To people of antiquity the oat root, or, as it is also called, the goat-breeder porerelistic, was better known than modern. They knew a lot about not only his taste, but also the healing properties that he possesses.
Today it is cultivated in the countries of the Mediterranean, USA, Russia and Europe. In restaurants, it is served as a delicacy, and homeopaths and nutritionists recommend it for the treatment and prevention of many diseases.
Plant description
This biennial plant in the first year gives an edible and healthy root, and in the second - it blooms and sows seeds. Oat root tolerates frosts and sprouts even at a temperature of +3 degrees. The stem of the plant is smooth or slightly pubescent, grows up to 60 cm in height. The leaves are wavy, linear, of a beautiful bluish-green hue.
Oat root (photo shows this) blooms in single baskets with large petals of purple, sometimes blue hue. To see this beautiful ornamental plant in all its glory, you should watch it in the morning, since only at this time of day its flowers open.
The root crop of it grows up to 40 cm, has a light shade, and in its lower part small thin roots form, thanks to which it got its name goat-breeder.
To gardeners who monitor their health, oat root is well known, but only its foreign hybrid varieties. In domestic selection, he is not given due attention. In the wild, it grows in Siberia, southern Ukraine and the Crimea. Hybrid varieties are self-pollinated and excellent melliferous.
Chemical composition
Salsifi belongs to the genus Kozloborodnik of the Astrov family. About 150 species of oat root are known in the world, but only 40 varieties are used for food and medicinal purposes. The composition of the leaves and root of this plant are:
- nitrogenous substances;
- vitamins PP, B2, B3, B1, B6, B9, E;
- minerals: phosphorus, potassium, selenium, manganese, zinc, calcium, sodium, iron;
- fiber - up to 3.3 g;
- proteins - up to 3.4 g;
- carbohydrates - up to 15.4 g;
- inulin - 8 g;
- water - 77%;
- sugar - up to 15%.
This product is recommended for people with obesity problems, as its calorie content is 82 kcal, as well as for diabetics, due to its low glycemic index of 30 and the presence of inulin.
Effect on the body
Unfortunately, domestic gardeners are poorly informed about what oat root is.
The healing properties of this plant and its taste are difficult to overestimate. Capricornus is used as:
- anti-inflammatory agent;
- antiseptic;
- immunomodulatory;
- wound healing agent;
- tonic;
- diuretic;
- choleretic agent.
In addition to these qualities, he has the ability to regulate the heart rate, stabilize blood pressure, normalize metabolism and activate the digestive system. Also, his merit with prolonged use is to improve the composition of the blood, the work of the liver, kidneys, pancreas and genitourinary system.
Oat root is recommended for diabetics to relieve symptoms of diabetes and people with problems in the digestive tract. It removes puffiness, relieves inflammation and infectious problems in the liver and lungs, blocks the development and spread of cancerous tumors, and is effective for ulcerative and skin diseases.
Oatmeal taste
In addition to a set of nutrients, this plant has excellent taste. It can be eaten raw, rubbed into a salad. It has a delicate, slightly sweet taste and goes well with legumes, milk, cheese, sour cream, lentils and radishes, bell peppers, rice and spinach.
It can be baked, used as a filling for pies, eaten raw, like carrots, added to sauces, vegetable purees and soups. In boiled and baked form, the root acquires an oyster taste, for which it is often called “plant oyster”.
In many countries, dried and ground oat root is used as a substitute for coffee or spice. The leaves of this plant are also edible, but before use they should be squeezed from the milky juice. Some varieties of goat-breeder have bitterness, but if it is boiled in salt water, it will go away.
Growing
To plant and grow this useful root crop in the garden, no special efforts are required. It is quite unpretentious, but if the soil on the site is poor, it is better to fertilize it with ammonium nitrate and potassium salt in advance.
To get a strong oat root, seed cultivation should be carried out early, when the soil has not even warmed up. Seeds of a year ago are suitable for this. If the seeds lay longer, then they may not germinate, as they have a short shelf life.
To make the sowing even, seeds are recommended to be mixed with peat and often thrown to a depth of 2 cm, while the row spacing should be at least 20 cm. When 2-3 leaves appear on the stem, the plants need to be thinned, leaving a distance of 10-12 cm between them.
Sowing can also be carried out in the middle of summer, then by winter the goat-breeder will get stronger, will winter well and will give a strong and tasty root in spring.
Oat Root Care
How useful, just as unpretentious oat root. Growing and caring for it in the garden consists of 2-3 fertilizing per season with mineral fertilizers at the rate of 30 g per 1 m2. It should be ensured that they have less nitrogen, and more phosphorus and potassium, then the yield will be large.
This plant loves water, so watering should be carried out twice a week at the rate of 5-7 liters per 1 m2. If the summer is dry, then in the period of formation and growth of the root you need to water abundantly, otherwise it will become hard and inedible. It helps in dry weather to mulch the soil.
You also need to remember to weed weeds as they appear.