My Favourite Heirloom vegies to Harvest in Autumn

 For 8 of the best root vegies to harvest in Autumn, take a look. You'll be tempted to sow the seed for next year, so start planning a patch for purple carrots, perfect parsnips or striped beetroots...

Kohl rabi Are a sweet little purple root that grows mostly above ground. My love of these harkens back to childhood when dad grow them each year. They are sweet enough to harvest small and eat raw after peeling. Sow seed now through to spring.

Carrots in a rainbow of colours. We’re growing purple dragon carrots this year from Eden seeds catalogue. www.edenseeds.com.au. Try the short ones in your garden if you don’t have deep soil. Little fingers and Golf Ball are stumpy ones for quick results.

 Parsnips can be a bit strong and powdery if they’re grown hungry and dry, so feed them well and keep moist over our winters. Definitely a winter crop as they need frost to sweeten them. Seed only keeps 12 months so fresh seed is essential.

 Purple topped turnips are a little like kolh rabi to look at but even easier to grow. We enjoyed them last winter from golf ball size. The leaves mare good to cook and eat too! The tip is to pick and eat young and fresh. Sow seed now.

 Sweet potato is a tropical delight. I hated the purple sweet potato as a child but love it for its dry sugariness now. It’s great mashed into other things and has a culinary attraction when you’re looking for colour on a plate.

Spuds My favourites are kippflers because not only are they yellow and waxy, moist and delicious, they are quick and easy to grow.  Plant them into buckets, tubs or raised beds and hill them with soil and compost and straw as they grow. Plant them now.

 Radishes are a great quick vegie to grow. These French breakfast radishes have white tips and are a favourite. Grow any time of the year and they take

Yakon is also called Peruvian ground apple. We are harvesting now. Sets are available from me to grow in your garden in about 1 month. They are great raw or cooked. We use them as dippers for spinach and other dips, roast them and stir fry them like water chestnuts. Plant from pieces (sets)  and harvest in Autumn.