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The Japanese Daikon radish is very popular with gardeners today. At the same time, its closest relative, the Chinese radish, is practically unknown to anyone in our country. The root crop is also known as Beijing or Lobo. Radish is grown everywhere in China, and it is easy to buy it there in the market or in any store.
Agricultural technology of sweet radish
The shape and color of the fruits are varied: the root crop can be round or cylindrical, have a white, green or red skin color. However, the top of the vegetable is always rich green. As for the color of the pulp, it usually ranges from white to pink-red. The weight of a ripe fruit averages a little more than a kilogram. To taste, Lobo radish resembles a cross between Daikon and fruits of varieties of European origin. The vegetable is practically not bitter, which is why it is called “sweet”. Often, the taste of the plant resembles a radish.
As for storage, the fruits of the variety can be kept fresh and fragrant longer than Daikon root vegetables. However, Chinese radish is stored worse than European.
In addition to an interesting appearance, remarkable taste properties and fruit size, the variety also has useful qualities. In particular, the use of root crops removes excess moisture from the body, has a positive effect on metabolism, cleanses the liver and kidneys (including stones), removes radionuclides and salts of heavy metals. The influence of radish on the growth and development of harmful bacteria inside the human body is detrimental. Lobo radish does not have a negative effect on the heart, so older people can use it. Also, a root vegetable of Chinese origin strengthens the immune system, reduces cholesterol and carcinogens in the human body.
Lobo radish is a crop that does not require special growing conditions and careful care. Even round root crops that are not buried deep in the ground can be grown on heavy clay-type soils. However, the richest harvest can still be obtained on fertile lands with a neutral reaction, saturated with organic fertilizers.
It is best to plant the plant after legumes and winter grains, as well as cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and early potatoes.
You can sow the plant both in spring and summer (most often). When sown in the spring, the culture often lets out color, as a result of which its fruits cannot be consumed. At the same time, when sowing in the summer, the peduncle is not formed, and a significant crop can be harvested.
Preparing the soil in which the Elephant’s Tooth radish (another name for Loba) will be grown is no different from the preparation procedure before planting other types of vegetables. The land should be well fed with organic fertilizers (a bucket of compost or humus per unit area for light soils; 2 buckets per unit area for heavy soils). However, fresh manure cannot be used as fertilizer.
It is necessary to dig the site to a depth of no more than 0,03 meters. In acidic soils, it is necessary to add slaked lime. In lowland conditions, culture should be grown on ridges or other hills.
Before sowing seeds, it is necessary to feed the soil with mineral dressings or nitrophoska. It is best to use fertilizers of a complex nature, such as Keira-lux or Kemira-universal-1. In such dressings, in addition to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, a number of useful trace elements are present. Such fertilizers are very effective, although expensive.
Sowing radish is carried out in different ways, depending on the variety of the root crop. For summer harvesting, the seeds are placed in the soil starting from the end of April. If you plan to store a vegetable for a long time, it is better to sow it in late June – early July, because the early planting of winter varieties provokes the appearance of inflorescences and a violation of the integrity of the fruit.
The largest crop yield can be obtained by sowing in early July. It is this time that is optimal for most varieties of crops. However, in any case, the earth should be abundantly moistened, and after placing the seeds in it, carry out mulching.
The plant develops best at a temperature regime of 15 ° – 18 °. The vegetable is considered cold-resistant, tolerates slight frosts well.
Video “Agricultural technology of Chinese radish”
In this video, experienced gardeners and gardeners will tell and show you how to properly grow and care for radishes.
Method of sowing seeds
The yield and size of root crops are determined by the sowing scheme. As evidenced by the reviews and recommendations of experienced gardeners, the most suitable scheme is to place the seeds in four rows, keeping the distance between the holes of 0,3 – 0,35 meters. The depth of the pits is 0,02 meters. A couple of seeds are placed in each of them.
If the soil is “dry”, then after sowing it must be moistened. A week after the appearance of the first sprouts, one, the strongest sprout, is left from the shoots from one hole.
To speed up the process of sprouts, the bed can be covered with cellophane, but after the first germination, it should be removed immediately. Germination takes, on average, about a week. The process of emergence of sprouts from pre-soaked seeds occurs after 5 days. After the formation of a couple of leaves on the sprouts, they must be thinned out by 0,15 – 0,18 meters (depending on the expected size of future fruits).
Additional fertilizing
Red Meat radish needs to be fed for the first time, after the diameter of the vegetable becomes 0,03 – 0,04 meters. As a fertilizer, it is permissible to use a solution of ash or mullein.
On mineral-rich soils, for early ripe varieties, just a couple of fertilizers are enough, for winter – 3-4 every 10 days.
Harvesting and storage of crops
Harvest must be before the first frost. Early ripe types of vegetables are harvested according to the degree of ripening on a rainless day, and winter ones – in a row.
The leaves of the fruits that are planned to be stored must be cut off, leaving a “stump” 0,015 – 0,02 meters long.
In a cool place, such as an unheated cellar, the crop is perfectly stored all winter, without losing its aroma and juiciness.
So, from the above, we see that the Chinese Loba radish is only gaining popularity in our country.
Video “What to do to harvest a rich radish harvest”
From this video you will learn what to do to get a good harvest of this magnificent vegetable.
