The homeland of this root crop is considered the Mediterranean and Asia. In Russia, radish appeared only in the XII century and immediately became one of the most beloved vegetables. Currently, there are several varieties of radish that differ in shape, color, root size. Today we will talk about the best varieties of this vegetable and its characteristics.
About culture
This vegetable crop is highly regarded for its healing and nutritional properties. Regardless of the variety, the radish contains a huge amount of mineral salts necessary for the human body. Root crops comprise an average of 1.9% protein, 1.8% sugar, they are rich in vitamins C and B, fiber, and essential oils. The radish contains sulfur, potassium, magnesium, bromine, iodine, ash substances, carbohydrates.
In addition to its high nutritional value, this vegetable is also a medicine. Radish juice has bactericidal properties due to the fact that it contains lysozyme, which inhibits the growth of fungi, various bacteria and protozoa. In addition, radish juice helps restore the immune system in winter and spring.
Varieties
The vegetable belongs to the cruciferous family, as well as turnips, cabbage and radishes. In our country, European varieties with different ripening times are widely used for cultivation. But even more often in the vegetable garden there are other types of radishes: Japanese daikon, Chinese forehead.
All varieties of radishes can be divided into winter and summer. They differ in color, size, shape of root crops and ripening. Winter can be stored throughout the year in the basement or cellar. Summer foods are eaten only fresh, they are not stored for storage.
Early varieties of radish:
- Green Goddess;
- Delicacy;
- May;
- Munich bir;
- Odessa 5.
Mid-season grades:
- Winter round white;
- Gayvoronskaya;
- Wondrous;
- Winter long black;
- Sudarushka;
- Winter round black.
Late varieties:
- Gayvoronskaya 27;
- The healer;
- Draft
- Black woman.
Japanese radish - daikon. A relatively new vegetable crop in the gardens of our vegetable growers is daikon radish. There are several varieties that differ in terms of ripening:
- Sasha is an early ripe variety;
- Dragon, Dubinushka - mid-season varieties;
- Japanese white long is a late-ripening variety.
Chinese radish - forehead. Another novelty among vegetable crops in our country. The following varieties of radish are distinguished: Ladushka, Zarevo, Severyanka - early ripe, Hostess - mid-ripening.
Black radish
This vegetable crop is not a variety. This is a variety that has varieties of late, medium and early sowing. A distinctive feature of this species is the peel of a dark color and the sharp taste of the pulp. Many gardeners fell in love with it for its high productivity, useful properties and pungent taste.
Winter long black
Another winter radish variety. Elongated root crops have a black tint, weight - up to 400 g. The pulp inside is fibrous, crunchy, white. It is possible to eat as immediately after harvesting, and after prolonged storage in the cellar.
Winter round black
We bring to your attention a photo of a winter round black radish. The variety is mid-season, the duration of the growing season is 110 days. Root crops of this variety are rich in dry substances and ascorbic acid. Their keeping quality is quite high: it is 80-90%. Black radish is extremely beneficial for health, increases the body's resistance to various diseases. It is grown specifically for winter and autumn consumption.
Wondrous
Radish is round in shape and black in color weighing no more than 350 g. The pulp is dense, snow-white, without voids. Sowing should be done in June in order to harvest before the onset of frost. It has a long shelf life, after winter storage in the cellar does not lose its taste.
The healer
The newly created variety has been bred for commercial purposes. The root crop has a beautiful round shape with a black peel, crispy pulp inside. The radish variety has high medicinal properties and excellent yield, which allows the grower not only to compensate for losses, but also to make good profits.
Green radish
We offer you an overview of the varieties of green radish. It should be noted that this product is inferior to black radish in nutritional value. However, in the treatment of joint diseases, radiculitis, gout, these root crops help much better than black varieties.
Green goddess
A relatively recent variety of green radish varieties. Root crops have a round shape, green color. The taste of the pulp is tender, crispy, with a small speck. The Green Goddess has a high content of mineral salts, beneficial trace elements, amino acids. Vegetables can be stored for a long time. Recommended for use by children and the elderly.
Margelan (summer)
This variety of Chinese radish has another name - forehead. Her homeland is Asia. Early ripening grade. Sowing seeds should be done in July. The root crop is short (9-16 cm), weighing up to 400 g, of a cylindrical shape, dark green in color with a white tip. The pulp is juicy, light green in color, characterized by excellent taste, almost without bitterness.
Alita
Radish of early ripe varieties. Ripening occurs 65 days after emergence. The shape of root vegetables is epileptic, their diameter is 10 cm, weight ranges from 200 to 400 g. Green radish has a sweet taste, with a barely noticeable hint of pinworms, the flesh is very juicy. Radish is unpretentious in growing and caring for itself.
Varieties of white radish
The main advantage of this type of radish is that it enhances and maintains immunity. Root crops of white radish have a very sharp taste. All white varieties form elongated or rounded root crops. Among the vegetable crops of this species, several of the best can be distinguished. Let's consider them in more detail.
Odessa 5
A very early variety, the growing season is quite short, ranging from one to one and a half months. Root crops of oval-conical shape, with a run down, with a very delicate, juicy pulp of white color. Valued for its palatability. The weight of root crops is not too large, varies from 50 to 100 g. With an area of one square. m you can harvest 5-7 kg. Not subject to long-term storage, recommended for summer crops.
Gayvoronskaya
One of the medium late varieties. From germination to the end of fruiting takes about 112 days. The root crop has a cylindrical-conical shape, white color. According to the description of the variety, the radish has a dense pulp, juicy, white in color, with a very sharp taste. The radish of the gaivoron variety has a high keeping quality, shows a high yield, the variety is very resistant to flowering and frost. With one sq. m you can get a crop of up to 8 kg. It is recommended to add the radish of this variety to dishes to give them a "vigor", for raw consumption and for salads it will be too spicy.
Winter round white
One of the popular varieties, has high medicinal properties. Root crops can have an elongated oval shape or be slightly flattened. The growing season is long, 80-100 days. The pulp is juicy, firm, sharp in taste. In the cellar can be stored for a long time, while not losing its taste.
Japanese radish
This vegetable is also called daikon. It has a pleasant taste, has high healing properties, unpretentious care. With good care, the daikon grows to a rather large size - 60 cm in length, 10 cm in diameter. Misato, one of the pink daikon varieties, has a very unusual attractive appearance. By the way, at a daikon you can eat not only the root crop itself, but also the rest of the plant.
Despite the huge variety of species of this vegetable crop, the best varieties of radishes among gardeners are:
- Winter black;
- Odessa 5;
- Winter white;
- Margelan.
How to grow a radish
Radish is considered a fairly cold-resistant plant. The optimum temperature for growing all varieties of radish is considered to be +18 degrees. When grown in a climate that is too warm during extreme heat, root crops become smaller, coarser and tastier.
The seeds of this vegetable crop should be sown in the following dates:
- end of April - beginning of May - summer varieties;
- mid June - mid July - winter varieties.
Seeds are sown in grooves, deepen them into the soil by 2-3 cm. The distance between the strips should be at least 15-20 cm. After the seeds are sown, they must be mulched with humus or peat and must be watered. As soon as the first sprouts appear, if there is such a need, the seedlings are thinned out. By choosing a spacious planting for growing, you will provide the plants with a good nutritional area and enable the formation of larger root crops.
Thinning
Regardless of the variety of radish, it (like other root crops) needs thinning. The first is carried out when 2-3 real leaves appear on the plants, at a distance of about 6 cm between the seedlings. During the second, a distance of 10-12 cm or more is left between the germs. In the event that the seedlings are planted too densely, most of the plants will give flowering shoots, the resulting root crops being unsuitable for food.
The soil
For the cultivation of radish, fertile sandy and loamy soil should be chosen, which should have a neutral reaction. Poor crops show a vegetable crop planted on heavy soils, in areas where the level of groundwater is high.
Radish can be planted in compacted plantings along with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, sown next to turnips or radishes. In the event that you want to make repeated summer crops of this crop, in no case do not sow in the beds where other representatives of cruciferous crops, such as early cabbage or radish, were the predecessors.
Watering
If the plants are not provided with full watering (they are difficult to tolerate moisture deficiency), root crops grow bitter and small. In order to grow vegetables with good taste - juicy and not too sharp, during their formation should maintain air and soil humidity at 70%. Please note: if the soil is plentifully watered after a long drought, root crops will most likely crack. That is why the beds need to be kept moist, to prevent drying out.
Pests
One of the main pests of this vegetable crop is the cruciferous flea. If you saw that the leaves on the radish became openwork, then this insect attacked her. If you do not take urgent measures, you can lose the entire crop, since damaged leaves dry out very quickly, plants either die completely, or form very small, non-standard root crops. Good results in the fight against cruciferous flea show pollination of wood ash in combination with tobacco dust.