A root crop washer (50) has a rotatable washing drum (2) which is partially immersed in a water trough (3), and a stone separator (4) mounted before an inlet of the drum (2). A loading hopper (7) is provided for delivering a root crop to the stone separator (4). An elevator (9) is mounted at an outlet (10) of the washing drum (2) for discharge of cleaned produce from an outlet of the washing drum (2). Rotating paddles within the stone separator (4) impart a swirling motion about a vertical axis to water in the stone separator (4). The root crop is supported by the water and moved around an inner sidewall of the stone separator (4) between an inlet (25) and an outlet (22) of the stone separator (4). At the same time unwanted heavier material such as stones and clay falls downwardly through the stone separator (4) for discharge through a waste outlet (18) at a bottom of the stone separator (4).
