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GreatFalls,Montana

What's a TapRoot !??

7/19/2006 12:49:57 AM

valparaiso, in

from my understanding it is the little root underneath where the side vines meet on the main vine, and the same thing on the side vines.

7/19/2006 3:21:58 AM

ENGLAND

A, or rather the Taproot/s are the main set of roots put down by the plant in the immediate area under the basal crown, or stump as it is also called. The initial Taproot/s are formed by the plant to search for water & nutrients until and after the plant has formed vines and additional roots from which to obtain water and food. Taproots are the plants natural way of ensuring it will survive if water and nutrients closer to the surface become unavailable and they also act as an anchor for the plant until vines, tendrils and additional roots from off of the vines provide further sources of water, food and stability. When it comes down to it all we are doing is attempting to controll naturally wild Plants to grow in a way that will best produce the Heaviest Pumpkin/Squash possible.

I hope that helps.
Regards
Mike

7/19/2006 6:04:48 AM

ENGLAND

Oh, i forgot to mention that the roots that appear from the base of each leaf node are also called Tap Roots. These Tap Roots will appear as small white pimple like lumps on both the under and upper sides of the vine and if burried the upper roots will continue to form, bend over & reach down into the soil. The roots on the under side of the vine will naturally find their way down into the soil and it is these upper and lower tap Roots that have to be cut free from the soil to allow the vine to rise as a Pumpkin/Squash gains in size and lifts the fine further from the ground.

Sorry for the long winded explanation.

Regards
Mike

7/19/2006 6:17:21 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Considering how many experts we have at BP it is amazing how badly we slaughter the terms & nomenclature of botany/horticulture/agronomy.

First off, there should be no such thing as a "tap root" but we use it to describe 2 different forms of roots here at BP.

As Mike said, the "tap root" should be the first or "primary root".

1.) The "primary root" is the first root to appear from the embryo. The next root off of it would be a "lateral secondary root". Tertiary, quaternary, etc roots all branch off until we have the finest "root hairs" or "fibrous roots" which do all of the mineral scavenging of the soil.

2.) The roots we see growing from nodes are sometimes incorrectly called tap-roots too. But these roots are most accurately called "adventitious roots".

I've also seen where folks call adventitious roots "aerial roots". This is also wrong. Real "aerial roots" are grown (usually) by parasitic plants like Mistletoe where they derive oxygen & other nutrients from the air.

Here is a good article on the subject:

http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/generalbotany/typesofroots/index.html

7/19/2006 9:59:15 AM

ENGLAND

Steve. I plead guilty as charged (lol) and used the common, albeit incorrect, term "Tap Root" to simplify an answer to a question. Your reply thankfully goes further to explain what a Primary root and associated root growth is correctly named.

Regards
Mike

7/19/2006 10:38:58 AM

Utah

yea Tremor I agree we are lousy Boatanists/Horticulturists/Agronomist (myself included!)but we do know how to grow pumpkins (hopefully) and at least we got tendril right? ... right?

7/19/2006 12:37:59 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I'm guilty too. I've said "tap root"....heck I even said "stump" once. But that term makes my skin crawl.

7/19/2006 1:03:09 PM

GreatFalls,Montana

thnaks cause i read a thing that said once the pumpkin is this big cut off the main Taproot so ........... should i cut it off

7/20/2006 12:06:53 AM

ENGLAND

NO. As described above, the Main Primary Root, or dare we say Tap Root, is under the Basal Crown (Stump)and should not be interfered with at all. Read my second reply to your initial question and you will read the answer to your question immediately above. I will re produce it here as a refresher......

Oh, i forgot to mention that the roots that appear from the base of each leaf node are also called Tap Roots. These Tap Roots will appear as small white pimple like lumps on both the under and upper sides of the vine and if burried the upper roots will continue to form, bend over & reach down into the soil. The roots on the under side of the vine will naturally find their way down into the soil and it is these upper and lower tap Roots that have to be cut free from the soil to allow the vine to rise as a Pumpkin/Squash gains in size and lifts the fine further from the ground.

Regards
Mike

7/20/2006 6:20:00 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

YIKES!!! Mike is right.

Primary roots - GOOD

Adventitious roots at nodes - Also GOOD, but BAD when they interfere with vine rise.

7/20/2006 7:38:44 AM