Root
How to grow salsify and scorzonera
Tragopogon porrifolius and Scorzonera hispanica
Salsify and scorzonera are long, slender winter roots grown like parsnips. Sow fresh seed direct in April or May, in full sun, in deep, light soil with no stones and no fresh manure, then leave them alone until October. Both are fully hardy and can be dug as needed through winter. Soil depth and fresh seed decide the crop; feeding has almost nothing to do with it.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
- Position
- Full sun
- Soil
- Deep, light, stone-free; not freshly manured
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 7.5
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Feeding
- Light feeder
Sowing and planting salsify and scorzonera
WhenSow Apr to May direct; harvest Oct to Feb
This page covers salsify and scorzonera together. The planting detail below is for salsify; where the other differs, it is noted.
Starting off
Direct sow April to May into soil above 10 °C, germinating in 10 to 21 days; the seed is viable for only a year, so buy fresh each spring. Water the drill before sowing in dry weather and keep moist, as germination is erratic. It transplants badly, so never start in modules.
Spacing and planting
Sow 1 to 2 cm deep in drills 30 cm apart, 3 seeds at 10 to 15 cm stations, thinning to one; the roots grow 25 to 30 cm long and 3 to 4 cm across. Not a container plant unless given a 45 cm deep tub of sieved compost.
Varieties worth growing
Salsify and scorzonera: what is the difference?
Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) is a biennial with pale, tapered roots like a thin parsnip, a mild flavour often compared to oysters, and purple flowers in its second year. It must be lifted in its first winter. Scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica) is a perennial with black-skinned roots that are longer, thinner and more brittle, yellow flowers, and what most cooks consider the better flavour. Thin scorzonera roots can be left a second year to fatten without turning woody. Choose salsify for an easier dig on shallower soil, and scorzonera if you have a deep bed and want the option of leaving it in.
- Mammoth (Sandwich Island)Salsify
- The standard salsify in UK catalogues, with long, evenly tapered roots and good flavour.
- GiantSalsify
- Salsify with slightly thicker roots, which makes for less waste when peeling. A sound choice on heavier soil.
- Russian GiantScorzonera
- The most widely sold scorzonera: long, black, cylindrical roots with a delicate flavour.
- DuplexScorzonera
- Scorzonera with long, uniform roots that is slow to run to flower in its first summer.
Salsify and scorzonera month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
Lift roots as needed whenever the ground is not frozen.
- February
Lift the last salsify before it starts back into growth.
- March
Clear the old row, or cover a few leftover roots with 15 cm of soil for blanched spring shoots. Dig the new bed deeply and remove stones.
- April
Sow from mid April once the soil is above 10 °C, three seeds per station.
- May
Sow by mid May at the latest. Keep the drills moist until seedlings show.
- June
Thin to one plant per station. Hand weed; a hoe easily nicks the crowns.
- July
Water deeply in dry spells and mulch between rows. Remove flower stems.
- August
Weed and water as needed. Otherwise nothing to do.
- September
Nothing to do. The roots are still filling out.
- October
Start lifting once the leaves die back. Flavour improves after frost.
- November
Lift as needed. Cover part of the row with straw so you can dig in frost.
- December
Lift as needed. Mark any scorzonera you are leaving for a second year.
Feeding salsify and scorzonera
Light feeders that fork on fresh manure and make leaf instead of root on nitrogen. Grow them on ground fed for the previous crop and add nothing unless the soil is poor.
Low, like other long roots, fresh manure makes it fork.
Feeding plan
The year before
Garden compost
Dug in for the previous crop. Nothing fresh in the sowing year.
A week before sowing, poor or sandy soil only
Fruit & Vegetable Fertiliser 4-5-6
70 g/m², the bottom of the label range, raked in. With rows 30 cm apart that is about 20 g per metre of row (70 × 0.3). On ground fed last year, none.
June, after thinning, light soils only
20 g/m², the bottom of the label range, between the rows and watered in: about 6 g per metre of row (20 × 0.3). Once.
Monthly, June to August, optional
1 g per litre of water over the leaves. A 5 litre can (5 g) covers about 3 m of row and supplies trace elements without nitrogen.
Before sowing, only where last year's roots were cracked or hollow
1 to 2 g/m², a quarter to half a level teaspoon per square metre, scattered evenly once and never exceeded.
Signs to watch
Forked, branched roots
Fresh manure or stony ground, never a feeding fault
Grow on soil manured a year earlier
Cracked, split roots after rain
Uneven moisture or boron short on light soil
Water steadily and give a seaweed feed
Lush grassy tops and thin roots
Excess nitrogen
No feeding at all
Pests, diseases and problems
Gaps in the row soon after germination, seedlings grazed to stumps
Slugs, which do the most harm because germination is already slow and patchy
Sow three seeds per station so there are spares, keep the row weed-free, hand pick after dark, and water in nematodes in April once the soil is above 5 °C.
Shiny white, chalky blisters on leaves and stems, mainly on salsify
White blister, a fungus-like disease that spreads in mild, damp weather
Pick off and bin affected leaves, thin on time so air moves along the row, and clear all debris at the end of the crop. The roots are still good to eat.
White powdery coating on the leaves in late summer, mainly on scorzonera
Powdery mildew on plants that are dry at the root
Water the row deeply once a week in dry spells and mulch between rows in June. A late attack does little harm to the roots.
Flower stems rising in the first summer
Scorzonera commonly flowers in its first year; in salsify it follows a cold check after an early sowing
Snap the stems off low down. Scorzonera roots stay tender regardless. Salsify that has flowered turns tough, so sow it from mid April rather than March.
Roots snap at lifting and ooze milky sap, then discolour
Brittle roots levered from one side; this is damage, not disease
Dig a trench the full depth of the root alongside the row and ease the roots sideways into it. Use broken roots the same day and do not store them.
Harvest and rotation
Harvest and storage
Lift from October after the leaves die down, 24 to 28 weeks from sowing; the flavour sweetens after frost. Dig a trench alongside and lever with a fork, as the roots snap and bleed. A 3 m row yields 2 to 3 kg. Dig as needed, or store in damp sand for 4 to 6 weeks. Roots left in give blanched spring shoots in March.
Rotation and companions
Rotation: daisy family (Asteraceae) with lettuce and chicory, though in practice grouped with the roots on a 3-year gap, never on freshly manured ground. Keep away from other long roots on stony ground and from potatoes, which compete for water.
Good to knowSow direct in deep, loose soil and lift carefully; the flavour sweetens after a frost.
Growing salsify and scorzonera in pots
These are poor container crops because the roots need 30 to 40 cm of clear depth, and few pots give that. If your soil is stony or shallow, a deep container is still the better option: use a tub or bin at least 45 cm deep with drainage holes, filled with sieved peat-free compost mixed with a quarter sharp sand and no added fertiliser. Sow stations 10 cm apart, thin to one, and water evenly, as a tub that dries and floods gives split roots. Tip the whole container out to harvest, which also avoids snapping the roots. Salsify, being shorter, suits tubs better than scorzonera.
Salsify and scorzonera: common questions
What is the difference between salsify and scorzonera?
Salsify has pale, tapered roots and is a biennial that must be lifted in its first winter, while scorzonera has black-skinned, longer roots and is a perennial that can stay in the ground a second year. They are different species in the daisy family, grown and cooked the same way, and scorzonera is sometimes sold as black salsify.
When do you sow salsify in the UK?
Sow direct outdoors from mid April to mid May, once the soil has reached about 10 °C. Earlier sowings germinate badly and may bolt, and later ones do not have time to make full-length roots. Always use seed bought that year.
Do you peel salsify and scorzonera before cooking?
It is easier to peel them after cooking. Scrub the roots, boil or steam them whole for 15 to 20 minutes, then slip the skins off. If you peel them raw, drop the pieces straight into water with a squeeze of lemon, because the flesh browns quickly and the sap stains hands.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.