When to dig up a radish for storage
It is important to figure out when to dig up the radish so that it is stored longer and does not lose its useful properties. In this article we will tell you about the varieties of radish, the timing of its collection and storage rules.
Black radish is dug up for storage in late autumn
Dug up Japanese radish can be stored in winter
Sown radish is an annual or two-year vegetable crop that grows in the temperate zone of Eurasia and America. The roots of the plant are rich in fiber, ascorbic acid and potassium. They help to remove excess fluid and cholesterol from the body, have choleretic properties, and stimulate appetite.
The most popular edibles include:
- white round radish;
- daikon (Japanese radish);
- serpentine radish (Javanese or green radish);
- Chinese radish (green, margelan, forehead);
- red radish;
- black bitter radish.
When to dig up a radish for storage depends not so much on the species as on the type of plant.
According to the rate of ripening of root crops, early ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening vegetables are distinguished. The first type includes summer varieties: “Green Goddess”, “Maiskaya”, “Sudarushka”. Mid-season (autumn) radish can be harvested 3 months after germination. Late-ripening (winter) vegetables ripen from 100 to 120 days.
When to dig up black, green and white radish?
The harvesting of early greenhouse-grown radish begins at the end of May. Dig up roots that have reached 3-4 cm in diameter. The rest of the vegetables are harvested as they ripen throughout the summer. Plants of mid-season varieties, sown in early June, are dug up at the end of August. The harvest of winter radish can be harvested in late autumn, but always in dry weather and before frost. Daikon is usually dug up in October. Green and black radish are harvested in early November.
Shake off the soil from the dug up root crops, remove small roots, cut the tops. Before storing vegetables, they are inspected, damaged root crops are discarded.
Summer radish is stored in boxes or plastic bags with holes: in room conditions – a week, in a refrigerator – up to 20 days. Autumn and winter varieties are folded into a box and sprinkled with wet sand. They keep the radish either in the refrigerator or in the basement. During storage, the temperature should be 1-3 degrees, humidity – 80-90%.
The shelf life of such a radish is 200 days.
In the basement, root vegetables are best kept next to carrots and potatoes.
So, the harvest time depends on the radish variety and weather conditions. Summer varieties, unlike autumn and winter varieties, are not intended for long-term storage.
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