Daikon Pink Gloss belongs to the cruciferous family. Essentially, it is a large Japanese radish with a delicate, sweet taste. This root vegetable reaches 10 centimeters in length. Its juicy bright pink flesh will decorate any table.
Description of the variety
Daikon was developed by Japanese breeders. On the Islands of the Rising Sun, this vegetable has become one of the main foods in the diet. In addition to its taste, the variety is attractive for its content of vitamins and minerals, which provide invaluable benefits to the body. In Russia, Misato Pink Glitter appeared several years ago, but has already gained popularity.
Daikon is a mid-season variety. Root vegetables have an even round shape and have excellent taste. Vegetables can be stored for a long time without losing their presentation. Since the variety is cold-resistant, it can remain in the ground until the first frost.
Japanese radish tolerates frost well down to -5 degrees. But such an effect can negatively affect the taste and beneficial qualities of the vegetable, especially if it is stored in the future.
It is also worth noting that too high a temperature affects root vegetables even worse. At temperatures above 30 degrees, Japanese radishes wither. Its protective properties are reduced, and root crops are subject to increased attack by cruciferous flea beetles.
A characteristic feature of daikon is the formation of a root crop already during the flowering period. This is a stable variety. Under optimal conditions, it produces even, uniform fruit.
Growing
It is recommended to sow the variety at several times, from mid-June to the end of July. In a bed whose width is 1 m or more, 2 rows are made. Seeds are planted to a depth of 3–5 centimeters, 2–3 seeds in each hole. The distance between the holes is 30 centimeters. Daikon does not like shading or thickening.
It is recommended to treat the seeds before planting. It is better to put seedlings with defects aside. Good seeds should be placed in damp gauze until hatching, which occurs on the second day.
Good predecessors for Japanese radish are:
- salads;
- onion garlic;
- tomatoes;
- pepper;
- pumpkin;
- green manure.
The soil for Japanese radishes is prepared in the same way as for other vegetable crops, but with deep digging of the soil. Root crops are more evenly grown on light soils and peat bogs.Heavy clay soil is also suitable, but it should first be filled with humus or compost.
If you grow a vegetable in long-day conditions, the formation of flowers will be reduced, and the development of root crops will be reduced. Therefore, it is optimal to plant the variety in the second half of summer, when the day length is shortened to 13–15 hours. At this time, the best development of root crops occurs.
The formation of the largest fruits occurs under intense exposure to sunlight. Growing conditions that are too cramped can cause excessive growth of tops and stems.
Features of care
With sufficient moisture, the harvest will be good. When flower arrows appear, you should try to break them out. After one arrow is broken, they will appear with enviable regularity. Therefore, during this period, special attention is paid to the variety.
For non-flowering fruits that receive enough nutrition and moisture, 70 days are enough for full ripening. The root vegetables have a white skin with distinct red and green spots. They are almost completely immersed in the ground. The small part that protrudes above the ground is painted green. Each root vegetable has a combination of pink and white, with some vegetables deepening the hue to beet red.
Daikon beds should be weeded and loosened regularly (2-3 times per season). In dry climates, the variety requires moderate watering. Overmoistening can cause mucous bacteriosis. If the soil is well seasoned, Japanese radish does not need to be fed.
Note! Daikon can be planted too late, but this will negatively affect the yield and storage of root crops.
Advantages and disadvantages
The positive characteristics of daikon Misato Pink Shine include:
- beautiful color, the vegetable will decorate any table;
- unpretentiousness in cultivation, the variety does not require intensive care;
- juiciness and delicate taste;
- good preservation of the variety.
Among the disadvantages, we can note the different sizes of root crops with insufficient care. Also, the vegetable is unsuitable for multi-component salads, since it will simply get lost in them. It is optimal to cut the root vegetable into slices and decorate with herbs.
Pests and diseases
During the germination of the crop, it is important to ensure that it is not damaged by the cruciferous flea beetle. To do this, you can treat the seedlings with sifted ash and a mixture of tobacco (1:1 proportions). The crop can also be damaged by the fall armyworm, which breeds in moist soil. This pest eats leaves and roots. To prevent this from happening, the seedlings should be watered with diluted potassium permanganate (a glass of solution per bucket of water).
You can also treat pests with hot red pepper. To do this, put 6-7 pieces of hot peppers in a jar, add hot water and leave for at least 12 hours. Then the infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water and the crop is watered. After 2-3 days, it is recommended to repeat the procedure, this will increase the chances of complete destruction of pests.
To prevent the invasion of slugs, small grooves are made around the plant beds and ash is poured. If a root crop is damaged by pests, it is not recommended to store or eat it.
Harvest and storage
Japanese radish is harvested in dry weather. On heavy soils, you will have to dig it up with a shovel, but on light soils, it can be pulled out by the tops without much difficulty.
Daikon has one characteristic feature.If the root crop is damaged during harvesting, it will not be stored for long. Therefore, harvesting should be done with extreme caution, and damaged root crops should be used first.
Although Japanese radishes can remain in the ground until the first frost, it is not advisable to keep them in the soil. This will negatively affect the taste of the vegetable. The optimal collection time is 60–70 days after the appearance of the first shoots.
After extraction and soil, the root crop should be placed next to the ridges. The stuck soil will thus dry out, and the root crop will be easy to clean from the soil.
Japanese radish can be stored for up to three months without losing its taste. If root vegetables will be stored in the refrigerator, they should first be placed in plastic bags. Before this, you need to trim the tops.
The ideal storage temperature for vegetables is 0 degrees. At low temperatures it becomes glassy, at high temperatures it becomes too soft.
Also, the storage place for Japanese radishes can be a cellar. In this case, the root vegetables should be in boxes that are moistened with sand. Vegetables are laid in rows, each layer sprinkled with sand. Sand can be replaced with moistened moss.
