sotatarpeet

Sotatarpeet is a plant term found in Baltic and Nordic horticultural literature. It refers to a tuber-forming plant adapted to peat soils; its precise taxonomic status is uncertain in modern classifications.

Descriptions vary, but reports describe sotatarpeet as a herbaceous perennial up to 60 cm tall with slender stems and small flowers. It forms underground tubers ranging from a few centimeters to about 5 cm in diameter, with brown skins and pale flesh and an earthy, mildly sweet flavor when cooked.

Habitat: Sotatarpeet is associated with cool, acidic, waterlogged soils typical of peat bogs and wet meadows. It is thought to propagate by tubers or root cuttings and often grown in peat-based substrates, sometimes with organic amendments.

Cultivation and harvest: Planting occurs in early spring, with spacing around 40–60 cm. Harvest in autumn after frost. Requires careful water management to avoid rot and benefits from crop rotation.

Uses and status: Tubers are eaten as a root vegetable—boiled or mashed—and were sometimes dried for storage. The plant declined in commercial agriculture after the potato became dominant but persists in heritage gardens and peatland research contexts. The taxonomy and etymology are debated, and the term may reflect local language referring to peat or soil.