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Daikon is a Japanese radish, a product that occupies a central place in the cooking of the Land of the Rising Sun. The culture is grown in the countries of Southeast Asia, Europe, America. In Our Country, the daikon appeared at the end of the 19th century and quickly gained popularity. Due to the absence of mustard oils, it has a delicate harmonious taste. Also known as “white radish” and “sweet radish”. With proper care, root crops grow large, juicy, with dense crispy flesh. Daikon Sasha is a new variety that gardeners love for its high yield, cold resistance, early maturity and the ability to maintain marketable qualities well and for a long time.
Photo of daikon Sasha:
History of variety breeding
Daikon was bred in Japan in antiquity by breeding the Chinese Loba radish. Most Japanese varieties are not suitable for growing in Our Country; domestic scientists have created many improved analogues adapted to the country’s climatic conditions. Daikon Sasha was included in the State Register in 1994, is successfully cultivated in all agricultural regions of the Federation, but feels more comfortable in the middle lane.
The originators of the variety are the Federal State Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Center for Vegetable Growing” (Moscow Region) and OOO “Intersemya” (Stavropol Territory). Daikon Sasha is named after the honored breeder Alexander Agapov. Recommended for growing in winter greenhouses, under spring film shelters and in open ground.
Description of daikon Sasha
Daikon Sasha is a member of the Cabbage or Cruciferous family. The root crop has an even rounded shape, which can be slightly elongated or flattened. Sizes range from 5,5 to 10,5 cm in length and 5 to 10 cm in diameter in the middle. The skin is dense, smooth, white with a slight yellowness. The pulp is white, juicy, fragrant, crispy, dense texture, without voids.
Daikon fruits of the Sasha variety are characterized by a sweet-spicy taste and a pleasant faint aroma. Green leaves are lyre-shaped, slightly pubescent, 30-55 cm long, collected in an upright rosette. Petioles 10-17 cm long, light green, also pubescent.
Characteristics of a variety
Daikon Sasha demonstrates the best qualities of his species. In order to grow a quality crop and avoid annoying mistakes, you should know the distinctive features and basic rules for growing this variety.
Productivity
Daikon Sasha is an ultra-early variety that ripens in 35-45 days, under favorable weather conditions, the period can be reduced to 1 month. Thanks to this quality, 2-3 crops can be grown per season. From 1 m2 it turns out to collect up to 2,5 kg of fruits in open ground and up to 4,5 kg in greenhouses. The weight of root crops is 200-400 g; when ripe, they almost completely rise above the soil surface, which makes it easier to extract them from the ground. Daikon gives good yields on deeply cultivated, fertile, light, neutral and slightly acidic soils.
Disease and pest resistance
Variety Sasha is susceptible to diseases that affect all representatives of cruciferous plants – black leg, white and gray rot, keel, vascular bacteriosis, felt disease, powdery mildew, mosaic, fusarium. Has relative immunity to mucous bacteriosis.
Sasha’s daikon crop is also damaged by pests – cruciferous fleas and bugs, cabbage fly larvae, click beetles, secretive trunks, weevils, leaf beetles, cabbage moths and scoops. To prevent infection, you should follow the rules of agricultural technology and crop rotation, weed out the weeds in time and loosen the ground.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Gardeners fell in love with this variety of Japanese radish due to the good taste and commercial qualities of the fruit. In their reviews of Sasha daikon, they note the following positive features:
- unpretentiousness;
- stable yield;
- good keeping quality of Sasha daikon;
- the possibility of year-round cultivation (if there is a greenhouse);
- high maturation rate;
- long shelf life of seeds (up to 8 years);
- undemanding of soil composition;
- unlike other varieties of radish, daikon Sasha is suitable for baby food;
- resistance to premature stalking.
However, the plant also has some disadvantages:
- requires stable watering, otherwise the structure and taste of fruits deteriorates, the risk of flowering increases;
- in case of temperature instability (for example, in autumn), the pulp thickens and becomes rough;
- heterogeneity of fruits in size;
- prone to cracking if improperly maintained.
Planting and caring for daikon Sasha
Planting daikon variety Sasha is carried out by seedlings and sowing in open ground. The variety easily tolerates a pick. Tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, beets, cucumbers, legumes, herbs, and onions are considered good predecessors for culture. Daikon should not be planted after cruciferous – cabbage, radish, turnip.
Terms of planting
Sasha daikon seeds are recommended to be sown twice – in March and July. For the ripening of full-fledged juicy fruits, the plant needs a short daylight hours, with an excess of sun, the daikon begins to bloom, and the yield deteriorates. Daikon seedlings are transferred to a permanent place at steady day temperatures from + 10 ˚С. The fruits of spring sowing are harvested in May, but they are not stored for long. They should be consumed in a short time. In April-May, daikon Sasha is planted mainly on seeds. The most productive is summer sowing. Daylight hours are getting shorter, daikon enhances fruit growth, and the likelihood of flower arrows is reduced. Many gardeners in the middle zone advise postponing the planting date until August, claiming that this will help to forget about the problem of flowering. Root crops harvested in autumn can be stored for 2-3 months.
Preparation of beds
The site for planting daikon variety Sasha should be sunny, its preparation begins in the fall. The earth is dug onto a shovel bayonet, 1,5 kg of humus or compost, 40 g of superphosphate, 20 g of ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate per m are added.2. Lime for soil deoxidation should be applied two weeks earlier. Before sowing, the soil is leveled with a rake, grooves are made 3-4 cm deep at a distance of 60 cm from each other. You can form a bed with a width of 1m.
Rules of landing
Sasha daikon seeds should be planted in well-moistened soil to a depth of 2-3 cm. Sowing should not be thick, excess shoots must be removed. When thinning, leave the strongest plants at a distance of 25 cm from each other. Before sowing, Sasha daikon seeds are recommended to be soaked in a disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate in order to prevent the occurrence of diseases.
To obtain seedlings, it is preferable to place the seeds in separate paper cups or peat tablets – this will avoid picking, and, consequently, injury to the roots. Young shoots are placed in the ground, observing the prescribed interval, lightly pressed and covered with a layer of mulch. With probable night frosts, planting daikon Sasha should be covered with polyethylene or agrofiber.
Aftercare
Daikon variety Sasha is undemanding in care, which comes down to weeding, regular watering, loosening the soil, top dressing. The earth should always be slightly moist, and during the period of formation and ripening of root crops, watering should be increased. With a lack of moisture, the radish gives an arrow, irregular watering can lead to cracking of the fruit, which excludes its long-term storage. Loosening and weeding are necessary to aerate the daikon roots and prevent diseases. As the fruits grow, they need to be sprinkled with earth. Daikon Sasha should be fed only once during the growing season – immediately after thinning seedlings. A solution of nitroammophoska is best suited – 60 g per 1 liter of water. As a natural alternative, you can use wood ash, a solution of chicken manure (1:20) and fermented grass (1:10).
Harvesting and storage of crops
Daikon Sasha fruits are harvested as they ripen – a month and a half after planting. It is impossible to overexpose the radish in the ground, shooting may begin, when overripe, the taste worsens. Work is carried out in favorable weather, in late autumn it is necessary to be in time before the first frost. Root crops are removed from the soil by pulling the tops. If it is not possible to do this easily, they are hooked with a shovel or pitchfork. Then the Sasha daikon must be dried, shake off the ground and remove the tops, leaving “tails” 1-2 cm long.
During harvesting, small, overgrown and diseased root crops are discarded. Daikon Sasha is stored for the longest time in the cellar or basement when immersed in moistened sand. Air humidity should be 80-85%, temperature + 1-2 ˚С. In the absence of such premises, it is allowed to store radish in the refrigerator in an ajar plastic bag, on the balcony in boxes with ventilation and insulation. The balcony is the least successful place, due to the fact that it is difficult to control the temperature there. It must be remembered that at temperatures below 0 ˚С. Daikon fruits will freeze and become unsuitable for eating, when warming above + 2 ˚С, the radish will begin to deteriorate.
The shelf life of Daikon Sasha depends on the conditions. At room temperature, it does not exceed two weeks, in the refrigerator – 1 month, in cellars – 3 months.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
In general, daikon Sasha rarely gets sick, sometimes it is affected by fungal, viral and bacterial infections. They are treated by spraying Bordeaux liquid, cultivating the earth with milk of lime (2 cups of fluff per 10 liters of water) or a solution of copper sulphate. It is important to detect the initial signs of infection in time and take immediate action. If the disease is started, you will have to destroy most of the Sasha daikon crop and completely change the soil. Causes of diseases:
- thickened landing;
- high humidity at temperatures above + 30 ˚С;
- fertilizers with a high content of nitrates leads to the formation of excess green mass”;
- Insect parasites not only damage plants, but also carry diseases.
In the fight against pests of the Sasha variety, feeding the daikon with slurry is an effective deterrent. Spraying with infusions of tobacco, dope, black henbane, mustard, and dusting with ash are also effective. In extreme cases, insecticides are used, most often Intavir.
Conclusion
Daikon Sasha is an unpretentious culture, the cultivation of which even a novice gardener can do. The root crop is widely used in cooking – it is eaten raw, boiled, stewed, pickled. The vegetable contains vitamins B and C, fiber, pectins. It has a high nutritional value with a calorie content of 18 kcal, it is used for dietary nutrition. Daikon varieties Sasha should be eaten with caution in the presence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and gout.
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