What family does the radish belong to, its characteristics and description

After a long winter, the body needs double the amount of vitamins. In early spring, radishes become the main supplier of useful compounds. What a radish is, what a radish looks like and what color it is, why this plant is not useful for everyone - you will find out in our article.

What is the correct name: radish or radish?

In a conversation you can often hear: "I have a radish in my garden ..." However, the scientific name of this vegetable crop is "radish". However, both names are correct.

In the first case, the household name is used, in the second, the official name of the cultivated plant. Name variations are used depending on the situation. In this article, we will stick to the second option.

Description and characteristics of culture

The word "radish" is borrowed from the Latin "radix", literally translated - "root"... It turns out that all root crops can be safely called "radishes".

What family does the radish belong to?

Radish (sowing radish) belongs to the Cabbage family, or Cruciferous, belongs to the cultivated genus of radish. Radish and radish are similar to each other not only in appearance, but also in its useful properties.

Are radishes a vegetable, fruit, or something else?

Radish is a root vegetable, therefore it is customary to call it a vegetablerather than fruit, although some varieties taste sweet. Depending on the type of radish, it lives for a year, rarely two.

Origin story

The exact place of origin of the radish has not yet been determined. It is believed that his homeland is Asia... There are references to this vegetable in the ancient chronicles of Egypt, Greece, Japan, China and Rome. The culture was brought to Europe in the 16th century, and in Russia the plant appeared under Peter I.

Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins, useful properties

The root vegetable and tops contain vitamins A, C, D, E, PP, group B, phosphorus, sodium, iron, copper, calcium and iodine.

Absorbed in the body, radish speeds up metabolic processes, restores strength after illness, relieves pain... Pain in the back, joints, pinching of the sciatic nerve, stress, nervous strain - all these conditions help to heal the white-pink root vegetable.

The vegetable helps to eliminate toxins and bile, strengthens blood vessels... Suitable for diet food, since 100 g of the product contains only 20 kcal.

Radish is used in cosmetology... It has a beneficial effect on the condition of hair, skin, complexion. It is used in natural face masks.

Here is a recipe for one of them:

1. Grate 5 large root vegetables, squeeze the juice through cheesecloth.
2. Mix 1 tsp. natural coffee with 1 tsp. pounded fresh chamomile.
3. Pour the mixture of coffee and chamomile with radish juice, stir.
4. Apply the gruel to the face and leave for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water.

This procedure softens and cleanses the skin, tightens pores, activates collagen synthesis and elastin, prevents breakouts and eliminates sagging skin.

Attention! Radish contains ascorbic acid no less than orange. If you are allergic to citrus fruits, replace oranges with radishes. It will protect the body from colds and infections.

Ripening period

Radish is the leader among vegetable crops in terms of ripening... From the moment the first shoots appear on the surface of the earth to full maturation, it takes from 18 to 60 days. Early varieties are harvested after three weeks.

Yield

Radish yield depends on care, variety and place of growth... In a greenhouse from 1 m², 3.5-4 kg of vegetables are harvested. Outdoors, with proper care, the average is 3 kg per 1 m².

Disease resistance

Due to its rapid maturation, radishes are rarely affected by diseases.... When grown in unfavorable conditions, the vegetable crop can become infected with white rust, powdery mildew, black leg and gray rot.

Characteristics of fruits, description of appearance, taste

Tops up to 25 cm high, the leaves have a noticeable edge of hard hairs... Foliage color ranges from light green to dark green. The radish root goes deep into the ground. The type of radish fruit is a dry pod with a nose of different lengths.

The root vegetable is juicy, sweetish pungency, ranging in size from 1.5 to 10 cm in diameter... The mustard oil content gives many varieties of radish a slight pungency, but there are also varieties in which bitterness is completely absent. Root crops come in different shapes: round, round-flat, conical, oval, fusiform and cylindrical. Weight varies from 10 to 150 g.

Inside, the root vegetable is white, pink or white-pink, depending on the variety.... The color outside also depends on the variety. Root vegetables grow red, pink, white, yellow, green, or even purple with white tails.

For which regions it is best suited and what is the exacting climate

Radish can to grow in almost any region of Russia, it is approved for cultivation in the Central, Northwest, Middle Volga, North Caucasian and West Siberian regions.

Feels great at air temperatures from 18 to 25 ° C.

The main advantages and disadvantages of radish

Despite all the advantages of radish, its vitamin complex useful not for all.

Let us examine in more detail the advantages of culture and its disadvantages.

Benefits:

• a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients;
• low-calorie;
• rich in fiber;
• has a beneficial effect on the skin, promotes wound healing and relieves pain;
• increases the level of hemoglobin;
• improves blood circulation;
• reduces puffiness;
• enhances immunity;
• stabilizes metabolic processes.

disadvantages:

• it is not recommended to use it on an empty stomach - the concentrated juice irritates the walls of the stomach, which provokes pain;
• the saturated composition of radish can cause significant harm to the body of people suffering from diseases of the stomach, intestines, liver and biliary tract;
• it is forbidden to eat a large amount of radish with inflammatory processes of the thyroid gland;
• undesirable for pregnant and lactating women, as it causes bloating and colic in babies;
• radish can affect the heart rate, so it is not recommended for those who have had a heart attack.

Radish tops even healthier than the root crop itself, since it contains all valuable nutrients in concentrated form.

Take a note:

Harvesting radishes for the winter by freezing and in other ways

The best pickled radish recipes for the winter

Simple and delicious recipes for healthy radish snacks

Radish varieties

Radish represented by a large number of different varieties and hybrids... Initially, the root vegetable looked more like a short carrot, and only modern breeding has made the shape of the vegetable round or oval.

Early varieties and hybrids:

1. Presto (on the picture). A high-yielding, versatile variety suitable for growing in most regions of Russia. Bred in 2002, it has good germination, is resistant to frost and temperature changes. Root crops do not crack. Harvesting is carried out 16-20 days after the first shoots, 2.5-3 kg from 1 m², the weight of each vegetable is up to 11 g.
2. Cherriet... Japanese hybrid, cultivated in Russia since 2007.Suitable for greenhouses and open ground. Resistant to shooting. A rounded root vegetable, rich red, white pulp, moderately sharp, weighing up to 40 g. Productivity up to 3 kg per 1 m². Increased resistance to fusarium, keel, black leg.
3. French breakfast... Can be harvested 25-27 days after germination. It has an elongated cylindrical shape, dark pink in color, with a white tail, fruit length 7-15 cm, weight 30-40 g, white flesh, without bitterness. It tolerates cold well. Productivity from 2.5 to 3.5 kg per 1 m².
4. Heat... Bred in the USSR over 60 years ago. Differs in unpretentious care and high productivity, up to 3.5-4 kg per 1 m². The growing season is 18-25 days. The root vegetable is round, red, weighing 13-30 g, the pulp is white, sweetish, moderately spicy, crispy. Does not form voids, does not tend to shoot. Suitable for winter sowing.
5. 16 days... Exactly 16 days is enough for the full ripening of this radish variety. It develops equally well in the greenhouse and in the open field. Root crops are rounded, bright red, the flesh is juicy, white. The taste is delicate, medium-sharp. The variety is resistant to shooting and cracking.
6. Champion... Weight 17-20 g, deep red color, round shape, thin peel, white pulp, medium bitter. Suitable for growing in a greenhouse and outdoors, as well as at home. Average yield, up to 1.5 kg per 1 m². Ripening period - 25 days. Stores well.

Mid-season varieties:

1. Polar bear, or Virovsky white (photo on the right). Round white radish, weight about 25 g, ripens in 30 days, yield within 2 kg per 1 m². Suitable for growing in the northern regions of the country. Open ground recommended. The variety is distinguished by high resistance to flowering and good keeping quality. The taste is medium-sharp, sweet.
2. Duro... The required size is reached in 28-30 days. The variety is large, spherical in shape, weight up to 40 g, scarlet color, predominantly white pulp, spicy-sweet. About 3.5 kg of radish are harvested from 1 m². It is stored for a month without losing its external and taste qualities.
3. Zlata... Czech variety, tolerates moderate drought well. Fully formed on day 30-32. Round shape, yellow color, white flesh with a sharp taste. Weight up to 25 g, yield - 2 kg per 1 m².
4. Rebel... Hybrid. Suitable for open ground and greenhouses. Harvesting takes place 28-30 days after germination, 2.5 kg of product falls on 1 m². Root crops with thin bright red skin, round shape, weighing 17-20 g. Disease-resistant, keeping quality is about 4 months.

Late varieties:

1. Red giant (pictured on the right). They are planted in open and protected ground. The pink root vegetable has an elongated, cylindrical shape, up to 15 cm long and weighing 100-150 g. The pulp is dense, without voids, the taste is spicy, slightly pungent. The variety is cold-resistant, high-yielding. You will need to wait 40-50 days before harvesting, 4.5 kg of radish can be grown per 1 m². Demanding on lighting and humidity.
2. Ice icicle... It resembles an icicle in shape and color. A white, long vegetable with a juicy, spicy pulp, weighing about 100 g. A high-yielding variety, excellently grown in greenhouses and open field. From germination to harvesting, no more than 45 days pass. Resistant to shooting.
3. Dungan 12/8... The growing method is universal. White-pink radish with a sweet-spicy taste, weighing about 75 g. Ripeness occurs on 35-50 days, depending on the region of growth, you can collect up to 3.5 kg from 1 m².

Rare varieties and hybrids:

1. Black spanish (on the picture). Radish ripens in 53-70 days, looks more like a turnip. It has a black peel and snow-white, sharp-burning, crispy pulp. This radish variety is known for its valuable nutritional properties, ease of growing, and long shelf life. It does not tolerate heat well, needs shade and coolness, otherwise it quickly cracks.
2. Watermelon radish... An unusual hybrid of radish and radish originated in China. It quickly became popular due to its appearance: a light green spherical vegetable with bright raspberry flesh.Bitter on the outside and sweet on the inside, weighing up to 200 g. This root crop is cold-resistant, withstands slight frosts, ripens in a month and gives up to 10 kg of radish per 1 m². The main disadvantage is short storage, no more than 10 days.

What can be the difficulties in growing

Difficulties in growing radishes should not arise... The culture is unpretentious, but loves care, especially watering. A novice gardener can also cope with it.

Take care of the soil for the vegetable in the fall, fertilize the selected area: half a bucket of humus or compost per 1 m² will be enough. If you do not want the radish to become hollow inside, do not fertilize the soil with fresh manure - use decomposed manure or dilute with fresh water in equal amounts.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Take advantage of the advice of experienced gardeners, and it will not be difficult to grow a rich radish crop, similar to the advertising photos on the seed packaging:

• early varieties of radish form a root crop quite quickly and stop growing - do not expect a large mass from them, this is not genetically laid down;
• do not overdo the ripe radish in the beds, the vegetable will become "wooden", hollow, unusable;
• if you grow a root crop in the open field, then the temperature should be high not only during the day, but also at night - not lower than 10 ° C;
• the ripening period of the vegetable is affected by the size of the seeds - when sowing, choose the largest, then the radish will grow faster.

Conclusion

A tasty and healthy vegetable relieves pain, strengthens the immune system, diversifies the menu and pleases the eye with an abundance of colors and shapes. But do not overuse the use of radishes for those who have chronic gastrointestinal health problems, first consult with your doctor.