Green radish. Benefit and harm

Chinese radish Loba

Loba: Chinese radish with an unusual flavor

Chinese radish, or loba, is widespread in Japan and China. This root crop has a high nutritional value and a number of medicinal properties. Radek Loba differs from the usual radishes with a sweet-spicy taste, a special aftertaste and aroma. This vegetable- the most valuable source of vitamins, including C, as well as various minerals. In winter- spring period when there is a shortage in fresh vegetables the most tangible, the forehead comes to the rescue, it is perfectly stored until spring.

The value of loba is that it improves metabolism, helps the intestines, stimulates appetite, stimulates the secretion of bile and gastric juice, and also removes various salts, cholesterol and toxins.

Early spring sowing of Loba provides for cultivation in an annual crop, late summer- as a biennial plant. From germination to technical ripeness, depending on the variety, 60-90 days pass, from germination to seed production, 120-130 days are required.

The leaf rosette is raised, up to 50-60 cm high. The leaf blades are often whole, less often lyre-shaped, slightly dissected. Root crops of various shapes- from round to elongated-cylindrical, the color of the pulp and bark is white, green, pink, raspberry.

This light-loving, cold-resistant culture makes high demands on soils. It grows well on fertile lands of light and medium mechanical composition, heavy clay soils are unsuitable for it. The soil is prepared very carefully. In autumn, it is dug up to the depth of the arable layer with the simultaneous introduction of humus or well-rotted compost (5-7 kg / sq. M). In the spring they dig up again, and immediately before sowing they loosen deeply. If there is no organic matter, it is necessary to bring in for digging per 1 sq. m 30-40 g of superphosphate and 25-30 g of ammonium nitrate. Can be used complex fertilizers, which include not only phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, but also the necessary trace elements. Acidic soils must be deoxidized with slaked lime.

Cold forehead is not terrible. Seeds germinate even at 4°C, but the most favorable temperature for plant growth is 18-20°C. Before sowing, the bed can be moistened. For the forehead, narrow-profile ridges are preferable than Smooth surface. Then the seedlings are more friendly, and the root crops are larger, up to 600-800 g each. Seeds are sown in mid-July in moist soil. With the ordinary method, the row spacing is 40-45 cm, the belt method provides for two-three-line sowing. The depth of seed placement is 1.5-2 cm. After sowing, the soil is rolled, seedlings appear on the 3-6th day. To speed up the germination of seeds, the surface of the bed can be mulched and covered with a film.

Shoots are badly damaged by a flea, so consider in advance how to deal with it. Pollinate crops immediately after germination wood ash(can be mixed with tobacco). This will protect them from cruciferous flea, which can completely destroy seedlings in the phase of cotyledon leaves. After the appearance of two true leaves, the plants are carefully thinned out, trying not to damage the delicate roots. Seedlings with a clod of earth can be transplanted into empty rows and be sure to water. The second time thinned out in the phase of 3-4 true leaves, leaving the plants at a distance of 15-25 cm from one another.

Loba is very sensitive to lack of moisture, so they try to keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. The peak of moisture consumption at the forehead falls on the time of intensive growth of the root crop. In dry weather, water regularly so that the roots are juicy, tender.

Loba has special requirements for soil fertility, it responds well to top dressing. When the root crop grows to 4-5 cm in diameter, the forehead should be fed: early varieties- 1-2 times late- 3-4 times with an interval of 10-12 days.

To prevent crops from thickening and shading, yellowed leaves and weeds should be constantly removed, row-spacings should be loosened after each rain or watering. It is useful to periodically poke root crops, this will protect them from slugs.

Root crops must be harvested before frost and in dry weather: early varieties- selectively as they mature, and winter- in a row at one time. Trying not to damage the root crop, the tops of the plants are cut off, leaving 0.5 cm of leaf petioles. Healthy and timely harvested loby root crops are well stored in cellars in boxes or in bulk until spring, for reliability they are layered with wet sand.

Vasily Opimakh

Chinese Loba Radish

AT last years Japanese radish, daikon, is widely used by our gardeners. But not everyone knows, probably, the Chinese radish, or forehead, although it deserves no less attention, since it also has many outstanding virtues.

In China, such a radish is grown everywhere, and it is sold in all the numerous bazaars.

Loba roots are very diverse in shape and color - from round to cylindrical, with white, light green or red skin. But in the upper part of the head, the roots are always painted in intense green color. The pulp of root crops has a color from white to pink-red. The weight of the root crop ranges from 0.5 to 1 kg or more.

Root crops of Chinese radish in taste occupy an intermediate position between daikon and European radish varieties, their flesh has a slightly spicy taste. In terms of taste, many of its varieties are close to radishes. Loba root crops are stored better than daikon, but worse than winter varieties of European radish.

Except exotic appearance, amazing taste and impressive size, Loba roots have healing properties- inhibit the growth of bacteria, remove excess water from the body, promote digestion, cleanse the liver and kidneys, dissolve stones in them, remove salts of heavy metals and radionuclides.

They do not have a sharp stimulating effect on cardiac activity, like ours. black radish therefore not contraindicated in the elderly. Their value is much higher than the usual radish and radish, they help to strengthen the immune system, reduce the level of cholesterol and carcinogens in the body.

Loba - pretty undemanding plant, and even those varieties that have round shape and are not buried deep in the ground, can be cultivated on heavy clay soils, but high yield turns out, of course, fertile soils, well seasoned with organic matter (compost or humus) and with a neutral reaction. The best predecessors for foreheads are legumes and winter crops, cucumber, early potatoes, tomatoes, onions.

Chinese radish is sown both in spring and summer (mostly). When sown in spring, it quite often forms flower stalks; the roots of such plants, unlike daikon, are not suitable for food. And when autumn term growing plants do not form flower stalks and give a very high yield of root crops.

The soil for growing lobes is prepared in the same way as for other root crops. It must be well seasoned with organic fertilizers (compost, humus), 1 bucket per 1 sq. m on light fertile soils and 2 buckets per 1 sq. m on heavy clay soils. But fresh manure cannot be brought under it. It is applied only under the previous culture.

The depth of digging the soil must be at least 30 cm. acidic soils be sure to add slaked lime. In low-lying areas, it is better to grow forehead on ridges and beds.

Of the fertilizers before sowing, it is better to apply a complete mineral fertilizer or nitrophoska, 1 teaspoon per 1 sq. m. But it is even better to use complex fertilizers "Kemira-lux" or "Kemira-universal-2", containing not only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but also all the necessary trace elements. These fertilizers are more expensive than nitrophoska, but much more effective.

Depending on the variety, lobou is sown in two terms. To obtain root crops in the summer-autumn period, seeds are sown from April 25. For winter storage- from June 20 to July 10, as early sowing winter varieties Loba often leads to the ejection of inflorescences in the first year of life and cracking of root crops. Optimum temperature for growth and development 15-18°С. The culture is cold-resistant, withstands light frosts.

In the garden, grooves are made 1.5-2 cm deep at a distance of 30-35 cm. Seeds are sown in grooves in nests of 3 pieces. The distance between the nests is 15 cm. If the soil is not moist enough, then after sowing the plot must be watered. Subsequently, 5-6 days after the emergence of shoots, one healthy plant is left in each nest of three shoots.

The maximum yield of root crops is obtained by sowing seeds at the beginning of the first decade of July. At this time, growing conditions are most favorable for most varieties of Loba. But at the same time, the soil must be well watered, and after sowing, mulch.

And if you want to lay root crops for the winter, then it must be sown at the end of the first decade of July. The latest date for sowing seeds is mid-July, but such root crops in this case will be small.

The yield and size of root crops largely depend on the seed sowing scheme. Practice has shown that the most optimal is the scheme of sowing seeds on beds 110 cm wide in 4 rows with a distance of 30-35 cm between them. Seeds are sown in nests of 2-3 pieces to a depth of 2 cm.

To speed up the germination of seeds, the bed is covered with a film, which is removed when shoots appear. Seedlings appear after 6-7 days, and when sown with soaked seeds in moist soil - after five days. In the phase of 2-3 true leaves, the plants are thinned 15 cm apart, and for large-fruited varieties- up to 18 cm.

When the root crop reaches a diameter of 3-4 cm, the plants must be fed with a solution of mullein or ash. On rich soils, 1-2 top dressings are enough for early varieties, and 3-4 top dressings with an interval of 10-12 days for winter varieties. And one more feature of the forehead - in the garden, it gives a higher yield than on a flat surface.

Root crops are harvested before frost. Early varieties are harvested selectively in dry weather as they mature, while winter varieties are harvested in a row. For root crops intended for storage, it is better not to cut the tops, but to cut them off by twisting, leaving a petiole 1.5-2 cm long. In cold cellars, winter varieties are well stored until the end of winter, remaining as juicy as if they had just been removed from the garden .

In Russia, only two varieties of Chinese radish are zoned:

Elephant tusk - mid-late variety, from germination to harvest, 70-100 days pass. Root crops of an elongated cylindrical shape, up to 25 cm long, white, smooth, weighing 350-550 g. The color of the root crop is white with a light green top. The pulp is white, juicy, good taste. Gives a stable harvest from seeds obtained in local conditions.

Severyanka - early ripe variety, from germination to technical ripeness takes up to 60 days. Root crops weighing 500-900 g, with a sharp base. The pulp is white, tender, juicy, slightly spicy taste.

Himself close attention deserve Chinese varieties foreheads - Red heart, Fireball and Chinese delicacy.

The red heart has a unique root color - light green on top, and inside a bright red "watermelon" color. This radish is an adornment of any holiday table all winter. Its pulp is juicy and tender, practically devoid of a specific rare flavor.

The fireball is the same round and large root crop, weighing up to 1 kg, but its color is exactly the opposite: it is bright red on the outside, and snow-white, juicy, tender, and has no bitterness at all. Even the petioles of the leaves are painted red.

The Chinese delicacy is a very early ripening variety. Perhaps, in terms of early maturity, taste and yield, it has no equal varieties. Root crops are cylindrical, long, even, weighing up to 2 kg, with snow-white juicy pulp of sweet taste.

In China, gardeners have the forehead today - the most promising vegetable crop, which could strongly squeeze out many of our usual vegetables, if not for our conservatism.

To get their seeds, overwintered root crops are planted (like ordinary beets or carrots) or seeds are sown in early spring, at the end of April. Sown early, when low spring temperatures are combined with a long day, the plants go to the arrow, bloom and by August - September seeds ripen on them.

But when growing seeds, it must be taken into account that forehead is a cross-pollinated crop, all its varieties can be pollinated with each other, as well as with radish. With cabbage, rutabaga and turnips, the radish does not cross-pollinate.

When growing new crops brought from afar, we must remember that everything new adapts to new conditions not in one year, but gradually. Therefore, the seeds obtained in your area in the second or third year give a higher and more stable yield than in the first year of sowing.

Loba keeps well. Root crops can be laid in the basement or cellar along with carrots, layering with wet sand, or put them in plastic bag and store at 2-5°C.

V. G. Shafransky

Garden. Work on the site in questions and answers Osipova G. S.

Chinese radish (loba)

Chinese radish (loba)

379. What is the difference between Chinese radish and Russian radish?

Chinese radish has whole leaves, round or oval roots, red or purple. It is larger than European in size, its taste is less sharp, sweeter.

380. What varieties of Chinese radish are grown?

? elephant tusk- mid-season, roots are elongated-cylindrical, smooth, weighing 300–500 g, 18–22 cm long. The color of the root crop is white with a light green top and white flesh. The taste is mild.

? Beauty of the Moscow Region- mid-season, from shoots to economic suitability - 65–75 days. The root crop is round to round-oval, top part dark red, lower - red with a faint purple tint. The pulp is white, tender, juicy, slightly sharp. Root weight 100–180 g.

? raspberry ball- mid-season, from germination to economic suitability - 55–63 days. The root crop is rounded, pink. The pulp is white, tender. Root mass 350–550 g. Taste qualities excellent.

381. How is Chinese radish grown?

For growing Chinese radish in the spring, the ridges are prepared in the fall. For a radish with a long root crop, digging should be at least 30 cm. She prefers sandy or light loamy soils. Humus is introduced in autumn - 10–15 kg / m 2 and mineral fertilizers: ammonium nitrate 20 g/m 2 , superphosphate 30 g/m 2 , potassium salt 25 g/m 2 . On a ridge 1 m wide, radish is sown in three rows, the distance between rows is 40 cm, between plants - 20–30 cm. Sow in a groove on a compacted bottom. Crops should be rolled. Care consists in loosening, watering, weeding. Chinese radish harvesting is done selectively, as the root crop is formed.

For autumn and winter consumption, Chinese radish is sown in early August. It can be ridges after growing early potato. The ridge is quite loose, so mineral fertilizers are applied: ammonium nitrate 20–25 g / m 2, superphosphate 20–25 g / m 2 and potassium salt 20–25 g / m 2, watered abundantly, then sown. After germination, thinning, weeding and loosening are carried out. To increase the keeping quality of root crops during the period active growth root crops are fertilized with potassium sulfate (30 g / m 2). Root crops are harvested at the end of September.

Leaves are cut off from root crops, cleaned from the ground, placed in boxes and stored in the basement for up to two months.