The Chinese radish is one of the easiest crops to grow.
I had such a pleasurable time growing Chinese radish recently. A little sunny nook is all it takes to grow this nutritious root vegetable. The plant grows easily from seed and matures with only minimal effort on my part.
PLANT FACT
Radish is derived from the Latin word radix, meaning root. The botanical name is Raphanus stativus. The genus name Raphanus in Greek means quickly. Stativus is cultivated in Latin.
The annual belongs to the cabbage family, Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). The place of origin is yet to be known but the wild forms of the plant have been found in Southeast Asia.
A cool-weather crop, most of its varieties have roots that taste peppery. They come in various sizes, shapes and colours. Some varieties have small round succulent taproots while others are elongated. The skin colour can be red, yellow, black, purple or green. The flesh is often white.
The lyrate leaves radiate out from the stem and are arranged in a rosette shape. Depending on the variety, the flowers can be in different colours besides the usual white.
DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS
Different radish varieties have different root sizes. R. stativus var. radicula is a small-rooted radish while the var. acanthiformis, longipinnatus, nigra, niger and sinensis have large roots. When classified by seasons, the var. longipinnatus (Chinese radish) is a summer and winter radish and the var. radiculus, all-season. They are called Japanese radish (daikon radish), Chinese radish, Indian radish and European radish based on their origin.
HEALTHY FOOD
The entire radish plant is edible — root, leaves, flowers, pods and seeds. Packed with nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin A, C, E and B-6, and fibre, it makes an effective cancer-fighting food. Radish also aids indigestion, prevents urinary infections, lowers blood sugar and acts as a detox.
IT’S A TRAP
Radish can also be used as a sacrificial crop to control pests in place of pesticides. When grown around cabbage, flea beetles and root flies will be attracted to the radish instead of the vegetable.
HOW TO GROW
Chinese radish grows quickly and can be harvest within two months. It does not have any serious pest problem. Perhaps one of the easiest crops to grow and it’s certainly an excellent choice to start children’s interest in gardening.
Materials required:
• 1 30cm pot with drainage holes
• 1 part compost
• 1 part well-draining potting soil mix
• 1 packet Chinese radish seeds
• Organic fertilisers
• Step 1: Fill the pot with equal parts of potting soil and compost. Sow the seeds by covering the seeds with a thin layer of soil (approximately three times the diameter of the seeds). Water thoroughly and settle the pot in a shady position with indirect sunlight.
• Step 2: The seeds will sprout within three days. Harden in the shade till they grow the second set of true leaves.
• Step 3: Thin and equally space them out to three seedlings, roughly five to 7.5cm apart. Settle the pot in a full sun or partial sun location.
• Step 4: Water and feed plants regularly.
• Step 5: Harvest the roots when they are about 2.5cm across or smaller (note: young radishes are tastier and crispier). Loosen the soil around the radish with a trowel, push the soil aside and gently pull up the whole plant with your hand.
Tips
When growing radishes in raised garden beds, start seeds in the shade and transplant them out into the garden after they have grown true leaves.
The Chinese and Indian varieties can tolerate higher temperature than the Japanese type.
Roots can become pithy in warm weather or when left in the ground too long.
Stephanie Choo can be reached via mygreenfinder@hotmail.com