Content
Watermelon radish is a vegetable hybrid with bright pink, juicy flesh. This special root vegetable combines beautiful pulp, a sweet taste and a piquant bitterness. For Russian gardeners, the plant is unfamiliar, but the unpretentious pink radish is widely used in cooking in different countries, and in California it is considered a hit.
Beneficial properties of red radish
Red radish not only has an attractive appearance and piquant taste, but can also bring great benefits to the body. Thanks to the early ripening period, the fortified vegetable can be enjoyed within a month after planting.
The benefits of watermelon radish
Due to the high content of nutrients, the benefits of red radish are great. The variety contains:
- vitamin A, C and B;
- nicotinic, folic and salicylic acid;
- potassium;
- iron;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- mustard oil;
- alimentary fiber;
- glycosides.
The vegetable is recommended to be consumed to strengthen the immune system, normalize the gastrointestinal tract, increase strength, improve appetite, and strengthen blood vessels.
Despite its beneficial properties, pink radish is not recommended for use by people with gastritis and ulcers in the acute stage.
Red radish varieties can be baked, fried, and stewed. The peeled pulp is ideal for preparing salads, decorating cocktails and desserts. Not only the pink pulp, but also the green part is added to dishes.
Red radish is also useful for weight loss, since its calorie content is 20 kcal per 100 g.
History of selection
The variety was bred in Europe, but despite this, the root crop did not receive much love from Europeans. Then the plant began to be popularized in America. American gardeners and chefs appreciated this vegetable. In Russia, red radish or, as it is called, “giant radish” became known only in 2000.
Description of varieties
Depending on the place of breeding, watermelon radish is divided into 3 varieties:
- European;
- Chinese;
- Japanese.
The fruits of the root crop have different shapes, tastes and colors. The vegetable can be round, flattened or oblong. The color of the pulp is white, yellow, red, pink or purple. Often when growing root crops, fruits with double color are encountered.
The fruit size is 7–8 cm. The peel is pale green and contains mustard oil, which is why the pulp closer to the peel has a bitter taste. The inside of the red radish variety is sweet and beautiful. The root vegetable acquires a pronounced taste and color as it ripens.
To have an idea of the beauty of red radish, you need to look at photos and videos.
Characteristics of varieties
In recent years, amateur gardeners have begun to grow radishes with red flesh inside in their garden plots.The hybrid differs from other varieties in its unpretentiousness in cultivation and care and produces a good harvest.
Productivity
The watermelon hybrid is an early ripening variety. In regions with a temperate climate, it can be planted under film cover at the end of March. If you follow the rules of care, the first vegetables appear in late April, a month after planting the seeds.
Since the variety has a fast growing season, the crop can be harvested 4–5 times a year. But the most abundant one can be obtained in mid-August. Productivity is high, per sq. m, subject to growing rules, up to 6 kg of radish is removed.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Watermelon radish is immune to diseases and pests. But in order not to encounter difficulties, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures. Good prevention is sprinkling, systematic weeding and loosening the soil.
The variety grows poorly at high soil and air humidity. Therefore, in rainy regions, watermelon radish is recommended to be grown in greenhouse conditions.
Planting and care
Before growing watermelon radish, you need to choose the right place, prepare the soil and seed. The root crop grows well after legumes, potatoes and cucumbers. The variety is not recommended to be grown after cabbage, carrots, beets and radishes.
The bed is prepared in the fall. The soil is dug up, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and manure are applied and covered with mulch.
It is better to purchase seed material from trusted suppliers. To quickly germinate and obtain juicy hybrids, large red radish seeds are soaked in cold water for a day. Planting is carried out in heated soil or in a prepared greenhouse. Greenhouse planting is done at the end of April or beginning of May.For open beds - after the earth has warmed up to +15 degrees.
Furrows are made in the prepared bed. The seeds are planted to a depth of 3–4 cm, sprinkled with nutritious soil and watered with warm water. Before the emergence of seedlings, the bed can be covered with covering material.
The first shoots appear 3–4 days after sowing. After 3 true leaves appear, the seedlings are thinned out.
Caring for the variety is simple. To obtain a generous harvest, it is necessary to carry out regular watering and fertilizing.
Red radish is very susceptible to irrigation. A lack of liquid leads to the appearance of arrows, lignification of the fruit and the appearance of voids in the pulp, and overwatering causes fungal diseases. In hot weather, daily moderate watering is necessary. To retain moisture, the bed is mulched. Mulch will not only allow for infrequent watering, but will also protect the plant from the scorching sun and will become an additional supplement over time.
Watermelon radish is a short-day crop. If the plant is not shaded, the fruits grow small and bitter.
The first fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers is applied 7 days after the sprouts appear. During the growing season, it is necessary to regularly remove weeds and loosen the soil. Active air access accelerates the growth of the root system and has a beneficial effect on fruit formation.
Harvest and storage
When growing watermelon radish, you need to know the time of harvest, since an overripe root crop loses its taste, and the pulp acquires voids. The fruits are harvested as they ripen, in dry weather, early in the morning or after sunset.
After harvesting, the crop is left in the garden to dry. Vegetables without mechanical damage are suitable for long-term storage. The foliage is cut at a height of 2 cm.Selected and dried root vegetables are placed in a box, sprinkled with chalk or ash and placed in a cool, ventilated room. The shelf life of watermelon radish is 2–3 months.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
If agrotechnical rules are not followed, the variety may be susceptible to many diseases:
- If red radishes are grown in acidic soil, they may be susceptible to clubroot disease. As a result, the fruits are deformed, the pulp becomes hard and unsuitable for food. If the soil on the site is acidic, you need to deoxidize it yourself. To do this, the soil is mixed with slaked lime or dolomite flour.
- If there is excess moisture, fungus may appear. Therefore, when growing red radish, the soil should not be over-moistened; it is necessary to carry out timely weeding and loosening of the soil. In wet weather, irrigation is carried out once every 7 days.
- On warm spring days, pests may appear on the plant. An infusion of garlic and wood ash will help against cabbage flies and cruciferous flea beetles. The plant is treated in the morning.
Use in cooking
Watermelon radish is often used to prepare various dishes. The root vegetable is baked, stewed, and added to meat, fish and poultry. The leaves are used to make salads and cold soups. Since the inside of the radish is pink, it is used instead of lime, kiwi and lemon to decorate cocktails. Thinly sliced slices sprinkled with cumin or black salt look very nice.
Watermelon radish salad with cucumber
The salad is easy to prepare, does not require large investments and is an example of healthy food.
Ingredients:
- red radish – 3 pcs.;
- carrots and cucumber – 2 pcs.;
- any greens – ½ bunch.
For the sauce:
- yogurt - 3 tbsp. l.;
- lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l.;
- honey – 1 tsp;
- mustard – ½ tsp;
- spices - optional.
Preparation:
- Vegetables are peeled and cut into small strips.
- The greens are washed and finely chopped.
- Place vegetables and herbs in a bowl, mix and squeeze out the juice.
- To prepare the dressing, mix all the ingredients for the sauce and beat with a fork until smooth.
- The salad is transferred to a beautiful dish and poured with dressing.
- To add a piquant taste, the dish can be sprinkled with chopped almonds.
Watermelon radish salad with apple
The salad prepared according to this recipe turns out beautiful, healthy and very tasty.
Ingredients:
- red radish – 2 pcs.;
- sweet and sour apple and carrot – 1 pc.;
- mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Performance:
- The apple and radish are washed, peeled and cut into thin strips.
- The carrots are grated on a grater designed for preparing Korean carrots.
- All ingredients are placed in a salad bowl, seasoned with spices and mayonnaise.
- For decoration use a sprig of dill.
Chrysanthemum salad
Crispy, healthy, beautiful and delicious holiday salad.
Ingredients:
- red radish – 600 g;
- yellow apple – 1 pc.;
- red onion – 1 pc.;
- green onion feathers - ½ bunch;
- lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l.;
- vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt, pepper - optional.
Performance:
- The radish is peeled and cut into thin slices. Each circle is divided into 4 parts.
- Place the root vegetable in a bowl, add salt and 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice.
- The onion is cut into thin strips and, to remove bitterness, first doused with boiling water and then with cold water.
- The apple is cut into slices 3–4 mm thick. To prevent it from darkening, pour in the remaining lemon juice.
- Prepare a beautiful dish and begin to arrange the salad.
- The first layer is laid out overlapping red radish slices.
- Place onions in the middle.
- Place an apple on top of the radishes in the opposite direction.
- Then again radishes and apples.
- Place onions on top.
- Leaves and stems are laid out from onion feathers.
- The finished salad is sprinkled with vegetable oil.
Conclusion
Watermelon radish is a popular hybrid. It was loved by gardeners for its unusual appearance and good taste. Due to the high content of useful substances, the root vegetable is in demand in the cuisine of many countries.
