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Margelan radish, although grown in Russia, is not widespread enough in comparison with radish and daikon. Meanwhile, the root crop has been cultivated for centuries in Central Asian countries, formerly the 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 green Margelan (Chinese) radish, a lot of confusion and inaccuracies are allowed. Perhaps this is why the culture has not become widespread - gardeners plant it, and the harvest does not meet their expectations.
The extensive genus Radish belongs to the Cabbage (Cruciferous) family, one of the species of which is the Sowing 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, oil-bearing 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 narrow specialist can remember this, while ordinary gardeners only need to know that the culture, in terms of taste, occupies an intermediate position between radish and daikon. But it differs significantly from both subspecies. One should not expect radish maturity or gigantic size and a complete lack of bitterness, like a daikon, from a lobo. It is an independent culture that differs from others in taste, appearance and cultivation characteristics.
Lobo in 1971 was described as a group of varieties. It was classified as a species of Radish in 1985. Since then, 25 varieties have been added to the State Register of Russia, the most famous are the Elephant Fang and Margelanskaya.
What is the difference between daikon and lobo
Often the Chinese lobo radish is confused with the Japanese daikon. Even seed producers are sometimes misled by gardeners. Of course, cultures are similar, but not identical. Their main differences:
- in daikon, roots are much larger than in lobo, their weight often exceeds 500 g;
- the growing season of Chinese radish is longer than that of Japanese;
- lobo tastes more pungent than daikon;
- Chinese radish have wide leaves, Japanese radish are narrow.
Description of the radish variety of the Chinese lobo Margelanskaya
In 2005, the Moscow enterprises “Company Lance” and “Agrofirma Poisk” applied for registration of the Lobo Margelanskaya radish variety. In 2007, the crop was adopted by the State Register and recommended for cultivation throughout Russia on personal subsidiary plots.
Margelanskaya is a mid-season long-term storage radish, in which 60-65 days pass from the moment of full sprouting to the beginning of harvest.
Margelan radish forms a rosette of erect leaves of medium size, obovate, 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, the flesh of the Margelan radish is white. It tastes juicy, sweetish, with mild bitterness. One root crop weighs 250-300 g, the average yield is 3-3.3 kg per sq. m.
Margelan radish varieties
The Margelan radish has no varieties - it is a variety itself. 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 Tusk of the Elephant and Margelan, there are root crops:
- 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 use or stored for up to four months.
Elephant fang
This type of lobo is most often confused with daikon. The elephant's tusk was registered in 1977, the seed association "Sortsemovosch" acted as the originator. The variety is recommended for growing in all regions.
An elephant's tusk is a cylindrical root crop, the average length of which is 60 cm. It rises 65-70% above the surface of the ground 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 bitterness is more pronounced and contains many vitamins.
The elephant tusk variety is mid-season, the radish begins to be harvested 60-70 days after germination. The yield is high, 1 sq. m gives 5-6 kg of root crops.
Tusk of the Elephant is a variety that is unsuitable for long-term storage.
Ruby surprise
The variety was adopted by the State Register in 2015. The originator was Agrofirma Aelita LLC, the authors were 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 with a green spot on the leaves. Its average weight is 200-240 g. The pulp is red, juicy, with a pleasant taste. Productivity - up to 4.3 kg per sq. m. The radish is suitable for short-term storage.
The Ruby Surprise variety has been granted a patent, which expires in 2045.
Severyanka
One of the largest-fruited lobo varieties is Severyanka, adopted by the State Register in 2001. The originator was the Federal Scientific Center of Vegetable Growing.
The variety is early ripe, 60 days after germination, you can harvest. The pink or almost red root vegetable, if you do not take into account the size, is similar to a radish. But it weighs 500-890 g. The leaves of Severyanka are half-raised, the root crop is rounded, flattened, with a sharp tip. The pulp is juicy, white, the taste is pleasant, with pronounced sweetness and pungency. Productivity from 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 the Elephant's Fang or the Ruby Surprise, but it will not stay all winter even in the most suitable conditions.
Planting a margelan radish
Growing and caring for a Margelan radish is simple. But if the seemingly simple rules are not followed, it always ends in failure. Everything matters - the timing of planting Margelan radish, water regime, soil preparation. Failure at any of the stages will lead to the appearance of arrows or the formation of a small root, often hollow or bitter.
When to plant Margelan radish
Growing green radish in the open field does not present any difficulties, but many gardeners manage to ruin the planting by simply not meeting deadlines. For some reason, they are guided by crops such as daikon, or, even better, radish.
Yes, these are all plants of short daylight hours. They shoot a flower arrow, without waiting for the growth of the root crop, if they are illuminated for more than 12 hours a day. But radish has a short vegetative period; when sown in spring, it manages to ripen safely. Daikon needs more time to grow a root crop; with early planting, it rarely reaches technical ripeness everywhere, except for 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 development of the root crop. Too long time passes from the emergence of seedlings to technical maturity. Someone may argue that in Central Asia, Margelan radish has always been sown in two passes. Moreover, the spring planting gave root crops for summer consumption, and the autumn planting for winter. But the climate there is different, the earth warms up early, and the difference in the length of the day in different seasons is smoothed out.
So the cultivation of Margelan radish on the territory of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus is possible in the open field only with late summer sowing. With a sudden drop in temperature, the culture usually matures even in the Northwest - the lobo endures short-term frosts. Before the onset of stable cold weather, Margelan radish has time to gain weight.
The crop is sown in most regions from mid-July to early August. In the Northwest, this can be done a little earlier, in the southern regions - a little later.
Soil preparation
The soil under the Margelan radish is dug up deeply, though not as deeply as for the Belyi Klyk 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 half. And a long tail, covered with small sucking roots, needs to grow somewhere. It is he who delivers most of the moisture and nutrients to the radish, if you restrict its development, the root crop will be small.
It is better to prepare the soil in advance - to dig it up at least two weeks before sowing the radish so that it can “breathe” and sag a little. Sand, ash, leaf humus or peat can be added to the soil to improve the structure. Humus is added in the fall, if you do this before sowing the radish, it will receive an excess amount of nitrogen. This can have the following consequences:
- the aboveground part will actively develop to the detriment of the root crop;
- voids form inside the radish, the pulp coarsens;
- the taste of overfeeding with nitrogen in root crops becomes worse;
- nitrates accumulate in the radish;
- root vegetables spoil quickly.
Compost, too, should not be added to the soil before sowing the radish, unless it has matured well with the help of special means, or it has been aged for at least 3 years. Fresh has a lumpy tight structure, which is not suitable for the culture - it interferes with the development of the root crop.
Since the sowing is carried out in the second half of summer, something should already grow in the place intended for the Margelan radish. You can plant early potatoes, peas for fresh consumption, winter or onions intended for greens in the spring. It is impossible to grow other cruciferous plants before the radish - early radishes or cabbage, lettuce, mustard.
Sowing rules
It is customary to sow Margelan radish in nests located in rows at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. 30-40 cm are left in the row spacing. Each nest is filled with mineral complex fertilizer (better for root crops), mixed with the soil and watered abundantly.
2-3 seeds are planted in each hole, and if there is a 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 help the seeds sprout faster, you can cover the planting with foil. 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 the furrows. But then, when thinning, more seedlings will have to be removed.
How to grow a Margelan radish
Care when growing green radish is to remove weeds, loosening row spacings and timely watering. The culture loves moisture, overdrying can kill young shoots, and during the formation of the root crop, it will cause coarsening, the formation of voids, reduce its size and impair the taste. The soil under the Margelan radish should be constantly moist, but not wet.
For a culture, it 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 - when the root crop becomes noticeable, and it will already be possible to determine its color.
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 must be at least 15 cm.
All the yellowed leaves that have sunk to the ground and shade the root crop are cut off. This will not only improve the quality of the radish, but also prevent it from shooting at high temperatures.
Pests and diseases: control and prevention measures
Margelan radish rarely gets sick. Problems arise only with systematic overflows, especially on dense soils - then a variety of rot appears on the plant.
But insects annoy the culture constantly - it is susceptible to defeat by all cruciferous pests. The problem for Margelan radish is:
- slugs, which can be fought by sprinkling metaldehyde between the bushes, and as a preventive measure, tear off the leaves that fall to the ground;
- cruciferous flea, which can be prevented by sprinkling ash or tobacco dust on the ground and radish leaves after watering, or by spreading wormwood in the aisles.
When harvesting green radish from the garden
You can pick Margelan radish for food without waiting for technical ripeness as needed, as soon as the roots grow a little. Their taste will be excellent. The timing of harvesting Margelan radish from germination is usually indicated on the seed bags, on average they are:
- early varieties - 55-65 days;
- for mid-season and late - from 60 to 110 days.
A delay of several days with the harvest does not matter. But if you stay late for a long time, the pulp can become coarse, voids form in the root crop.
Although Margelan rarely withstands short-term frosts, it must be harvested before the onset of a stable decrease in temperature to 0⁰C or less. If you overexpose root crops in the garden, they will be stored worse.
On sandy soils, the radish can simply be pulled out of the ground. It is dug out on black soil and dense soils.
When to remove Margelan radish for storage
Immediately after harvesting from 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 crops will not be stored. Then they are rejected - all even slightly damaged Margelan radish needs to be eaten or processed.
Before laying for storage, remove the tops, leaving 1-2 cm of petioles. Novice gardeners cut them off, but it is better to carefully twist the "extra" leaves. You can practice on a radish intended for immediate consumption.
Storage rules
Although Margelan radish is considered intended for long-term storage, it will not lie 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 sluggish, fresh, moreover, it will lose most of the vitamins and useful minerals. Root crops can lie for a month without significant changes.
The best conditions for winter maintenance are a dark place, temperature from 1⁰ to 2⁰ С, humidity 80-95%.
How to store Margelan radish in a cellar in winter
It is best to store root vegetables in damp sand, arranged in wooden boxes. Subject to the temperature regime and the recommended humidity, they can be ready for use for up to 4 months. But if even one damaged root gets into the box, it will start to rot and spoil everything lying next to it.
How to store Margelan radish at home
Root vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 30 days. They are laid out on plastic bags and kept in a vegetable box.
Conclusion
Margelan radish is a healthy and tasty root vegetable that can diversify the diet in the cold season. It can be easily grown on its own if you know and fulfill the requirements of the culture.
Real Margelan radish, which has been cultivated for a long time in Uzbekistan, has a pulp of the same color as the peel. What is shown in the photo with white flesh is no longer a real Margelan variety.