|
Effective Root Zone Depth
| Truck Crop |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
Truck Crop |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
| Asparagus |
24 |
Lima Beans |
24 |
| Beets |
12 |
Muskmelons |
24 |
| Broccoli |
12 |
Okra |
18 |
| Cabbage |
18 |
Onions - bunch |
6 |
| Carrots |
12 |
Onions - dry |
12 |
| Cauliflower |
12 |
Parsnips |
12 |
| Celery |
6 |
Peas |
18 |
| Chives |
6 |
Peppers |
18 |
| Collards |
18 |
Potatoes |
18 |
| Corn (sweet) |
24 |
Pumpkins |
24 |
| Cucumbers |
18 |
Radish |
6 |
| Dandelion |
6 |
Rutabagas |
12 |
| Egg Plant |
18 |
Shallots |
12 |
| Endive |
6 |
Snap beans |
18 |
| Escarole |
6 |
Spinach |
6 |
| Fennel |
6 |
Squash |
24 |
| Horseradish |
18 |
Sweet Potatoes |
24 |
| Kale |
18 |
Swiss chard |
12 |
| Kohlrabi |
18 |
Tomatoes |
24 |
| Lettuce |
6 |
Turnips |
12 |
| |
|
Watermelons |
24 |
| Field Crop and Grain |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
Fruits, Berries and Orchards |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
| Barley |
24 |
Apples |
24 |
| Corn (field) |
24 |
Blueberries |
18 |
| Millet |
24 |
Cane fruits and grapes |
24 |
| Oats |
24 |
Cranberries |
6 |
| Rye |
24 |
Peaches |
24 |
| Sorghum |
24 |
Pears |
24 |
| Soybeans |
24 |
Strawberries |
6 |
| Wheat |
24 |
|
|
| Grasses and Legumes |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
Grasses and Legumes |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
| Alfalfa |
24 |
Reed canarygrass |
24 |
| Bluegrass |
18 |
Red Clover |
18 |
| Bromegrass |
24 |
Sudan grass |
24 |
| Ladino clover |
18 |
Sweet clover |
24 |
| Orchardgrass |
24 |
|
|
| Flowers |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
Nursery Plants |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
| Annual Flowers |
6 |
Bedded plants after propagation |
6 |
| Ericaceous ornamental plants (azalea, etc.) |
12 |
Finished landscape plants, ready for sale |
18 to 24 |
| Gladioli, peonies, iris |
12 |
Ground cover plants (vinca, ivy) |
6 |
| Other bulb or corm plants |
12 |
Lining-out plants |
12 |
| |
|
Perennial ornamentals - trees and shrubs |
24 |
| Turf |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
Turf |
Effective Root Zone in Inches |
| Athletic fields - in active use |
6 |
Athletic fields - not in active use |
12 |
| Golf greens (bentgrass) |
6 |
Golf fairways (bluegrass, fescue, zoysia, Bermuda grass) |
6 |
| Grass sod - being established or being prepared for
immediate sale |
6 |
Grass sod (lawns, sod being held for sale) |
12 |
Each crop was given a depth based on:
- Depth of soil to which the larger proportion of the total root system has
developed when the marketable part of the crop is being produced or when the
loss of water from turf and ornamental plants is greatest.
- Research and experience regarding the overall water needs of each crop for
maximum quality as well as yield or growth.
- The kind of soil in which some crops, such as blueberries, Bermuda grass,
and sweet potatoes, are commonly grown in New Jersey.
Depth of irrigation while the crop is developing its root system should be
determined by the actual depth to which roots have grown. |
South Jersey RC& D Council, Inc.