Radish(Raphanus Sativus) is a popular root vegetable with a spicy flavor.Growing radishes in the gardenis very easy and possible from spring to autumn. With a very low calorie content, radish provides large amounts of vitamin C and potassium, which makes it worth including it in your diet. Learn more about thenutritional and he alth benefits of radishand learn more about growing this vegetable. We recommend the bestradish varietiesfor garden cultivation!
Radish grown in the garden
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Radish - nutritional and he alth benefits
Crunchy radish is most often eaten rawas an addition to sandwiches and salads, giving it a slightly bitter, spicier flavor. In the kitchen, radish also works great as an addition to yogurt and cottage cheese. This vegetable tastes best fresh, right after harvest. That is why it is good to have them at hand when growing radishes in your own garden or even in crates on the balcony. It is worth including this vegetable in your diet not only because of its taste, but alsonutritional properties of radishes
Radish roots are low in calories(only about 16 kcal per 100 g) with a fairly high content of vitamin C (14.8 mg per 100 g) and a very high content of potassium (233 mg per 100 g) Thanks to which radish is highly recommended for people with hypertension.
The nutritional properties of radish make this vegetablealso a good source of folate, vitamins B1, B2 and B6, and other minerals such as magnesium, copper, calcium and iron.Due to the content of valuable nutrients, natural medicineuses the he alth properties of radishAlthough it is worth knowing that black radish is mainly used for medical purposes, which is a radish cultivator.
And soradish is sometimes used as an appetite and digestive stimulant , supporting the work of the liver, as well as having a choleretic and choleretic effect. It is also worth taking advantage of thefungicidal and bactericidal properties of radishThanks to the content of sulfur compounds in radish roots, people who have problems with hair loss and brittle nails should also remember about consuming this vegetable.
Good to know!
Not only the roots of the radish are edible, but also its leaves. They are spicy and bitter in taste and can be eaten raw as an addition to salads. It is best to eat young, fresh green leaves, without spots.
Growing radish in the garden
Radishes can be sown into the ground from early spring until the end of the growing seasonIt is worth remembering, however, that too high temperatures in summer favor excessive growth of leaves and inflorescences at the expense of root development. That is why the best radishes can be grown in spring and autumn.
The short growing season (only approx. 4 weeks from sowing to harvest) allowsto grow radishes both as aforecrop and as an aftercrop vegetable. Remember, however, that radish belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family and should not be grown before or after other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli or watercress.
Radish, due to its rapid emergence, can be sown coordinate with vegetables that sprout for a long time , such as: carrots, parsnips, parsley. Thanks to this, we will quickly find out where the rows of vegetables run, which will facilitate weeding and removing weeds from the inter-rows. For radishes, green peas and other varieties of peas, cucumber, and lettuce will also be good company on the vegetable patch.Avoid growing radishes in the company of other cruciferous vegetables and tomatoes.
Radishes are best eaten fresh
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It is also worth knowing thatradishes can be grown not only on a garden bed, but also in a pot or balcony boxSuch cultivation will be successful in an open space, e.g. on a balcony, terrace or external window sill, as long as we provide very good sunlight for this place.Growing radishes in the apartment will not be possibledue to too high temperatures and insufficient sunlight.
Radish requires sunny positions , light soil, rich, permeable, with low nitrogen content. For the latter reason, it is not sown faster than in the third year after fertilization with manure. Immediately before cultivation, we can enrich the soil with compost, and while growing, we can fertilize the radish using highly diluted vermicompost.Although radish usually grows well without additional fertilization (I personally do not additionally fertilize during the growth of radish).
The recommended soil pH for radish is 6.0 - 7.0 . If the soil pH is lower (the soil is too acidic), the possible liming of the soil for the radish beds should be performed in the fall in the year preceding cultivation.
Radish grown in the garden
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The recommendedspacing for growing radishis 10 to 20 cm between rows and 2 to 4 cm in rows. Holes are made for the seeds with a stick and placed at a depth of 1-2 cm, and the next ones are covered with soil. You can sow the radishes more densely and then make an intermission. However, you might as well place the seeds at the recommended distances right away, as they usually germinate very well and there is no need to sow more densely.
Water the radish regularly, but not too much , keeping the soil slightly moist.Irregular watering can crack the roots, and too much - leaf overgrowth at the expense of root development. For this reason, especially if we are on the plot, e.g. only once a week,in the cultivation of radish it is very helpful to use TerraCottemThe nutrient solution is mixed with the soil before sowing. It contains a hydrogel that absorbs excess water after watering, and then releases this water when the soil dries out. This makes it much easier to keep the soil constantly slightly moist and has a positive effect on the growth of radishes.
Harvesting the radish will be possible 3 - 6 weeks after sowing(depending on the variety and weather conditions). Radishes left in the ground can stick too long, so it's better to collect them as soon as they are ripe.
Recommended varieties of radish
Radish comes in many interesting varieties These can be varieties with spherical or oblong roots, as well as differing in flavor intensity or color. In addition to the most popular red radishes, there are also varieties of radishes with white, yellow or black roots.
Radish Carmen- This variety of radish is suitable for year-round field cultivation. It is very fertile. Requires very sunny positions. The length of the growing season is approximately 35 days. The roots take a carmine red color. Flesh is dull white, sometimes with a pink discoloration. Mild flavor. The advantage of this variety is resistance to cracking and stressing.
Radish Fiesta- early variety. It is suitable for cultivation under cover (sowing from February) and in the field (from March to May or from August to September). The root calluses are round, carmine-red in color. Delicate, firm flesh.
Red and white radish varieties
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Krakowianka Radish- the growing season is from 33 to 37 days. The roots turn red with white tips. The variety is resistant to straining and early knocking out into inflorescence shoots, making it suitable for summer cultivation.
Radish Mila- Radish variety with strong growth. Harvesting is possible as early as 3 weeks after sowing. The roots are cylindrical in shape, white and red in color and reach 5.5 cm in length. Mild flavor. Stress resistant variety.
Opolanka radish- early variety, very fertile. It is suitable for cultivation in the ground and under cover, both in spring and autumn. He hates shading. Long-cylindrical scarlet swellings. Vitreous white flesh.
Radish Poloneza- early variety with spherical red-white bulges, for cultivation under covers and in the ground. It shows high tolerance to cold. White and creamy flesh, juicy, slightly spicy in taste, with high resistance to burdens.Variety highly recommended for amateur gardening!
Rowa radish- suitable for cultivation in greenhouses, tunnels (sowing from February) and in the ground. It requires good sunlight. The vegetation period is from 28 to 32 days. Medium-sized, spherical, red roots. White, delicate flesh with a mild flavor.
Silesia radish- a variety to be cultivated under covers for late autumn harvesting (sowing in August to September) and spring (sowing from February), and for cultivation in the ground (sowing from March to May). He hates shading. The vegetation period is approximately 20 days. Blunt, elongated, cylindrical roots, up to 4.5 cm long. They take a carmine color. The flesh is delicate and juicy. Stress resistant variety.
Radish Icicle- late variety with a growing season of 40 to 60 days. Roots elongated, white in color. They reach a length of up to 12 cm. White, glassy flesh with a sharp taste (photo on the right).
Radish Warta- a variety to be grown under covers for late autumn harvest to spring, and for spring cultivation in the ground. Root beads of cylindrical shape, scarlet-red in color with a white tip. The flesh is white, juicy, with a delicate flavor. Resistant to pressure.
Vitessa Radish- This variety of radish forms round, firm and large lumps. Delicate red skin, glassy-white flesh and mild taste. Variety recommended for people for whom the taste of most radishes is too spicy: -)
Zlata radish- is an attractive variety of radish with a spherical shape and a rare yellow color of the skin. The flesh is white, fleshy, quite spicy, not puffing. Variety recommended for cultivation in open ground in early spring and autumn, tolerant to unfavorable weather conditions.
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