Turnips until the 18th century was the main vegetable in Russia. It hovered in the pot on the Russian stove until it becomes soft, and in this form used in food. With the advent of turnips potatoes began to plant less. Interest in native Russian products are increasingly being revived, and turnip again settled on the garden beds.
Grow, grow a turnip, but good strong
In your garden grow almost all suitable to our climate vegetables, but that's about all the time forget the turnips. Question about the heroine of fairy tales my granddaughter asked, when I once again she read Russian folk tale. She herself said that she was in the garden does not fit, very much great it is depicted in the picture. After that, I too, like the grandfather planting turnips.
Over time, I concluded that in places where growing cabbages and radishes, turnips can not sow. Every year I choose to turnip sunlit and airy space. Many of these root crops do not need, but even two dozen turnips and enough for summer and for winter salads.
By trial and error
Any difficulties in the cultivation of this crop is not, but its sweet fruit is very fond of eating cruciferous midge.
Now I am in front of each planting hole to pour mustard powder. This simple remedy has relieved my beds from the small but voracious pest. Because of the small seeds of this plant in the first year I got dense plantation, and tops voting for tightness. I ruthlessly thinned seedlings, leaving the strongest and grow turnip was at ease.
This root vegetable love the soft earth, so I always dilute the soil with sand. Turnip watered, if I see that it begins to sink tops. If it is not watered, the fruits will taste bitter. "I feed" herbal infusion. Loose soil after each watering. No need to wait for the turnip grow big, like a fairy tale - an overgrown root is hard, almost "wooden" and unpleasant taste. And pluck it must be between the average maturity.
By following all the prescribed rules for me, I get a turnip just feast for the eyes: a flat, clean, color of melted butter. The first harvest is taken when the roots begin to appear from the ground. Mashed turnips could be an alternative to the potato. Use this vegetable is not only cooked and raw.
Petrovskaya turnip, which has taken root in my garden has both sweet and slightly pungent taste, which is very like my household. This root crop contains a lot of magnesium, and I use the fruit in grated form as a preventive agent for cardiovascular diseases.