Proper care and growing plants katran
Katran plant

Katran is the name that many people hear for the first time, but those who have already started growing this plant have managed to love it. It turns out that this is the “sibling” of the familiar and such widespread garden horseradish. In the wild form is found in the steppes of the Crimea, therefore, received the name "Crimean steppe horseradish."

What is the steppe horseradish katran

Katran is a cruciferous herb. His closest "relatives" - cabbage, radish, radish, turnip, horseradish. Thanks high resistance to frost and drought, is a perennial crop, although many gardeners grow it as a biennial plant.

Plant very likes open spacesilluminated by the bright sun and perfectly does not stand blackout.

In the first year, the plant forms a spreading rosette of wide, large leaves with a height of 60-120 cm. From the second year it begins to bloom and give seeds, increasing the number of leaves.

The plant may well serve as a home garden decor, since luxurious white or pink blossoms remain on the bushes for a very long time, exuding a strong honey aroma and actively attracting insect pollinators.

The root of the steppe horseradish Katran
The root of the steppe horseradish Katran

Root katrana rod, goes deep into the soil, very juicy, meaty, fragile, flesh of light cream color. In terms of taste and useful qualities, it practically does not differ from garden horseradish, but it is much more fruitful: in one year it gives an even, powerful, juicy rod 1.5–5 cm in diameter and 20–60 cm long.

The main distinguishing feature of the katran from horseradish is that it does not clog the site, the remnants of its roots after harvesting the plants do not grow next spring.

Areas of use

Katran - much tastier and much richer in chemical compositionthan hell.Both leaves and rhizomes, which more than contain protein, fats, phytoncides (bioactive substances that kill bacteria), essential oils, mineral salts, starch, pectin, inulin, nicotinic acid, carotene, vitamins C, B1, B2, are suitable for food.

Young green fleshy and succulent leaves are eaten just like lettuce or asparagus. Spicy spicy taste and characteristic odor due to the content of essential oil.

Root vegetables taste very similar to horseradish, but more juicy and tasty. It is consumed fresh for preparing shredded table horseradish, sauces, in canning or salting vegetables. Still, unlike horseradish, chopped roots can be boiled and baked.

The green leaves of the katran are also eaten.
The green leaves of the katran are also eaten.

The plant has the ability remove salt from the body.

Here is one of the medical recipes: grind 1 kg of the rhizomes of the katran in a meat grinder, add 4 liters of cold water, bring to a boil, cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture, add a pound of honey. The finished medicinal substance stored in the refrigerator, use 1 glass per day. Repeat course 2 times per year - in spring and autumn.

Cultivation technology

The Qatran plant is responsive to fertile, rich sandy soil neutral. In the acidified soil during digging make ash (300-500g per 1 sq. M).

The best option of planting - sowing under the winter seeds.

The beds are deeply dug, they make humus, fertilize with superphosphate, add potassium salt (50g per 1 sq. M).

Seeds take not less than a pea, since small seeds do not germinate.

Katran seeds
Katran seeds

Sown in the soil immediately before the onset of frost at a depth of 2-3 cm according to the scheme: between plants - 20-30cm, row spacing - 50-60cm. When sowing in the fall, seed stratification is not carried out (in winter they undergo quenching naturally), germinate at t 3-4 degrees, and seedlings easily tolerate frosts to t-5-6 degrees.

If seeds are sown in spring, they must pass within 90-100 days stratification: Calibrated seeds are soaked, then mixed with sand and stored in snow or in a refrigerator at a temperature of 0-10 degrees until sowing.

Rassadny way can also be grown katran. For this seedling at age 35-45 days with a rosette of 4-5 leaves planted in a permanent place. The length of the root should be at least 20 cm, should be planted with a peg.But the quality of the root with this method of cultivation is much worse, and the method itself is rather laborious.

Plant Care

The main care is timely loosening the soil, weeding and removing weeds. In the first year of cultivation in the stage of 2-3 true leaves, they cut through the quatrans, leaving the strongest shoots at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other.

In the second year in early spring, the soil is harrowed or weeded (loosened) and watered regularly. For 2-3 years of life, the katran blooms, forms fruits in the form of a pod with one seed.

If you don’t dig up the root and use only leaves for food, then the plant 10-15 years can grow in one place.

Harvesting and Storage

Harvest katran carried out on the second - the third year of the growing season plants in late autumn. The rhizomes in this period reach a length of 50-60 cm, in order not to damage them, they are broken in with garden forks or staples. Good root crops in diameter reach 5-8 cm. They are fairly well stored in the basement (can be stored in the sand) or in the refrigerator.

Katran - unpretentious and useful plant.As a drug used to improve digestion, disorders of the gastrointestinal system, spicy sauces and grated seasonings are an excellent prophylactic against colds.

Qatran has an amazing ability to stimulate the growth of other plants and garden crops - for this it is enough to mulch the soil under them with katran leaves.

A long range of advantages and useful properties of this culture make it increasingly popular among gardeners and stimulate them to cultivate it.