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Although Margelan radish is grown in Russia, it is not widespread compared to radishes and daikon. Meanwhile, the root crop has been cultivated for centuries in Central Asian countries that were former republics of the Soviet Union. It even got its name in honor of the Uzbek city of Margilan, located in the Fergana Valley, where it came from China.
Description of Lobo radish
When describing the green Margelan (Chinese) radish, there is a lot of confusion and inaccuracies. Perhaps this is why the crop has not become widespread - gardeners plant it, but the harvest does not meet their expectations.
The extensive genus Radish belongs to the Brassicaceae (Cruciferous) family, one of the species of which is Radish.The plant originates from Asia, where it has been grown for thousands of years and is not found in the wild. The taxon includes the well-known radish, daikon, lobo (loba), black radish, oilseed radish and a number of other subspecies.
The Latin name for lobo is Raphanus sativus L.convar. lobo Sazon. et Stankev. var. lobo. Only a specialist can remember this; for ordinary gardeners, it is enough to know that the crop, in terms of taste, occupies an intermediate position between radish and daikon. But it differs significantly from both subspecies. You should not expect from lobo the precocity of radishes or the gigantic size and complete absence of bitterness, like daikon. This is an independent culture that differs from others in taste, external characteristics and cultivation characteristics.
Lobo was described as a group of cultivars in 1971. In 1985 it was classified as a variety of Radish. Since then, 25 varieties have been included in the State Register of Russia, the most famous being Elephant Tusk and Margelanskaya.
What is the difference between daikon and lobo
The Chinese lobo radish is often confused with the Japanese daikon. Even seed producers sometimes mislead gardeners. Of course, cultures are similar, but not identical. Their main differences:
- daikon has much larger root vegetables than lobo, their weight often exceeds 500 g;
- the growing season of Chinese radish is longer than that of Japanese radish;
- the taste of lobo is sharper than daikon;
- Chinese radish has wide leaves, while Japanese radish has narrow leaves.
Description of the Chinese radish variety Lobo Margelanskaya
In 2005, the Moscow enterprises “Lance Company” and “Agrofirm Poisk” submitted an application for registration of the radish variety Lobo Margelanskaya. In 2007the culture was accepted by the State Register and recommended for cultivation throughout Russia in private farms.
Margelanskaya is a mid-season radish with long-term storage, which takes 60-65 days from the moment of full shoots to the start of harvesting.
Margelan radish forms a rosette of erect leaves of medium size, obovate in shape, with a serrated edge, yellow-green in color. The root crop of this variety is elliptical, with a rounded head, completely green or partially white.
As you can see in the photo, Margelan radish has white flesh. It tastes juicy, sweetish, with mild bitterness. One root crop weighs 250-300 g, the average yield is 3-3.3 kg per square meter. m.
Varieties of Margelan radish
Margelan radish has no varieties - it is itself a variety. But the lobo, the original variety, has them. Only in the State Register as of 2018.25 varieties are registered. In addition to the well-known Elephant Tusk and Margelanskaya, there are root vegetables:
- whose weight exceeds 500 g or does not exceed 180 g;
- with red, pink, white, green flesh and skin;
- cylindrical, round, similar in shape to a turnip;
- with a sweetish taste, almost imperceptible or pronounced bitterness;
- intended for immediate consumption or stored for up to four months.
Elephant Tusk
This variety of lobo is most often confused with daikon. The elephant tusk was registered in 1977, the originator was the Sortsemovosch seed association. The variety is recommended for cultivation in all regions.
The elephant tusk is a cylindrical root crop, the average length of which is 60 cm. It rises 65-70% above the ground surface and weighs about 0.5 kg. The surface of the root crop is smooth, white, sometimes with light green transitions. The pulp is sweet, crispy, juicy, with a slight bitterness.
Not only root vegetables are edible, but also young radish leaves, in which the bitterness is more pronounced and contain many vitamins.
The Elephant Tusk variety is mid-season; radishes begin to be harvested 60-70 days after emergence. Productivity is high, 1 sq. m produces 5-6 kg of root vegetables.
Elephant Tusk is a variety unsuitable for long-term storage.
Ruby surprise
The variety was accepted by the State Register in 2015. The originator was Agrofirm Aelita LLC, authors: V. G. Kachainik, M. N. Gulkin, O. A. Karmanova, S. V. Matyunina.
Ruby surprise reaches technical maturity in 60-65 days. Forms a slightly drooping rosette and a short round white root crop with a green spot on the leaves. Its average weight is 200-240 g. The pulp is red, juicy, and has a pleasant taste. Productivity – up to 4.3 kg per square meter. m.Radish is suitable for short-term storage.
The Ruby Surprise variety has been issued a security patent, which expires in 2045.
Severyanka
One of the largest-fruited varieties of lobo is Severyanka, accepted by the State Register in 2001. The originator was the Federal Scientific Center for Vegetable Growing.
The variety is early ripening, 60 days after emergence the harvest can be harvested. The pink or almost red root vegetable, except for its size, is similar to a radish. But it weighs 500-890 g. The leaves of Severyanka are semi-raised, the root crop is round, flattened, with a sharp tip. The pulp is juicy, white, the taste is pleasant, with pronounced sweetness and pungency. Productivity per 1 sq. m – 3-4.8 kg.
The Severyanka variety is considered not only very large, but also one of the most delicious. It withstands the harsh climate of the North-West better than others, although it also grows without problems in other regions. Severyanka is intended for autumn-winter consumption. It is stored better than Elephant Tusk or Ruby Surprise, but it will not last all winter even in the most suitable conditions.
Planting Margelan radish
Growing and caring for Margelan radish is simple. But failure to follow seemingly simple rules always ends in failure. Everything matters - the timing of planting Margelan radish, water regime, soil preparation. Failure at any stage will lead to the appearance of shoots or the formation of a small root crop, often hollow or bitter.
When to plant Margelan radish
Growing green radishes in open ground does not present any difficulties, but many gardeners manage to ruin the planting by simply not meeting deadlines.For some reason, they focus on crops such as daikon, or, even “better”, radish.
Yes, these are all short-day plants. They shoot flowers without waiting for the root to grow if they are illuminated for more than 12 hours a day. But radishes have a short growing season; when sown in the spring, they have time to ripen safely. Daikon needs more time to grow its root crop; when planted early, it rarely reaches technical ripeness everywhere except the southernmost regions of Russia and Ukraine.
Green radish and lobo varieties of any ripening period in the spring should not even be sown. When the soil warms up enough for the seeds to germinate, the day will lengthen so much that there is simply no time left for the root crop to develop. Too much time passes from the emergence of seedlings to technical maturity. Someone might argue that in Central Asia, Margelan radish was always sown in two passes. Moreover, spring planting provided root crops for summer consumption, and autumn planting for winter consumption. But the climate there is different, the earth warms up early, and the difference in day length in different seasons is smoothed out.
So, growing Margelan radish in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus is possible in open ground only with late-summer sowing. With a sudden drop in temperature, the crop usually ripens even in the North-West - lobo tolerates short-term frosts. Before the onset of stable cold weather, the Margelan radish has time to gain weight.
The crop is sown in most regions from mid-July to early August. In the North-West you can do this a little earlier, in the southern regions - a little later.
Soil preparation
The soil for Margelan radish is dug deeply, although not as deep as for the White Fang variety. Although its root crop rises 2/3 above the soil level, this does not always happen. If the ground is dense, it can “stick out” no more than halfway. And the long tail, covered with small sucking roots, needs somewhere to grow. It is this that supplies the radish with most of the moisture and nutrients; if its development is limited, the root crop will be small.
It is better to prepare the soil in advance - dig it at least two weeks before sowing the radishes so that it can “breathe” and sag a little. You can add sand, ash, leaf humus or peat to the soil to improve the structure. Humus is added in the fall; if this is done before sowing the radish, it will receive an excess amount of nitrogen. This may have the following consequences:
- the above-ground part will actively develop to the detriment of the root crop;
- voids form inside the radish, the flesh becomes coarser;
- the taste of root vegetables becomes worse due to overfeeding with nitrogen;
- nitrates accumulate in radishes;
- Root vegetables spoil quickly.
Compost is also not worth adding to the soil before sowing radishes, unless it has matured well with the help of special means, or has been aged for at least 3 years. Fresh ones have a lumpy, tight structure, which is not suitable for the crop - it interferes with the development of the root crop.
Since sowing is done in the second half of summer, something should already be growing in the place intended for Margelan radish.In the spring you can plant early potatoes, peas for fresh consumption, winter onions or onions intended for greenery. You cannot grow other cruciferous vegetables before radishes - early radishes or cabbage, lettuce, mustard.
Sowing rules
Margelan radish is usually sown in nests located in rows at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Leave 30-40 cm between rows. Each nest is filled with a mineral complex fertilizer (preferably intended for root crops), mixed with soil and watered abundantly.
2-3 seeds are planted in each hole, and if there is doubt about their germination - 3-4. Dry soil is poured on top with a layer of 1.5-2 cm. Additional watering is not needed.
To make the seeds sprout faster, you can cover the planting with film. But even without additional measures, the first shoots will appear in about a week. When 2-3 true leaves appear, 1 strongest sprout is left in each nest, the rest are pulled out.
You can sow seeds in furrows. But then, when thinning, more seedlings will have to be removed.
How to grow Margelan radish
Care when growing green radish consists of removing weed, loosening row spacing and timely watering. The crop loves moisture, overdrying can kill young shoots, and when the root crop is formed, it will cause it to become coarser, form voids, reduce its size and worsen its taste. The soil under Margelan radish should always be moist, but not wet.
A crop takes a long time from germination to technical maturity.You can do without fertilizing only on fertile soils that are well fertilized in the fall and when planting. In other cases, the radish is fertilized twice - the first time immediately after thinning, the second time when the root crop becomes noticeable and its color can already be determined.
When planting seeds in furrows, a second thinning will be required, 10-12 days after the first. It must be remembered that Margelan radish forms a rounded root crop that grows not only in depth, but also in breadth. The distance between plants should be at least 15 cm.
All yellowed leaves that have dropped to the ground and shade the root crop are torn off. This will not only improve the quality of the radish, but also protect it from bolting at high temperatures.
Pests and diseases: control and prevention measures
Margelan radish rarely gets sick. Problems arise only with systematic overwatering, especially on dense soils - then various rots appear on the plant.
But insects constantly annoy the crop - it is susceptible to damage by all cruciferous pests. The problem for Margelan radish is:
- slugs, which can be combated by scattering metaldehyde between the bushes, and as a preventive measure, picking off leaves that fall to the ground;
- cruciferous flea beetle, the appearance of which can be prevented by scattering ash or tobacco dust on the soil and radish leaves after watering, or by spreading wormwood between the rows.
When to harvest green radish from the garden
Margelan radish can be picked for food without waiting for technical ripeness as needed, as soon as the root vegetables grow a little. They will taste excellent.The timing of harvesting Margelan radish from the emergence of seedlings is usually indicated on bags of seeds, on average they are:
- in early varieties – 55-65 days;
- for mid-season and late-season – from 60 to 110 days.
A delay of several days in harvesting does not matter. But if you are late for a long time, the pulp may become coarse, and voids will form in the root crop.
Although Margelan rare can withstand short-term frosts, it must be collected before a stable drop in temperature to 0⁰ C or less. If you leave root vegetables in the garden, they will not be stored as well.
On sandy soils, radishes can simply be pulled out of the ground. It is dug up on chernozems and dense soils.
When to harvest Margelan radish for storage
Immediately after harvesting the radish, you need to shake off the soil and remove excess thin roots, using a soft cloth if necessary. You cannot peel them off with a knife, since even slightly scratched root vegetables will not be stored. Then they are culled - all even slightly damaged Margelan radishes must be eaten or processed.
Before storing, remove the tops, leaving 1-2 cm of petioles. Novice gardeners trim them, but it is better to carefully unscrew the “extra” leaves. You can practice on radishes intended for immediate consumption.
Storage rules
Although Margelan radish is considered intended for long-term storage, it will not last until spring. The maximum that can be achieved even if all the rules are followed is four months. And then at the end of storage, the Margelan radish will be somewhat lethargic, insipid, and will also lose most of its vitamins and useful minerals.Without significant changes, root vegetables can last a month.
The best conditions for winter keeping are a dark place, temperature from 1⁰ to 2⁰ C, humidity 80-95%.
How to store Margelan radish in the cellar in winter
It is best to store root vegetables in damp sand, arranged in wooden boxes. If the temperature and recommended humidity are observed, they can be ready for use for up to 4 months. But if even one damaged root gets into the box, it will begin to rot and ruin everything lying nearby.
How to store Margelan radish at home
Root vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 30 days. They are laid out in plastic bags and kept in a vegetable drawer.
Conclusion
Margelan radish is a healthy and tasty root vegetable that can diversify your diet during the cold season. You can easily grow it yourself if you know and follow the cultural requirements.
Real Margelan radish, which has long been grown in Uzbekistan, has pulp the same color as the peel. What is shown in the photo with white flesh is no longer a real Margelan variety