Let's hear it for the....taproot!

Source: one heck of a taproot

The importance of the taproot is underrated.  Sure, carrots and radishes can hold their own in the garden, but what about the other taproots?  The unsung heroes of the lawn and garden?  Or, perhaps, what about the enemy taproots that fight and cling?

Such a strange topic, isn’t it?  This is my challenge for today: finding a topic that is unusual, while having meaning to all who have any sort of garden or lawn.

Many readers have amazing gardens.  Elephant’s Child amazes us with her photos and dedication to the beautiful garden she enjoys.  Gary Pennick’s delightful gnome and fairy grotto combines with some wonderful plants around his abode.  Inger is surrounded by desert growth which dazzles in the winter and spring.

And who can forget Joanne's sunflower at Cup on the Bus?  Talk about a taproot that really digs deep!

Please visit Joanne's site, highlighted above.

Native Americans appreciated the medicinal value of herbal taproots for their healing properties.

So why is the taproot so important?  And, for that matter, what is a taproot?

The taproot is the main root that anchors the plant.  From it dispatches secondary branch roots that seek out water and nutrients, as well as further anchoring the plant.  The taproot is vital to a plant’s survival.

Source

Whenever you are trying to pull a weed from the ground and having a hard time of it, it is the taproot’s fault. You aren't (or may not be) a weakling.  Just don't hurt your back.

There.  If you have read all this blog, then you have become all the more wiser.