Radish: the secrets of growing a medicinal root vegetable

Briefly about radish

Radish belongs to the Cabbage (Cruciferous) family. This plant comes from Asia and is one of the oldest garden crops - the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome were still engaged in its cultivation. Nowadays, radish is common in Europe, North America, Asian temperate regions and Australia. Domestic summer residents prefer annual European varieties.
The radish root crop can have both different shapes (round, cylindrical, flat-round) and color - pink, red, purple, white.
What are the varieties of radish
Early radish varieties include Zarya, Champion, Early Red, Rhodes, Jolie, 18 days, Helios - they ripen within 25 days after germination and are the most cold-resistant. After 26-35 days, the mid-season varieties "Ilka", "Ice Icicle", "Saksa", "Viola" ripen. After 36 days comes a series of late-ripening varieties - "Red Giant", "Carmina", "Dungansky 12/8". It is the roots of these varieties that contain the greatest amount of sugars and vitamins, which makes them the most delicious and healthy. In addition, late-ripening radish varieties give the most abundant harvest and have a longer shelf life.

The use of radish for medicinal purposes

The radish root vegetable contains a fairly large amount of mustard oil, which gives it a slightly pungent taste, as well as a large amount of vitamins (C, B1, B2), magnesium, potassium, sodium, etc. Due to its early ripening, this product is one of the first to come to us on the table in the spring and summer and helps to fight the effects of vitamin deficiency.
Regular consumption of radish in food contributes to the prevention of cancer, as well as the treatment of diabetes, as it normalizes blood sugar levels. Due to the very small amount of calories (only 20 kcal per 100 g), this product is suitable for those who want to reduce their weight. In folk medicine, this useful root vegetable is also known: radish juice is used as a remedy for headaches, and compresses are used for sciatica.
Despite the healing properties of this plant, people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and thyroid gland are not recommended to include it in their daily diet.
You should know that the radish root vegetable retains its beneficial qualities for only 7 days, even when stored in the refrigerator.

Growing methods for radish

Radish seeds are planted in open ground. Previously, you can germinate seeds within 2-3 days by wrapping them in a damp cloth. This culture is quite unpretentious, however, there are a number of rules for planting and caring for it, which make it possible to increase the yield.

Instructions for growing radishes

For planting radishes, grooves are made 2-3 cm deep at a distance of 15 cm from each other, seeds are placed in them every 5 cm. Thinning is carried out 5-6 days after the emergence of shoots.
In dry weather, it is recommended to water the radish beds daily, at low temperatures - once every two days. Excess moisture will make the root crop watery, and lack of moisture will make the root vegetable dry and bitter. After each watering, you need to loosen the soil to a depth of about 5 cm - this will allow the plant to breathe.
The radish plantings are fed with nitrogen fertilizers. Treating the beds with ash or watering with lemon acidified water will help protect plants from pests.The main enemy of the radish is the cruciferous flea; it feeds mainly on dry leaves, so they should be regularly sprayed with water.

When to plant radishes

The first sowing of radishes can be done in early spring: the seeds germinate at a temperature of +5 degrees above zero, while the optimum temperature is +20.

Where to plant radishes

This culture loves loose, slightly acidic, sandy loam soils; neutral soils are also suitable. On soils with high acidity, the use of dolomite flour is shown, on clay soils - the introduction of sand. It is recommended to pre-fertilize the area allotted for planting radishes with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

The best place to plant radishes is in a fairly sunny but sheltered area. Both constant shade and too bright midday sun should be avoided - radishes like mild morning and evening lighting. The optimal duration of exposure to light is 10-12 hours.