The range of vegetable crops grown in their own area is expanding every year. This is due to the growing tendency to replenish the diet with healthy and nutritious meals, and it has properties that have a positive effect on health. Among the new varieties of plants, cultivation of which are beginning to actively develop gardeners, not the last place is occupied by daikon. Planting in the country is not difficult, the main thing is to observe the terms of planting and the rules of care.
Table of contents
What is Japanese radish daikon
Homeland perspective culture is Japan. There, a variety of radish is incredibly popular due to its rich vitamin composition and delicate flavor, so a sweet vegetable is included in the daily diet.
Daikon belongs to the family of cruciferous crops with a one-year cycle. The shape of the vegetable is similar to radishes and may be different. conical to serpentine. Differences are due to the belonging of a vegetable to a particular variety.
The weight of the root crop depends not only on the varietal factor, but also on the weather conditions, compliance with the rules of agricultural engineering, therefore the range of average indicators has such a large run - from 500 gr. up to 3 kg. The length of the vegetable reaches 10-60 cm with diameter 4-8 cm.
Features of daikon:
- cold resistance (shoots tolerate frosts to minus 4 degrees, adult plants to minus 6 degrees);
- good vegetation requires good lighting and a long day;
- unpretentiousness to the type of soil;
- early maturity (50-70 days).
Features of different varieties
Those gardeners who are going to plant daikon on their plot for the first time are advised to opt for the following popular varieties.
Sasha
Daikon Sasha refers to to early varieties with a growing season 35-45 days. The shape of the root is round white, the weight is 200-400 grams. with a diameter of 10-11 cm. When growing a plant, half of the fruit rises on the soil surface, this facilitates harvesting.
Taste and nutritional quality of daikon allow it to be included in the diet of dietary and baby food.
Dubinushka
Dubinushka - culture mid-season term of aging with vegetation 43-54 days. The elongated cylindrical fruits up to 50 cm long look like a club, from which the name of the variety came. The average weight of a vegetable is 500-2000 gr., its flesh is different sweet and delicate taste without bitterness, dense structure.
Harvest perfectly retains valuable vitamin composition during long-term storage.
The Dragon
Daikon roots ripen through 60-70 daysafter the emergence of seedlings. The shape of the vegetable is cylindrical with a conical tip, weight - 900 gr. with a diameter of 6-8 cm. The taste of the fruit is very gentle, refreshing with a hint of sweetness, the sharpness is not felt in it. The structure of the pulp is dense.
The dragon is suitable for long-term storage, even in winter the radish is filled with vitamins and minerals valuable for the body. This allows the use of daikon for diet food, as well as sports and children.
Elephant Fang
Mid season Daikon variety with vegetation 80-84 days. Cylindrical fruits protrude when grown above the ground surface by 2/3 of their length, which facilitates the harvesting process. Vegetable length - 18-25 cm, weight - 500-600 gr. with a diameter of 7-8 cm.
Feature of the variety: it easily tolerates dry summer, high stable yield.
Is it possible to grow daikon in the garden
Cultivation of daikon has long been mastered by gardeners from different regions of Russia. In the south of the country and in the middle lane, seeding is done in early spring and sometimes in the fall.With this planting you can get a crop already in June or early July.
Radishes are more commonly grown in Siberia and the Urals. in greenhousesto prevent young shoots from freezing. In addition, the climatic conditions of these regions are far from ideal. Torrential rains, eroding the beds along with the crops, create many problems, as indeed the strong wind. To reduce the risks of crop loss, gardeners have grown a good place to grow vegetables under cover.
According to the characteristics, daikon belongs to cold-resistant plants, but this does not mean that the plant will develop at low temperatures. For normal growing season indicators should not fall below 10 degrees. With a long stay in the cold culture slows growth and poorly rooted, which significantly reduces the yield.
When landing on open ground in regions with a harsh climate, it is recommended to consider the following factors:
- varieties of daikon (you need to use early and mid-season varieties of radish, so that they have time to mature);
- meeting deadlines for sowing seeds into the ground;
- the creation of film cover after the landing.
Terms for landing
Daikon can be planted by seed method and using seedlings. The variant is chosen taking into account the peculiarities of the variety: fruits of a rounded and shortened oblong shape are more suitable for the seedling method, and elongated ones - seed, since there is a risk of damage to the root system during transplantation.
In the open ground seeds can be planted in the period from the 20th of April to the 10th of May. When growing seedlings sowing is planned from March 15 to April 10. Seedlings are planted in open ground in about a month when 2 pairs of true leaves are formed.
Experienced gardeners come up with various tricks to protect the crop from marksmanship, because in this case the development of root crops is not in question. Some planted seeds in early spring, others manage to sow them in the fall.
Agrotechnika sowing seeds for growing vegetables
Seed preparation
Before sowing the seeds should be warm in a thermos filled with water 50 degrees. Selected disinfected grains are immersed in it for 20 minutes, after which they are immediately placed in ice water. After such stress, the seed must be sent to the fridge for a day (on the door or in the vegetable compartment).
Soil preparation
Daikon is considered very convenient for the cultivation of vegetables, as it adapts to any type of soil. However, experienced gardeners recommend the use of fertile soil loose structure. Also need to pay attention to the environment, it should be neutral or subacid.
To enrich the soil, it is necessary to add the following nutrients to it in the fall:
- humus or compost - 1-2 kg / m2;
- superphosphate - 40 g / m2;
- potassium sulphate - 20 g / m2.
If lime is used to reduce the acidity, it should be used separately from fertilizers with an interval of 2 weeks.
Sowing seeds on seedlings
Daikon sow 2-3 seeds in peat tablets or peat-humus pots. When using containers it is necessary to take into account the necessary depth - not less than 10 cm.
In a moist fertile soil of a loose structure to lay the seeds at a depth 1.5-2 cm. The surface of the container covered with glass or film and put in a warm place.
After 5-7 days after emergence of shoots shelter is removed, and the seedlings are exposed to a well-lit place. After the formation of the first pair of leaves, weaker shoots are removed.
Light day for seedlings should not be too long, as it contributes to the growth of greenery, and not the formation of the root part.
How to plant in open ground
In open ground, seedlings of daikon are planted according to the following scheme: 30x60 cm. The seeds are put into a well of 2-3 pieces, the depth of seeding should not exceed 2 cm. You need to plant seeds or seedlings to wet landso that they adapt faster and develop.
After the planting works, it is necessary to irrigate by spraying and grind the soil surface with peat. When the temperature decreases, it is recommended to cover the bed with plastic film or agrofibre.
Care rules
An unpretentious plant still needs basic care, which includes the following measures.
Watering
During the entire growing season of daikon, the soil should be wet.The first watering is carried out after emergence of shoots. The lack of water provokes the release of arrows, so procedures should be performed regularly - 2 times per week, and in hot weather daily.
Loosening and weeding
Daikon loves loose soil structuretherefore, it should be dispensed weekly, especially after heavy rains. Combine the aeration procedure rationally with weeding.
Feedings
In the case of growing vegetables on well-cultivated soils, then the need for dressing disappears. For other cases it is recommended to make mineral fertilizers with irrigation:
- 10 liters of water;
- 10 liters of slurry;
- 4 gr. potassium sulfate.
Disease prevention
Humidity in combination with high temperature provokes the development of fungal infections. As a preventive measure disinfection of soil and seeds before planting, and weed control. Humidity of the soil is regulated so that water does not stagnate in the upper layers.
Harvesting and Storage
Harvest time depends on the variety, in particular the growing season. Mid-season varieties matured for one and a half - two months after planting.
Root vegetable extracted from the soil with the help of tops. This should be done in dry weather so that moisture does not affect the shelf life. If the vegetable is stuck on the ground, you need to let it dry, it will disappear. When removing the soil mechanically, there is a high probability of damaging the delicate skin.
For long-term storage, whole fruits are selected without signs of damage. When used as cellar storage, it is recommended to stack vegetables. in wooden boxes and sprinkle each layer with sand. Stocks should be checked periodically. If any damage is noticed, the damaged daikons are removed from the box.
The agrotechnology of growing Japanese radish is simple, so you should try to grow an incredibly healthy and tasty vegetable in your area.And at the end of the season, boast a record harvest in front of the neighbors or treat them to some goodies from a refreshing vegetable.
“For normal vegetation, good lighting and a long day are needed;” - what is meant by the phrase “for normal vegetation”? As a gardener, I need a root crop, so by these words I would understand the optimal conditions for obtaining a crop. But if daikon, like almost all crucifers, develops with a long day, it will go into bloom.
I absolutely agree with Irina’s comment. Daikon, not to bloom need a short day, then he gives a good result.