Daikon or otherwise - Japanese radishIt refers to the relatively new for us vegetable crops that can be grown in the garden plots. Radish is widely distributed in South-East Asia and Japan, where breeders have created a four varieties, which differ in their shape and color, and also have high taste qualities. In home gardens central Russia performed successfully growing daikon yield roots up to 3 kg.
Daikon roots are very useful. They contain large amounts of calcium salts, calcium, pectin, cellulose, vitamin C. Daikon has the ability to output the radionuclides from the body, normalize the intestinal flora and cleanses the liver and kidneys. This plant can be successfully used in preventive nutrition of diabetics since the main carbohydrate is fructose daikon.
Daikon - the cultivation and care
To get a good crop of daikon keep in mind that this plant requires good lighting crops. In central Russia daikon seeds are usually sown in late July. If you draw a crop at an earlier date, it will lead to the fact that the plants will go immediately into an arrow and the root will not start up.
For cultivation daikon best suited light fertile soils with a neutral reaction. If increased acidity of the soil, it is required liming. Per square meter contribute 5-10 kilogram of organic substances is added and complex fertilizers. Radish grows well on narrow high beds. For the formation of such beds is necessary nagresti ground on both sides to a height of about 40 centimeters.
Seeds were sown in a depth should be 3-6 centimeters, maintaining the distance between the plants themselves about 25-30 centimeters. This scheme allows planting plants receive adequate food and do not shade each other. After emergence, daikon thinned, leaving the most developed shoots. Care in the future lies in the inter-row weeding and thinning of weeds and watering. The soil thus should not be too wet, since excess moisture can cause the spread of such diseases as irritable bacteriosis. Once daikon roots seem above the ground, it is necessary to carry out their hilling. In the light, they begin to turn green, they can be damaged by slugs and later badly stored.
The main pests are the daikon and cabbage fly crucifer flea. To avoid defeat plant these pests must be observed rotation crops, and etch the seeds before planting. A good way to combat cruciferous flea beetles is pollination with a mixture of ash and tobacco. Smell planted between rows of celery helps to scare away the cabbage fly.
Harvesting is carried out in 50-70 days. On light soils the plants pulled out of the so-called tops, but in heavy soils - the most convenient to undermine a pitchfork. To root vegetables are best kept, cleaning is carried out only in dry weather. Daikon is stored at home in the refrigerator at a temperature of 3-5 degrees, or in the cellar in boxes of sand, or in packages with perforation.
It is worth adding that the radish on beds can be left up to the frost. It is important to remove roots in time, as they immediately freeze, lose flavor and become unfit for storage.