The short, fat heads are preferable to those that are long and thin. The main use for this plant is forcing the roots to get the leaves but the roots are sometimes dried, ground, and added to coffee. The plant tolerates most soil types. Sow seed in early August then thin seedlings to 8 inch spacings in rows 2 feet apart. If the seed is sown too early the roots get too large.
Large roots form other buds giving loose and branched heads.
Plant seed 110 to 130 days before the first frost and keep plants growing rapidly. More secondary buds form on roots when the growing conditions are poor. Dig the roots before the ground freezes. The roots need exposure to cold temperatures to be forced. Store the roots in sand in a cool place.