invaluable to home gardeners and market farmers alike.
This richly illustrated, full-color guide includes:
A step-by-step introduction to "The Fortier Method" for sustainable, high-yield microfarming
Botanical insights into root vegetables, from ancient wild varieties to modern cultivars
Detailed profiles of 20 nutritious and versatile crops, with practical advice on growing each
Techniques for soil preparation, sowing, transplanting, fertilizing, and irrigation
Organic practices for managing pests, diseases, and crop rotations
Tips for optimizing harvest and storage to preserve flavor and nutrition.
Root Vegetables is part of the Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener series. It's designed to provide novice to expert growers with practical knowledge to succeed using the principles of biointensive, regenerative agriculture on a human scale.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: As with LIVING SOIL: A Grower’s Guide, this book is part of the ongoing Market Gardener series.
The series is meant to inform as well as inspire the people who love growing things to apply ecologically sound methods of doing so, most especially to food production. It is the use of land that matters the most...a house and flower garden matter very little to someone who's constantly hungry, or worse, starving. As our climate uncertainty shifts from "can we stop the looming disaster" to "how best can we mitigate the inevitable disaster" it behooves every privileged one of us to learn all we can about growing some of our own food to reduce the stress on a system that's going to be more stressed soon.
Start with foods you want to eat, like:
The entire series is currently available, and could be a literal lifesaver.
Well worth your time and treasure.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review