Content
Bitter radish is a vegetable crop distributed throughout Russia. Radish is cultivated to produce a root vegetable rich in microelements and vitamins. The plant is resistant to weather changes, tolerates low temperatures, and is therefore suitable for growing in the northern part of the Russian Federation. In the southern regions, you can get two harvests per season.
Biological description of the root vegetable
Its historical homeland is the Mediterranean; radishes were brought to Russia in the 12th century. Belongs to the Cruciferous genus of the Cabbage family (Raphanus sativus), the main varieties are mostly biennial. The first year the plant produces a rosette and a root crop, the second year it produces seeds. Hybrid varieties are mostly annual. The vegetable species has a significant number of varieties and varieties, differing in the shape of the fruit, size, color, and ripening time. General description of radish:
- stem up to 1 meter long;
- leaves are large, narrow below, wide above, lyre-shaped, entire, dissected or pinnate;
- racemose inflorescences consist of small flowers of blue, purple, yellow or white;
- round dark-colored seeds are located in a pod;
- The roots are thickened and suitable for human consumption.
Content of vitamins and microelements
In all varieties and varieties, the content of useful, active substances is approximately the same. The culture includes:
- essential oils;
- mineral salts;
- bactericidal substances (vitamin C);
- glucose;
- dry matter;
- protein;
- cellulose;
- potassium;
- magnesium;
- calcium;
- vitamins of group B, PP, C, E, A.
Varieties of turnips are grown as a snack vegetable. The active substances in the varieties improve appetite and digestion. Helps liquefy and remove mucus from the bronchi. Used in folk medicine as a tonic. It has diuretic and choleretic properties. Breaks down cholesterol.
Turnips and radishes: what is the difference
Both herbaceous crops belong to the Cabbage family; at first glance, they are similar in tops and root crops, but these are completely different plants that differ from each other:
Culture | Form | Color | Taste | Application |
Turnip | flat | light yellow, white | sweet | subject to heat treatment (stewing, baking) |
Radish | does not have this form | green, black, white, pink | spicy with bitterness | consumed only raw |
Radish is divided into several varieties, types and varieties. Turnips come in two varieties: Japanese and white (garden). The ball turnip – turnip – was bred. Radishes are not grown for livestock feed.
Types of radish with photos and names
The main types of radish, which include a significant number of taxa, radically different in color and shape. White radish has several varieties. Has a less pungent taste.Forms fruits of round or oblong shape. Annual and biennial varieties. Tolerates low temperatures well. Distribution area: Siberia, European part of Russia, Southern and Central regions.
Black radish - a species that includes a large number of varieties. They differ in shape and growing season. Annual varieties of the crop ripen in summer, biennial in autumn. All are black in color. The taste of the root vegetable is bitter and pungent due to the high concentration of essential oils. The chemical composition is more diverse than that of the white species. Radish is undemanding to agricultural technology and tolerates low temperatures. Cultivated throughout Russia (except for areas of risky farming).
Field radish refers to weeds, found among agricultural crops. Grows on roadsides and wastelands. The annual herbaceous species is not eaten, but is used for hybridization of new table varieties.
Radish varieties with photos and descriptions
Radish is one of the few herbaceous plants that has a large number of hybrid varieties with different color spectrum and fruit shape. There are two varieties of radish, summer and autumn, they have different ripening times and storage times. The most common and popular types include the following varieties of radish:
Radish includes a variety of the white variety "Gayvoronskaya". Mid-late, high-yielding varieties are not afraid of the first frosts. The fruit is in the shape of a cone or cylinder. The peel and pulp are white, medium juicy, long-lasting, and have a pungent taste. This variety includes Black Round, with the same characteristics as “Gayvoronskaya”. The difference is in appearance.
Radish "Red Meat" - the result of the work of Japanese breeders. Rarely found in garden plots. The fruits are large and dense. The peel is colored burgundy and light pink. The flesh is dark red. The root vegetable is round or cylindrical, weighing 250 g. There is no bitterness in the taste, gastronomic characteristics are similar to those of radishes.
Radish "Lobo" - a variety of Chinese origin. The early variety ripens in 2 months and is poorly stored. Consumed fresh immediately after collection. The root crop is round, less often in the form of an elongated oval, grows up to 0.5 kg. The color of the surface layer is beige, pink or red, sometimes purple, the flesh is white. The upper part is green.
Chinese radish "Elephant Tusk" – a medium-late variety, ripening in three months. The root vegetable is elongated, cone-shaped, with white skin and pulp. Weighing 530 g. The smooth surface contains green pigments. In addition to the fruits, the tops of the plant are also eaten. The variety is poorly stored.
Yellow radish – the main representative of the “Zlata” radish variety. The root vegetables are round, small in size, with dark yellow skin and white flesh. Selected early variety from the Czech Republic. Weight 25 g. Surface rough. Fruit with a long root system.
Long radish (red) – ultra-early variety, ripens in 40 days, intended for summer harvest. Due to its low calorie content, it is recommended to include it in the diet menu. The cone-shaped root vegetable has a length of about 14 cm, a diameter of 5 cm. The surface is bright red, the flesh is white, juicy, without pungency. Weight 170 g.
Garden radish includes one-year radishes and two-year turnips. This category includes almost all varieties with commercially available seeds.They all have different ripening times and colors: white, black, red, purple, pink.
Radish "Barynya" originally from China, mid-season, ripens in 1.5 months. It keeps well and is used in winter. The variety tolerates low temperatures well. Root vegetables are red, round, weighing 130 g. The pulp is juicy, sharp, creamy, pink near the peel. “Barynya” is a biennial plant; the seeds retain their varietal characteristics.
"Misato Red" - a subspecies of radish, an early variety intended for planting in summer. A variety of Chinese selection. It has a mild taste due to the minimal content of essential oils. The fruits are round, dark pink in color, the peel is smooth and glossy. Weight 170 g, diameter 9 cm. The pulp is white, juicy. A special feature of Misato Red is the ability to retain its presentation and taste for six months, which is not typical for early varieties.
radish purple - an early hybrid, ripening in 65 days. The concentration of nutrients is identical to the composition of the tops that are used to prepare salads. An annual variety, in the southern regions you can harvest two harvests during the summer. The root vegetable is dark purple in color with beige fragments. The peel is uneven, rough. Cone-shaped, weight 200 g. The pulp is white with purple spots, juicy, sweet, no bitterness.
"Cylinder" - a variety of black radish. Mid-late variety, high-yielding, all fruits are the same size with a black surface. The pulp is white, bitter. A variety for long-term storage and use in winter and spring. Weight 350 g, length 20–25 cm, cylindrical.
"Kohlrabi" translated from German as “cabbage radish”, the crop is most often referred to as cabbage.An exotic vegetable found on the surface of the ground. The fork is round, dense, similar in taste and appearance to a root vegetable. It comes in green, cream, and purple colors. Weighing up to 800 g. The plant is classified as a mid-early plant. Used for vegetable salads, it lends itself well to heat treatment.
Winter radish varieties
Late types of crops that are well stored are characterized by a longer ripening period. The most popular among vegetable growers are the best mid-late radish varieties, suitable for cultivation in the Russian climate:
Name | Ripening time (days) | Color, shape | Weight (gram) | Taste | Collection time |
Gaivoronskaya | 90–110 | white, conical | 550 | spicy | September |
Winter round black | 75–95 | black, round | 450 | bitter | second ten days of August |
Levina | 70–85 | black, round | 500 | bittersweet | August |
Winter round white | 70–95 | white with green top, rounded | 400 | sweet without bitterness | beginning of September |
Chernavka | 95–110 | black, round | 250 | spicy | end of September |
Severyanka | 80–85 | dark red, round | 420 | mildly spicy | September |
The Margelanskaya radish variety, originally from China, is very popular among gardeners. Unpretentious to soil composition and care. Frost-resistant, distribution area throughout Russia. The variety is early ripening; seeds are sown at the end of June and harvested in September. In the South, the crop variety is sown twice in spring and mid-summer. Ripens in 60 days, the root crop is green, round, weighs 350g, has a bitter taste.
How to choose the right variety
Among the numerous species and varieties of radish for cultivation, choose the one that suits the climatic characteristics of the area.If the goal is to preserve the harvest until spring, the crop is purchased from a two-year growing season, mid-late. Most varieties of hybrids are suitable for summer use. The packaging with planting material indicates the dates of planting, ripening and the recommended region; special attention is paid to this point.
Conclusion
Bitter radish is a vegetable crop that is in great consumer demand. The vitamin composition improves tone. The plant is easy to care for and has a large number of varieties. Frost-resistant species are cultivated in the North. In regions with warm climates, you can get two harvests.
