Red radish: benefits and harms

Watermelon radish is a vegetable hybrid with bright pink, juicy flesh. This special root crop combines beautiful flesh, sweet taste and spicy bitterness. For gardeners, the plant is unfamiliar, but unpretentious pink radish is widely used in cooking in different countries, and in California it is considered a hit.

Useful properties of red radish

Red radish not only has an attractive appearance and spicy taste, but can also bring great benefits to the body. Due to the early ripening period, a fortified vegetable can be enjoyed within a month after planting.

The benefits of watermelon radish

Due to the high content of nutrients, the benefits of red radish are great. The variety contains:

• vitamins A, C and B;
• nicotinic, folic and salicylic acid;
• potassium;
• iron;
• calcium;
• magnesium;
• mustard oil;
• alimentary fiber;
• glycosides.

The vegetable is recommended to be used to strengthen the immune system, to normalize the gastrointestinal tract, increase strength, improve appetite, and strengthen blood vessels.

Despite the beneficial properties, pink radish is not recommended for people with gastritis and ulcers in the acute stage.

Varieties of red radish can be baked, fried and stewed. The peeled pulp is ideal for making salads, garnishing cocktails and desserts. Not only pink pulp is added to dishes, but also the green part.

Red radish is also useful for weight loss, since the calorie content is 20 kcal per 100 g.

History of breeding

The variety was bred in Europe, but, despite this, the root crop did not receive much love from Europeans. Then the plant began to popularize in America. American gardeners and cooks appreciated this vegetable. In Our Country, the red radish or, as it is called, the “giant radish” became known only in the 2000s.

Description of varieties

Depending on the place of breeding, watermelon radish is divided into 3 varieties:

• European;
• Chinese;
• Japanese.

The fruits of the root crop have a different shape, taste and color. The vegetable can be round, flattened or oblong. The color of the pulp is white, yellow, red, pink or purple. Often when growing a root crop, fruits with a double color are found.

The size of the fruit is 7-8 cm. The peel is colored pale green and contains mustard oil, which is why the flesh closer to the peel has a bitter aftertaste. Inside, the red radish variety is sweet and beautiful. The root crop acquires a pronounced taste and color as it ripens. 

To have an idea of ​​the beauty of red radish, you need to look at photos and videos.

Characteristics of varieties

In recent years, amateur gardeners have begun to grow radishes with red flesh inside in their backyards. The hybrid differs from other varieties in its unpretentiousness in cultivation, care and gives a good harvest.

Productivity

Watermelon hybrid is an early ripe variety. In temperate regions, it can be planted under a film shelter at the end of March. Subject to the rules of care, the first vegetables appear in the last days of April, a month after planting the seeds.

Since the variety has a fast growing season, the crop can be harvested 4-5 times a year. But the most abundant can be obtained in mid-August. The yield is high, per sq. m, subject to the rules of cultivation, remove up to 6 kg of radish.

Disease and pest resistance

Watermelon radish is immune to diseases and pests. But in order not to face difficulties, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures. A good prevention is sprinkling, systematic weeding and loosening the soil.

The variety does not grow well with high soil and air humidity. Therefore, in rainy regions, watermelon radish is recommended to be grown in greenhouse conditions.

Planting and care

Before growing watermelon radish, you need to choose the right place, prepare the soil and seed. The root crop grows well after legumes, potatoes and cucumbers. The variety is not recommended to be grown after cabbage, carrots, beets and radishes.

The bed is prepared in the fall. They dig up the earth, apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, manure and cover with mulch.

It is better to purchase seed from trusted suppliers. For quick germination and obtaining juicy hybrids, large red radish seeds are soaked for a day in cold water. Landing is carried out in heated soil or in a prepared greenhouse. Greenhouse planting is done in late April or early May. On open beds – after warming up the earth to +15 degrees.

Furrows are made on the prepared bed. Seeds are planted to a depth of 3-4 cm, sprinkled with nutrient soil and watered with warm water. Before the emergence of seedlings, the bed can be covered with a covering material.

The first shoots appear 3-4 days after sowing. After the appearance of 3 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned out.

Care of the variety is easy. To obtain a generous harvest, regular watering and top dressing is necessary.

Red radish is very susceptible to irrigation. The lack of liquid leads to the appearance of an arrow, lignification of the fruit and the appearance of voids in the pulp, and overflow causes fungal diseases. In hot weather, daily moderate watering is necessary. The bed is mulched to conserve moisture. Mulch will not only allow for rare watering, but will also save the plant from the scorching sun and will eventually become additional top dressing.

Watermelon radish is a culture of short daylight hours. If the plant is not shaded, the fruits grow small and bitter.

The first top dressing with complex mineral fertilizers is applied 7 days after the appearance of sprouts. During the growing season, it is necessary to regularly remove weeds and loosen the ground. Active air access accelerates the growth of the root system and favorably affects the formation of fruits.

Harvesting and storage of crops

When growing watermelon radish, it is necessary to know the time of harvest, as an overripe root crop loses its taste, and the pulp acquires voids. The fruits are harvested as they ripen, in dry weather, in the early morning or after sunset.

After harvesting, the crop is left on the bed to dry. Vegetables without mechanical damage are suitable for long-term storage. The foliage is cut at a height of 2 cm. The selected and dried root crops are transferred to a box, sprinkled with chalk or ash and cleaned in a cool ventilated room. The shelf life of watermelon radish is 2-3 months.

Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention

In case of non-compliance with agrotechnical rules, the variety may be subject to many diseases:

1. If red radish is grown in acidic soil, then it may be susceptible to viral keel. As a result, the fruits are deformed, the pulp becomes hard and unfit for food. If the site has acidic soil, you need to deoxidize it yourself. To do this, the soil is mixed with slaked lime or dolomite flour.
2. Too much moisture can cause fungus. Therefore, when growing red radish, it is impossible to overmoisten the soil, it is necessary to carry out timely weeding and loosening of the soil. In wet weather, irrigation is carried out every 7 days.
3. On warm spring days, pests may appear on the plant. From cabbage flies and cruciferous fleas, an infusion of garlic and wood ash will help. Plant processing is carried out in the morning.

Cooking application

Watermelon radish is often used to prepare various dishes. The root crop is baked, stewed, added to meat, fish and poultry. The leaves are used to make salads and cold soups. Since the inside of the radish is pink, it is used instead of lime, kiwi and lemon to decorate cocktails. Thinly sliced ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbslices sprinkled with cumin or black salt look very nice.

Watermelon radish salad with cucumber

The salad is easy to prepare, does not require large investments and is an example of healthy food.

Ingredients:

• red radish – 3 pcs.;
• carrots and cucumber – 2 pcs.;
• any greens – ½ bunch.

For the sauce:

• yogurt – 3 tbsp. l .;
• lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l .;
• honey – 1 tsp;
• mustard – ½ tsp;
• spices – optional.

Preparation:

1. Vegetables are peeled and cut into small strips.
2. The greens are washed and finely chopped.
3. Put vegetables and herbs in a bowl, mix and squeeze out the juice.
4. To prepare the dressing, mix all the ingredients for the sauce and beat with a fork until smooth.
5. The salad is transferred to a beautiful dish and poured with dressing.
6. To give a spicy taste, the dish can be sprinkled with chopped almonds.

Watermelon radish salad with apple

Salad prepared according to this recipe is beautiful, healthy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

• red radish – 2 pcs.;
• sweet and sour apple and carrot – 1 pc.;
• mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l .;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Performance:

1. The apple and radish are washed, peeled and cut into thin strips.
2. Carrots are rubbed on a grater designed for cooking carrots in Korean.
3. All ingredients are laid out in a salad bowl, seasoned with spices and mayonnaise.
4. For decoration use a sprig of dill.

Chrysanthemum salad

Crispy, healthy, beautiful and delicious holiday salad.

Ingredients:

• red radish – 600 g;
• yellow apple – 1 pc.;
• red onion – 1 pcs.;
• green onion feathers – ½ bunch;
• lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l .;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l .;
• salt, pepper – optional.

Performance:

1. The radish is peeled and cut into thin slices. Each circle is divided into 4 parts.
2. The root crop is laid out in a bowl, salt and 1 tbsp are added. l. lemon juice.
3. The onion is cut into thin strips and, to remove bitterness, is first poured over with boiling water, and then with cold water.
4. The apple is cut into slices 3-4 mm thick. So that it does not darken, pour the remaining lemon juice.
5. They prepare a beautiful dish and begin to decorate the salad.
6. The first layer is overlapped with slices of red radish.
7. Place an onion in the middle.
8. An apple is laid out on the radish in the opposite direction.
9. Then again radish and apples.
10. Lay the onion on top.
11. Leaves and stem are laid out from onion feathers.
12. The finished salad is sprinkled with vegetable oil.

Conclusion

Watermelon radish is a popular hybrid. She received love from gardeners for her unusual appearance and good taste. Due to the high content of nutrients, the root crop is in demand in cooking in many countries.

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