Daikon elephant fang planting and care in the open field

The range of vegetable crops grown on their site is expanding every year. This is due to the growing tendency to replenish the diet with wholesome and nutritious dishes, has properties that have a beneficial effect on health. Among the new varieties of plants, the cultivation of which are beginning to be actively developed by gardeners, not the last place is occupied by daikon. Landing in the country is not difficult, the main thing is to observe the landing dates and the rules of care.

What is Japanese daikon radish

The homeland of a promising culture is Japan. There, the radish variety is incredibly popular due to its rich vitamin composition and delicate taste, so the sweet vegetable is included in the daily diet.

Daikon belongs to the cruciferous family with a one-year cycle. The shape of the vegetable is similar to a radish and can be different. from conical to serpentine... The differences are explained by the belonging of the vegetable to one or another variety.

The weight of the root crop depends not only on the varietal factor, but also on weather conditions, compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, therefore the range of average indicators has such a large take-off - from 500 gr. up to 3 kg... The length of the vegetable reaches 10-60 cm at diameter 4-8 cm.

Depending on the variety, daikon fruits can be of different shapes and weights.

In the process of ripening, the fruit can be completely submerged in the ground or protrude on its surface for almost half its length.

Daikon Features:

• cold resistance (seedlings tolerate frosts up to minus 4 degrees, adult plants - up to minus 6 degrees);
• good lighting and a long day are required for normal vegetation;
• unpretentiousness to the type of soil;
• early maturity (50-70 days).

Features of different varieties

For those gardeners who are going to plant a daikon on their site for the first time, it is recommended to opt for the following popular varieties.

Sasha

Daikon Sasha refers to early varieties with a growing season 35-45 days... The shape of the root crop is round white, weight is 200-400 grams. with a diameter of 10-11 cm. When a plant is grown, half of the fruit rises on the soil surface, this facilitates harvesting.

The taste and nutritional value of daikon allow it to be included in the diet of dietary and baby food.

Daikon Sasha

Dubinushka

Dubinushka - culture mid-season ripening period with vegetation 43-54 days... Elongated-cylindrical fruits up to 50 cm long outwardly resemble a club, hence the name of the variety. The average weight of a vegetable is 500-2000 gr., its pulp has a sweet and delicate taste without bitterness, dense structure.

The crop perfectly retains its valuable vitamin composition during long-term storage.

Dubinushka

The Dragon

Daikon root vegetables ripen through 60-70 daysth after emergence. The shape of the vegetable is cylindrical with a conical top, weight - 900 gr. with a diameter of 6-8 cm. The taste of the fruit is very delicate, refreshing with a hint of sweetness, the pungency 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 daikon to be used for diet food, as well as sports and children's food.

The Dragon

Elephant fang

Mid-season daikon variety with vegetation 80-84 days... Cylindrical fruits protrude 2/3 of their length when grown above the soil surface, 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: easily tolerates dry summers, high stable yield.

Elephant fang

Is it possible to grow daikon in the garden

The 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, sowing is done in early spring, and sometimes in autumn. With such a planting, you can get a crop already in June or early July.

In Siberia and the Urals, radishes are more often grown in greenhousesto prevent young shoots from freezing. In addition, the climatic conditions of these regions are far from ideal. Heavy rains eroding the beds along with crops create many problems, as well as strong winds. To reduce the risks of crop loss, gardeners have gotten used to growing vegetables under cover.

According to its characteristics, daikon belongs to cold-resistant plants, but this does not mean that the plant will develop at low temperatures. For normal vegetation, indicators should not fall below 10 degrees... With a long stay in the cold, the crop slows down growth and takes root poorly, which significantly reduces the yield.

When landing on open ground in regions with a harsh climate, it is recommended to consider the following factors:

• daikon variety (you need to use early and mid-season radish varieties so that they have time to ripen);
• compliance with the terms of sowing seeds in the ground;
• the creation of a film shelter after disembarkation.

Timing for landing

Daikon seeds

Daikon can be planted by seed and seedlings... The option is chosen taking into account the characteristics of the variety: the fruits of a round and shortened-oblong shape are more suitable for the seedling method, and the elongated ones are for the seed method, since there is a risk of damage to the root system during transplantation.

In open ground, seeds can be planted during the period from 20 April to 10 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.

Daikon is prone to shooting arrows. This is facilitated by warm and sunny weather.

Experienced gardeners come up with various tricks to protect the crop from shooting, because in this case we are not talking about the development of root crops. Some plant seeds in early spring, others manage to sow them in the fall.

Agricultural technology of sowing seeds for growing vegetables

Seed preparation

Before sowing the seeds should be warmed up in a thermos filled with water 50 degrees. The 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 refrigerator for a day (on the door or in the vegetable compartment).

Soil preparation

Daikon is considered a very convenient vegetable for cultivation, as it adapts to any type of soil. However, experienced gardeners recommend using a fertile soil of a loose structure. You also need to pay attention to the environment, it should be neutral or slightly acidic.

Daikon grows well in neutral or slightly acidic environments

To enrich the soil, you need to introduce the following nutrients into it in the fall:

• humus or compost - 1-2 kg / m2;
• superphosphate - 40 g / m2;
• potassium sulfate - 20 g / m2.

If lime is used to reduce acidity, then it should be applied separately from fertilizers at intervals of 2 weeks.

When choosing a place for a daikon, you should take into account that it is not worth sowing a vegetable after cabbage, radish, turnip and garlic. It is better to give preference to the area where they were previously grown: potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, beets.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Daikon sow 2-3 seeds in peat tablets or peat-humus pots... When using containers, it is worth considering the required depth - at least 10 cm.

Lay the grains to a depth in the moistened fertile soil of a loose structure 1.5-2 cm... The surface of the container is covered with glass or foil and placed in a warm place.

After 5-7 days after the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed, and the seedlings are exposed in a well-lit place. After the formation of the first pair of leaves, weaker shoots are removed.

Daylight hours for seedlings shouldn't be too longas this promotes greenery growth rather than root formation.

Seedling daikon from seed

How to plant in open ground

In open ground, daikon seedlings are planted according to the scheme: 30x60 cm... The grains are placed in the hole 2-3 pcs., While the seeding depth should not exceed 2 cm. It is necessary to plant seeds or seedlings into moist earthso that they quickly adapt and begin to develop.

After planting work, it is necessary to irrigate by spraying, and mulch the soil surface with peat. When the temperature drops, it is recommended to cover the bed with plastic wrap or agrofiber.

Care rules

An unpretentious plant still needs basic care, which includes the following activities.

Watering

Throughout the growing season of the daikon, the soil must be moist. The first watering is carried out after the emergence of seedlings. The lack of water provokes the release of arrows, so the procedures should be performed regularly - 2 times per week, and in hot weather daily.

Irregular watering causes root crops to crack.

Loosening and weeding

Loosening the soil for the daikon must be done weekly

Daikon loves loose soil structuretherefore it should be fluffed weekly, especially after heavy rains. It is rational to combine the aeration procedure with weeding.

Top dressing

In the case of growing a vegetable on well-cultivated soils, there is no need for feeding. 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 combined with high temperatures provokes the development of fungal infections. As a preventive measure, disinfection of soil and seeds before planting, as well as weed control... The moisture content of the soil is regulated so that water does not stagnate in the upper layers.

When the first signs of a fungus are found, it is worth treating with biological products: Binoram, Planriz. If the reason for the formation of spots lies in a mosaic infection, then the plants must be immediately removed from the garden and burned.

Harvesting and storage

The harvest time depends on the variety, in particular the growing season. Mid-season varieties ripen one and a half to two months after planting.

When harvesting, the roots are removed from the soil using the tops

Root vegetable extracted from the soil using the foliage... This should be done in dry weather so that moisture does not affect shelf life. If the soil has adhered to the vegetable, you need to let it dry, it will disappear by itself. When removing soil mechanically, there is a high probability of damage to 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 spoiled daikons are removed from the box.

The agricultural technology of growing Japanese radish is simple, so you should try to grow an incredibly healthy and tasty vegetable on your site. And at the end of the season, boast of a record harvest in front of neighbors or treat them with some delicacies from a refreshing vegetable.

These tender root vegetables are loved by everyone who has tried them. Their advantage is not only great taste, but also great benefits for the body: they are devoid of rare oils and are edible for almost everyone. This vegetable cleanses the liver and kidneys, is able to dissolve stones in them. It serves as a valuable source of vitamin C, potassium and calcium. And this is with a calorie content of only 21 kcal per 100 g of product! Even a novice gardener can handle the cultivation and care of a daikon in the open field.

Growing daikon seedlings from seeds

Typically, daikon planting is carried out in the second half of the summer. If you want to get a vegetable in late spring or early summer, you will first have to grow seedlings.

Not all varieties are suitable for seedling cultivation, but only those that give a small root crop and a round or oval shape. When sowing seedlings for spring cultivation, preference should be given to the varieties least prone to flowering. The timing depends on the weather conditions and the growing region. Most often, daikon radish is sown in late March or early April, for the southern regions this period is shifted to early March. When sown in the ground, daikon seeds can sprout when the soil warms up to 5 degrees Celsius, adult plants tolerate even slight frosts, but it is better not to risk the seedlings grown in the room and plant them in warm ground.

Algorithm for growing daikon seedlings:

• seed preparation consists in warming them up in water with a temperature of about 50 degrees for 20 minutes, further immediate cooling in cold water and holding in a refrigerator for about a day;
• sowing is carried out in separate containers or boxes, the height of the sowing container must be at least 10 cm;
• the soil will need loose, good air permeability and moisture retention;
• sow seeds to a depth of 2 cm into damp ground;
• until shoots appear, the containers are kept in a warm place, covered with glass or film;
• as soon as the seedlings hatch, and this can happen already on the 5th day, they are transferred to a light cool windowsill;
• if the sowing is too dense, the seedlings are thinned out when two true leaves are formed, at the same time they are fed with a solution of a complete mineral fertilizer of a weak concentration;
• seedlings do not need a pick, but watering should be timely, since the daikon loves moisture;
• you can move seedlings into the ground at the stage of formation of 2-4 true leaves, having previously hardened them in the open air for 2 weeks.

Landing in open ground

It is carried out when the soil warms up and the air temperature exceeds 10 degrees Celsius.

Soil preparation and site

Japanese radish is an unpretentious crop, but without full lighting of the garden throughout the day, it will only yield leaves and roots that look like mouse tails. To get weighty vegetables, choose a site with light soil, it is better if it is sandy loam or loam. A good harvest of root crops can also be grown on clay soil, but the varieties should be designed specifically for growing in heavy soil.

You can do the following: make holes with a round thick stick or a drill to a depth of 0.5 m and fill them with humus, and then sow seeds.

The soil for spring planting is prepared in autumn; for summer planting it can be prepared after harvesting the main crop.Choose an area where cruciferous vegetables have not been grown for 2-3 years in order to prevent possible diseases. Daikon loves loose soil, the root crop grows to the entire depth of the cultivated soil, and in some varieties, their length can reach 60 cm.

Experienced gardeners recommend removing a layer of soil from the garden bed on a shovel bayonet and setting it aside. Loosen the underlying layer well with a pitchfork, add humus and return the deposited soil to its place. From organic fertilizers, humus or well-rotted compost is applied to the garden - about a bucket per square meter. m. Fresh manure can be added to the previous crop. From mineral fertilizers, Japanese radish needs superphosphate in an amount of up to 50 g per square meter. and 20 g of potassium salt for the same area.

For daikon, like all plants from the cabbage family, the acidity of the soil is very important. The soil reaction should be normal or slightly alkaline. Acidic soils must be limed. This is done in the fall, without combining with the application of organic fertilizers, so that there is no loss of nitrogen. The addition of 2 glasses of ash per square meter also helps to combat the acidity of the soil. m beds. By slightly alkalizing the soil, it will serve as a source of potassium and phosphorus salts available to plants, as well as a large amount of essential trace elements.

The choice of planting material

There are many varieties of daikon, both domestic and native to Japan. Their choice depends on whether you are going to store the daikon or immediately eat it. If conditions are created, some varieties can be stored for up to six months. In the middle lane, a good harvest can be obtained only by sowing early and mid-season varieties. Late-ripening - they simply will not have time to form a large harvest. For loose, light soils, daikon varieties with any root crop are suitable; on heavy, dense soils, it is better to take those that produce a small oval or round vegetable.

How and when to plant

This unpretentious vegetable has a feature that gardeners sometimes forget about: it is a plant of long daylight hours. If the duration of the light period is more than 13 hours, the plant does not form a root crop, but generative organs: a flower arrow, and then seeds. The wrong sowing time is the main reason for the failure to cultivate this valuable root vegetable.

As a rule, daikon is sown in the ground in the second half of summer. It is better to do this in the 2-3 decade of July, and early ripening varieties in early August.

By this time, some vegetables have already completed their growing season and are removed from the beds: winter garlic, turnip onions. In their place, the daikon will be very good.

To form a full-fledged crop, Japanese radish needs a large feeding area. The planting scheme for varieties with small and medium-sized roots is 30x50 cm.Large-fruited varieties are sown according to the 40x50 cm scheme; for varieties with long roots of small diameter, the distance between the rows can be made less - 40 cm.

Usually 2-3 seeds are sown in one hole to a depth of about 2 cm. The soil must be moist. Excess plants after germination must be carefully trimmed, if they are not sitting close to each other, they can be transplanted. By the way, young daikon leaves are very good in salads. To get seedlings faster, the seeds are prepared in the same way as for sowing seedlings, and the bed itself is covered with non-woven material. The same is done when planting seedlings, but the soil around the plants must be mulched with a layer of hay, straw, dried grass without seeds.

Planting dates before winter

A close relative of the daikon - radishes have long been sown before winter. The result is an early harvest of strong and vigorous plants. Can be sown before winter and daikon. It will harvest in the spring without growing seedlings. For sowing, only early ripening varieties are chosen that are not prone to shooting, the rest will bloom with the onset of spring heat. The exact timing of winter sowing is determined by the weather, since it is carried out after the onset of stable frosts in the frozen ground.The beds are prepared for him in warm weather, preparing dry soil or humus for sprinkling seeds. They are best kept indoors. The bed must be completely ready for sowing: dug up, fertilized, rows outlined.

With the onset of frost, sowing is carried out with a double amount of seeds against the usual rate. From above they are covered with harvested earth or humus.

They also mulch the entire surface of the garden. In the spring, the mulch needs to be raked into the aisles, and the bed should be covered with a film thrown over the arcs so that the soil warms up faster.

Daikon radish: care

Daikon maintenance is minimal. The main thing is to provide plants with food and moisture.

Watering schedule

This sweet radish loves water. Therefore, regular watering is required. In cool weather, plants can be watered once every 5 days; in hot weather, watering is required more often. The soil should always be slightly damp. In a drought with a lack of moisture, the quality of root crops deteriorates, they become woody and lose their juiciness. After watering, the soil under the plants must be shallowly loosened. It is good to mulch it with organic raw materials, it will not overheat and retain moisture well. If the root crop protrudes above the soil surface, it must be hilled so that the upper part does not become coarse and bitter.

Top dressing and fertilization

If the soil is fertile with a sufficient humus content, the plants will have enough nutrition that was laid in the preparation of the beds. On poor soils, additional fertilizing will be required. The first is done at the stage of formation of 3-4 leaves, pouring ash under the bushes and a pinch of complete mineral fertilizer. If there is a need to speed up the formation of the root crop, you can repeat the feeding again after 2-3 weeks.

Diseases and pests

They are the same in daikon as in all cruciferous plants. Most diseases are a consequence of violation of the rules of agricultural technology. If the soil is too wet, the daikon is susceptible to vascular and mucous bacteriosis. As a preventive measure, you need to properly prepare the seeds before sowing. In addition to the usual procedures, you can treat the seeds with the Planriz biological product, which is also used after planting. All treatments are carried out strictly according to the instructions.

Of the pests, young plants are annoyed by the cruciferous flea, and adults are annoyed by the cabbage fly, garden scoop, and cabbage white bean. Treatment with ash on wet leaves, spraying with infusion of tobacco or hot pepper are effective against them. You can plant marigolds between the daikon, they scare away pests with their smell.

But the most radical way is to grow plants under a non-woven covering material for the entire growing season. The benefits of this are twofold: the conditions for the development of plants are better and it is difficult for pests to reach them.

Harvesting and storage

In order for the grown roots to be well stored, they must be properly harvested. This must be done before frost, in the middle lane - at the end of September. A sunny day is chosen for harvesting. Daikon root vegetables are fragile and have a thin skin. Any damage to it is fraught with rapid damage to the vegetable. Therefore, they dig out the daikon carefully, using a pitchfork. The dug vegetables are laid out on the garden bed to dry. After that, they can be washed well and dried in the shade for about 2 days. The leaves are cut, leaving a stump of 2 cm.

The daikon is stored in the same way as carrots - in boxes with slightly damp sand or in sawdust. Vegetables should not be in contact with each other. Storage temperature - from 0 to 5 degrees Celsius. Freezing is fatal for a vegetable. You can save the crop in perforated bags, sprinkled with onion skins.

Daikon radish varieties

In Japan, daikon crops occupy the first place in terms of area. The Japanese know a lot about proper nutrition. Therefore, they have about 400 varieties of daikon. Our range of them is much more modest. Until recently, buying daikon seeds was a problem, but now the choice is wide enough.

Japanese varieties:

• varieties from the Minovase group - all of them are early maturing, resistant to heat and disease, the root crop is long - up to 55 cm with a diameter of up to 8 cm, ¼ part of it is above the soil level;
• varieties from the Miyashige group - have a cylindrical root crop up to half a meter long and up to 9 cm in diameter, it is immersed in the soil by ½ part;
• varieties from the Shogoin group - notable for the fact that root crops grow well on heavy soils, their diameter is up to 20 cm;
• varieties from the Sirogari group - differ in the early terms of root formation - only 55 days and its good size - up to 30 cm in length, and up to 7 cm in diameter;
• varieties from the Nineigo group - resistant to flowering and frost, root crop up to 60 cm long, and up to 6 in diameter.

Domestic daikon varieties:

• Sasha - has a small rounded root crop, ripens in 45 days;
• The elephant's tusk is a late-ripening variety with a root vegetable up to 22 cm long;
• Dubinushka is a medium-ripening variety with a huge root vegetable weighing up to 4 kg;
• Dragon is a mid-season variety, grows up to 1 kg;
• Flamingo - medium ripening with pink flesh, weight - up to 800 g.

Russian seed-growing complexes multiply the seeds not only of domestic zoned varieties, but also of the "Japanese" ones. For example, Minovashi daikon seeds can be bought in the stores of Gavrish, SEDEk, Aelita firms.

Daikon is a useful and unpretentious vegetable to care for. It should be in every garden.

Growing daikon from seeds in the open field

Daikon is a very useful and tasty root vegetable, it cleanses the kidneys, liver, has a good effect on the work of the intestines, and effectively affects colds. Growing a daikon is easy. Common varieties are: "Big Bull", "Earley Mino", "Quedlinburg", "White Jam", "Sasha", "Dubinushka", "Dragon", "Fang of the Elephant" and others.

In general, when buying daikon seeds, look at its varietal characteristics, usually the larger it is, the juicier it is.

Sowing conditions daikon

The best time for sowing daikon is mid-July, then the root crops are large with excellent taste (within the Moscow region - early August), for a later harvest they are sown in August, and they are covered at a temperature of 10 ° C.

If the daikon is sown in May-June, then the plant, due to the long daylight hours, will develop more greenery, go to the arrow to the detriment of the development of root crops. This way you can get good seeds of your own, but not the harvest.

The best predecessors of daikon are pumpkin, cucumber, squash and other types of pumpkin seeds.

For growing daikon, the ideal soil is light with deep groundwater. Since autumn, a bucket of humus and 40 g of superphosphate per 1 sq.m. are introduced under deep digging of the soil. In the spring, the site is loosened and leveled.

Make rows, the distance between which is 40-50 cm, cover the seeds to a depth of 3-4 cm, every 20-25 cm, sprinkle with earth and compact a little. The first shoots appear in 3-5 days. When 3 true sheets appear, thinning is carried out. The growing season of daikon is 40-100 days, depending on the variety, be it early maturing or late maturing.

If your soil is not very fertile, and you want to sow the daikon, then make holes at a distance of 30 cm, up to 60 cm deep, remove the infertile part of the earth and fill it with a mixture of fertile soil, humus and add 1 tsp to each hole. sifted ash and superphosphate. Water and deepen 2-3 seeds by 3-5 cm.

Daikon care

Watering in moderation, avoiding stagnant water or drying out the soil. Loosening after every watering. Weeding will get rid of many pests.

The first feeding is carried out after thinning from the mullein infusion, adding 1 tsp. urea per bucket. After 2 weeks, you can feed it with a complex mineral fertilizer. However, with fertilizers, in this case, it is better to underfeed than overfeed, so that you do not grow tops with small fruits.

The mullein infusion is prepared as follows: fill the barrel with cow dung by 1/3, add water to the top, mix and leave to ferment for 1-2 weeks, depending on the weather, the warmer the better. Before use, the mullein infusion is diluted several times.

If there is loamy soil on the site, then after watering or rain, the ground must be pierced with a pitchfork and thus improve air exchange.

Daikon is afraid of even a slight cold snap, at a temperature of 2-3 ° C, the roots begin to freeze, losing their taste and keeping quality, so if by this time you have not had time to cover the plants with covering material, then it is better to dig up the roots.

From freezing, the daikon becomes bitter, hollow and friable.

Daikon love cruciferous fleas, butterflies. To scare them away, it is good to grow onions in the aisles, as well as dust with wood ash. Another way will save you from cruciferous flea beetles: tomato tops (100 g dry or 250 g fresh) are poured with 1 liter of water, insisted for 5 hours, boiled for 3 hours over medium heat. With this infusion, 5 kg of fluffy lime is well moistened, dried, ground into dust and the plants are treated.

To scare away cabbage flies, it is good to grow marigolds nearby.

Collection and storage

It is better to dig up the daikon with a pitchfork, with mechanical damage to root crops, their keeping quality is significantly reduced. Daikon can be pulled out of light soil. Harvesting period is the end of September-October, 2 months after germination, before the onset of stable frosts. Cut off the tops.

It is stored in a cellar, in wet sand or in plastic bags at a temperature of 0 ° C, at a lower temperature the daikon becomes glassy, ​​and at temperatures above 5 ° C it becomes soft. If you didn't use all of the root vegetable, but only part of it, don't worry, put it in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.

We are used to the fact that our radish is a spicy, pungent-tasting vegetable rich in vitamins. But the culture also has a less vigorous, but no less useful variety - daikon or Japanese radish. It is tender, juicy, slightly sweetish, piquant. Planting a daikon and caring for it has its own characteristics - in amateur gardens, the vegetable is often grown as a second crop, the roots of which are an excellent alternative to autumn radishes, and they are also well stored in winter.

To understand how to plant a daikon correctly, we propose to understand its biological characteristics and nuances of agricultural technology.

"Big Root" is a tasty, healthy, low-calorie product, the main vegetable of Japanese cuisine

Vegetable number 1 of the Land of the Rising Sun

It has been experimentally proven that under similar growing conditions, the content of nitrates, salts of heavy metals, radioactive substances in daikon is 10–20 times less than in other root crops. Perhaps that is why the vegetable culture is so popular among the Japanese, it is included in many Chinese, Korean, Thai dishes. For residents of South Asian countries, growing daikon in the open field is as familiar as it is for us - potatoes, onions, cabbage.

The plant belongs to the Cruciferous family, grown in one- and two-year culture. Outwardly, the vegetable is recognizable by the carved, pubescent leaves, collected in a spreading rosette, reaching a diameter of 50-60 cm. In the first year after sowing the seeds, it forms a root crop, which, depending on the variety type, can have a cylindrical, spindle-shaped, conical, rounded shape. In traditional varieties, it is white, new hybrids can have a greenish, pink, light purple skin color.

The planted root crops bloom and give seeds - in daikon they look like radishes, maybe a little larger. The seeds can be grown in one year. If you plant a plant in early spring, it will have time to form a head and expel the flower arrow.

Note! Higher quality seeds are obtained from root crops planted specifically for planting (transplanting). Sowing material obtained in one year is prone to stalking, the percentage of flowering in such plants will increase from year to year.

Daikon belongs to plants with a strong photoperiodic dependence - if the day is long, it blooms, and if the day is short, it forms a root crop. Sowing at the usual time for other crops (May - early June) is one of the reasons why the daikon went into bloom, instead of forming a vegetative organ.

Blooming daikon is prone to over-pollination with radishes and radishes, so the testes are bred further away from each other.

Varieties for the Russian garden

At home, the culture has dozens of varieties, combined into 7 varieties - according to the shape of the fruit, the degree of immersion in the soil, the timing of ripening. The assortment for Russian vegetable gardens is not so numerous. When adapting foreign varieties and breeding domestic breeders, a number of points are taken into account.

• Daikon is sown when grown from seeds at times when the day is waning, i.e. in the second half of summer, otherwise he will go to the arrow.
• In order for the root crop to form and grow under these conditions, early varieties with a growing season not exceeding 60–75 days are needed.
• Shooting resistant seeds are preferred.

These conditions are met by varieties that have received positive reviews from gardeners - Minovasi, Dragon, Elephant Fang, Dubinushka, Moscow Bogatyr, Sasha (with rounded root crops), hybrids Emperor F1, Flamingo F1.

Advice! Consider the soil structure when choosing a variety. If it is light and loose, daikon species with a long root vegetable sunk in the ground (Minovashi, Caesar, Emperor) are suitable. On heavy soils, fruits of a rounded shape (Sasha) grow better, rising from the soil by one or two thirds of the length (Dragon, Dubinushka, Moscow Bogatyr).

Russian variety Sasha with round heads weighing up to 400 g

The subtleties of growing daikon

Before you start planting a daikon of the selected variety, pay attention to the general rules of agricultural technology.

1. It is a light-loving culture that loves moisture and good nutrition. On a sunny, high-humus garden bed, the daikon will grow quickly, will be juicy, with a tender crunchy pulp.
2. Since the root crop of a vegetable is large, in length it can reach 25–40 cm, before sowing, the soil must be dug to the appropriate depth, if necessary, loosened with peat, ripened vegetable compost. In this case, the fetus will not encounter resistance during growth, it will turn out to be even and smooth.
3. Root crops do not like fresh organic matter, if manure is introduced, then only under the previous culture.

Sowing dates

Many gardeners claim that the main condition for a good harvest is to correctly calculate when to plant a daikon. They recommend 2 terms:

• early spring - for summer consumption;
• in the second half of summer - for autumn-winter storage.

In fact, not everything is so simple. In addition to the length of daylight hours, the temperature regime is important for the formation of a high-quality root crop. The crop will not develop at temperatures below 10⁰C, and hot weather stimulates the plant to bloom. Considering that there are enough other vegetables in the summer, we recommend that you do not bother with planting the daikon in spring, but do it in July. With this approach, you will get a guaranteed harvest by the time when the cucumber tomatoes are already fed up and you want something fresh and spicy.

Many gardeners take July 7 (Ivan Kupala) as a starting point, someone is guided by July 12 (Peter and Paul's day). If autumn is warm in your area, then the sowing period can be extended to mid-August. Sowing is best after rains, so the timing often varies with this factor in mind.

Advice! The optimal time for planting a daikon in the middle lane is the second half of July, but not later than the first days of August. Otherwise, the root crop will not have time to grow.

Precursor cultures

The best predecessors for daikon are early crops that are harvested by this time. These are young potatoes, summer carrots, legumes, onions, green plants. Undesirable neighborhood - close relatives of the Cruciferous family (radish, cabbage).

If there is a choice, it is preferable to plant beds fertilized with humus before planting the first crop. Many are interested in whether it is possible to plant a daikon after garlic. Considering that the vegetable is harvested before July 12, this is not a bad option.

So that the bed is not empty, it is dug up and prepared for planting re-crops

Landing features

If the soil is dry, it is watered abundantly before digging, a complete mineral fertilizer is applied such as nitroammofoska (100 g / 10 m²) or Kemira, containing a complex of NPK and trace elements.

Planting scheme for daikon: distance in row spacing - 60–70 cm, between plants in a row - 20–25 cm. Convenient option - beds 1.5 m wide, on which the vegetable is sown in 2 rows. It is convenient to care for the seedlings, if necessary, they can be covered with a film.

On a fluffy, leveled surface, rows are marked, spilled with water, small holes are made, in which 2-3 seeds are placed. The planting depth of the daikon is no more than 2 cm. The sealed seeds are mulched with a dry mixture of garden soil, peat and humus. Seedlings will appear in a week.

Advice! If it is too hot, to preserve moisture and protect crops from pests, it is better to cover the garden with non-woven breathable material - lutrasil, agril, spunbond.

Thinned and sprinkled seedlings start quickly and in 1.5-2 months will yield up to a kilogram or more from each plant

Culture care

Immediately after the appearance of the first leaves, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving stronger specimens. The soil is regularly loosened, the roots are hilled as they form.

Watering the daikon needs abundant and regular watering, but only if the weather is dry. The golden rule for this plant is moderately moist soil. He does not like changes in humidity, from this the pulp coarsens, begins to taste bitter.

If fertilizers were applied during planting, this is enough for normal growth and development. But if the plant is depressed, think about how to feed the daikon. It can be watered with a solution of full fertilizer, organic infusion, the so-called. phyto-tea, a weak solution of mullein (1:20).

Advice! To make the root crop sweeter, feed it with Magbor in the middle of the growing season at the rate of 1 tablespoon of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. Trace elements magnesium and boron improve not only the taste, but also the keeping quality of the fruit.

A healthy, well-groomed plant with clean foliage and large, leveled fruit

Pest control

One of the essential elements of daikon care is timely protection against diseases and pests.

Cruciferous fleas are enemy number 1, they can destroy seedlings before the formation of real leaves. To prevent this from happening, immediately after sowing, the bed is pollinated with a mixture of ash and tobacco dust in a 1: 1 ratio. This procedure is repeated several times per season. Covering material well saves seedlings from flea misfortunes. In case of serious damage to the plantings, they are recommended to be treated once with actofit - a preparation of biological origin.

Of the daikon pests who love to feast on fruits and leaves, slugs get the most, the fight against them is to keep the snail out of the plant. To do this, grooves are made around the beds and covered with ash. A good effect is given by sprinkling the row spacing with powdered superphosphate.

Harvesting and storage of crops

Selective harvesting of the vegetable is started after 40 days. When to harvest a daikon completely depends on the length of the cultivar's growing season and weather conditions. To prolong the growing season and protect the roots from frost, they are covered overnight.

The optimal harvest time is the dry period of October, the so-called Indian summer, or immediately after it. The dug up roots are dried in the fresh air, carefully so as not to damage the thin skin, cleaned from the ground, cut off the tops.

How to store daikon so that the vitamin vegetable is enough for the whole winter?

• Freezing of the crop must not be allowed, roots with mechanical damage are poorly stored.
• Small and thin root crops are not suitable for storage, they will quickly wither.
• The daikon is best kept in the refrigerator. In a plastic bag with several holes, it will retain its elasticity and juiciness for 3 months.
• About the same amount of vegetables lies in the basement at a temperature of 1–5⁰ С.To preserve moisture, the boxes with root vegetables are covered with foil or sprinkled with wet sand.

Note! After freezing, the vegetable cannot be "restored". Having thawed, it will turn into an unusable mass.

Instead of a summary: mistakes in growing daikon

To summarize, we focus your attention on common problems in crop cultivation.

1. The timing of planting the daikon in open ground is incorrectly determined (late spring or too early summer) - the culture goes to the arrow.
2. The whole growing season is too hot weather - rough, poorly edible fruits.
3. We fertilized the garden with fresh manure - ugly root crops affected by scab.
4. Watering alternates with periods of drought - the roots are rough, bitter.

Unfortunately, if the daikon has bloomed, it's too late to do anything. This process is irreversible, however, if the root crop was formed and then bloomed, it, unlike radish, can be quite edible.

Landing daikon:

Moscow, Russia, on the site since 11.01.2017