Radish

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Which of us does not like the ordinary radish on his desk in the summer? And how many of the most varied varieties do online shops offer us, a feast for the eyes: varied in color, taste, and size. Sufficient attention is paid to this plant and Botanichka. But the trouble is: on my beds the radish almost never succeeded. It immediately "goes to the tune", then it begins to crack and be struck by pests. And I always wanted to grow this vegetable. Apparently, you have to take radishes seriously, finding out about all the nuances of its cultivation, so as not to lose this beautiful and healthy vegetable on their beds. True, in recent years he has found a good replacement for radish - Daikon. But it ripens only in the fall. I became interested in the analogue of the ordinary radish, namely, the radish pods, especially since it is a novelty in Russian gardens, and therefore - is still a rarity.

Those summer residents who have already mastered this culture, argue that the fruits of the green radish in the middle stage of ripeness in juiciness and taste are very similar to ordinary radishes, but with a light pepper. Chic summer salads are prepared from them, added to soups or okroshka. And what lunch in the summer heat without a cold okroshka, and besides cooked according to old Russian recipes (with fish, for example), okroshka that our ancestors ate! Fruits of green radish can be eaten with ordinary bread and salt, pickle, fry in oil. They have the shape of a pod, in most regions of Russia their length is 10-12 cm. In fact, experts say, the island of Java can be the birthplace of this plant. In tropical conditions, it grows the size of a good tree, and the pods can reach a meter long. They hang from the plant, like long tails or snakes. Hence the unusual names of this radish: serpentine, Javanese, caudate radish, radish tree or rat tail (American version). In our conditions, the plant itself, like the pods, looks much more modest: its height is only 1.5 m.

Experts believe that the radish improves the digestion, suppresses the harmful and unfit intestinal microflora, contains silicon, which gives strength to blood vessels, helps to increase immunity and joint mobility.

Most gardeners recommend growing radish on drained soils, in beds with bright lighting throughout the day. Care for the radish is about the same as for a regular radish: you should not allow the slightest interruption in irrigation, the soil should be constantly moist. It is believed that radish is prone to increased accumulation of nitrates, therefore, with normal soil preparation, no additional fertilizers need to be added except for ash. Despite its tropical origin, plants tolerate frost damage to minus 2 degrees without damage (some gardeners claim to be minus 6). An important is the ability to grow radish with the help of seedlings. If, as many argue, this crop grows well on a regular windowsill, then you can plant seeds for seedlings at any winter time, thereby determining the timing of ripening vegetables in open ground in your garden. Shoots of leguminous radishes are almost no different from sprouts of ordinary radish. They appear about a week after planting, and already on the 20th day the plants enter the phase of rapid development, quickly reaching a bushy form. A garden with a blossoming radish looks very beautiful, only you should warn your relatives that there is a green radish on the garden so that they do not pull it out, believing that this ordinary radish “went to the tune”. The first crop can be harvested in 50 days. By this time, the plant grows 120-150 cm in height depending on the conditions of detention and manages to gain the first peduncles. They begin to branch strongly and subsequently covered with a large number of flowers of white-pink color. Despite the widespread opinion about the unpretentiousness of this plant, many skilled gardeners nevertheless recommend regularly watering it so that the land on the bed is always in a wet state. Tear off the pods for eating from the middle and lower branches, timely stepsoning at the branches of the apex. Thawing branches give lateral shoots, on which later fruits also appear. When they begin to dry, it is recommended that they be cut off, tied in bundles and hung to dry. Upon final drying, in order to obtain seeds, the pods should be carefully threshed.

Summer residents, who have already mastered this culture in their beds, warn that the plant can grow above 2 meters high and more than a meter wide. In addition, the bushes grow quite powerful and, under the weight of the leaves and fruits, without garter, fall on their side. All this should be taken into account when organizing beds with green radishes. When choosing a variety of this radish, it is useful to know that there are varieties with both long and short pods of green or purple (the latter are sharper), growing straight like candelabra, or wriggling like snakes. Each plant can produce up to 40 pods or more.

And one more thing: leguminous radish nevertheless grows better on cultivated loose, sufficiently moist and rich in organic matter soil. The plant needs a garter to the stakes. You can sow it from mid-spring (under the film) and all summer. As already noted, it is possible to grow through seedlings. Since, despite its southern origin, the peanut radish tolerates small frosts without damage, its crop can be harvested until late autumn. However, it must be borne in mind that he has no less pests than cabbage. Gardeners even write that by planting this radish next to the cabbage, they save cabbage from pests that migrate from cabbage to the radish without causing the last plants any noticeable damage. It is unlikely that we should follow this technique, because according to human sociology, as soon as an excess of products appears somewhere, the population immediately increases in this place, including due to migration (!). And the last remark: in addition to the pods, the radish edible flowers, as a decoration of salads, leaves and root tubers. Tubers in an adult plant can reach kilogram weight. It is now clear that parts of the radish are quite suitable as components for vegetable dishes.