In early spring, happy owners of summer cottages and garden plots begin to plan which vegetable crops to plant on their 6 acres. Going shopping in search of the right seeds, many gardeners and summer residents come across bags with various names that are unusual for them. Few people know about the vegetable culture of the Chinese Lobo radish. There is nothing surprising in this - after all, almost no one knows about this rare guest in our area.

The history of the creation of the variety

If we trace the history of the creation of radish as a vegetable crop, we would like to note that this root crop was grown on their fields by the farmers of ancient Egypt. Subsequently, the vegetable successfully "migrated" to other countries, and with the development of agriculture, more and more new varieties of this popular uncomplicated plant began to appear. In European countries, radish cultivation began in the 12th century. In distant China, one of the varieties has long been cultivated - the Lobo radish.

Chinese beauty - Lobo radish

Characteristics and features

Chinese radish is a mini pantry of nutrients and trace elements. A root crop weighing 100 g has a low calorie content of -21 kcal. This popular vegetable contains a large "vitamin" group.

The red pulp of the vegetable is considered a feature of the Lobo vegetable crop.

Table of names of useful substances and vitamins of Chinese radish:

Squirrels	1.2 g	Vitamin B3	2.2 mg
Carbohydrates	4.1 g	Vitamin A	10 mcg
Ash	0.8 g	Vitamin B1 (thiamine)	0.8 mg
Mono-disaccharides	0.2 g	Vitamin B2	0.2 mg
Starch	0.5 g	Vitamin B5	2.2 mg
Vitamin C	30 mg	Vitamin B6	0.3 mg
Vitamin E	2.1 mg	Biotin	19 mcg

Chinese radish belongs to the cabbage family with cross-pollination. A vegetable can be planted in early spring or planted for the winter. The root crop contains trace elements of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, and sulfur necessary for the human body. Iron, zinc, iodine, molybdenum, copper, manganese and selenium are also present. One small root crop of the Lobo radish has such a rich vitamin arsenal.

Variety description:

1. The leaves are entire, lobed, dissected into lateral lobes, in an amount from 3 to 12 pairs. A leaf rosette can have 10 to 15 leaves;
2. Mature root crops have a flat-round, oval or cylindrical shape. There are varieties with an elongated cylindrical shape;
3. The taste of Lobo radish is slightly sharp, with dense and juicy pulp. It reminds a little of the familiar daikon or radish;
4. The color of a mature Lobo radish can be white, green, red, purple or purple;
5. When ripe, the mass of the root crop reaches from 300 g to 10 kg;
6. Radish skin can be green or white;
7. The height of the branched stem reaches 1 meter;
8. The plant blooms with small flowers of white, pink, purple hue. The flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences;
9. After flowering, instead of flowers, siliculose, cylindrical fruits are formed with large oval-shaped and brown seeds.

Collected seeds retain their germination capacity from 4 to 6 years.

Green skin of Chinese radish

Cultivation and care

Agrotechnics for growing radish is simple: the plant grows well in sunny areas, but it also tolerates slight shading. The ideal place for planting radishes are combined beds, which are under direct sunlight during a long daylight hours, and after that a slight penumbra sets in.

If we talk about the features of growing a root crop, then it should be noted its cold resistance, like that of its close "relative" - ​​radish.

cultivation

The seeds of the plant grow at an outside temperature of +2 to +3 degrees Celsius. Radish seedlings tolerate spring frosts well. When ripe, root crops can remain in the ground even at temperatures from -5 to -6 degrees. The optimal temperature for the growth of Chinese radish is similar to the usual radish and ranges from +18 to +20 degrees. Hotter weather makes the roots hard with dry and slightly bitter flesh.

Caring for radish crops is not much different from the traditional one: timely loosening of the soil, protection from weeds and, most importantly, abundant watering. The fact is that the vegetable during the period of pouring root crops needs abundant watering, otherwise the pulp will be dry and tasteless. This is the peculiarity of caring for Chinese radish.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The undoubted advantages of Chinese radish include:

1. Excellent taste of juicy pulp and delicate pleasant aroma;
2. Lobo radish has practically no contraindications for use;
3. The root crop, like potatoes, is stored in cellars and is well preserved until spring;
4. Chinese radish is a very useful product from a medical point of view. Regular consumption of fresh food and after cooking helps in the prevention of many diseases;
5. The root crop contains few calories, which allows you to use it without fear of gaining extra pounds.

If we talk about the shortcomings of this variety, it should be noted that at the stage of the appearance of early shoots, the vegetable can be affected by the cabbage flea. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out processing with permitted pesticides, which can adversely affect the environmental friendliness of the vegetable.

Video

Chinese radish is a plant of the cabbage family, which is a root vegetable. This plant is also common under the name loba. The Chinese (or Margelan) radish received such an unsound name due to its wide distribution in China, Japan, Uzbekistan, Korea and the Far East. The most common varieties of this vegetable are raspberry ball and elephant tusk.

Loba has many similarities with daikon, the plants differ only in the length of the growing season. Chinese radish fully develops within 1-2 years. In the first year, the plant can form leaves and one root crop weighing up to 500 grams. In the second year of life, the loba can bloom and produce seeds, however, there are some subspecies of the Chinese radish that live only 1 year and during this period manage to produce both fruits and seeds.

Varieties of Chinese radish affect the type of root crop grown. It can have a different shape, from round to spindle-shaped, as well as a variable color. The forehead is red, white, yellow, purple and green. The same variety of shades can be in the pulp of the plant. Depending on the variety, the duration of the growing season of the root crop can be from 70 to 120 days.
Chinese radish can be eaten fresh, because, compared to its European counterpart, it is not as bitter due to the absence of a large amount of radish oil in the composition. To taste, the forehead does not resemble a radish, but.

The composition and useful properties of the root crop

There are a lot of vitamins and minerals in the Margelan radish, which can fully fill the daily need for nutrients of every human body. It even contains those minerals that are practically absent in other root crops, for example, and many others. At the same time, the product is not too high, only 21 kilocalories per 100 grams, which allows the use of such a vegetable in many diet menus.

There are a lot of lobes in root crops, which has a beneficial effect on the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and relieves constipation. Chinese radish is full of essential oils that have a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect on microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, which helps to reduce pathogenic microflora and normalize excretory processes.

With low acidity of gastric juice and problems with the liver and gallbladder, loba can be an excellent restorative agent, it has a choleretic effect. And the juice from the roots of this plant will help overcome any inflammatory processes and SARS, will be an excellent medicine for arthritis, radiculitis and small stones in the liver and kidneys.

Margelan radish helps to increase appetite, as it provokes the secretion of gastric juice. The juice of the radish itself, combined with it, can cure any kind of cough. and fiber from Chinese radish help in the removal of toxins, decay products and waste products from the body. The sparing composition of the root crop allows it to be eaten even by people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system and liver. Well, the crushed forehead is used as lotions for local anesthesia.

Contraindications to the use of the root crop

Margelan radish should not be eaten by pregnant women, since it is able to increase the tone of the uterus through the influence of active essential oils from its own composition. This often provokes abortion, premature birth and the difficulty of bearing a fetus. Loba is also contraindicated for nursing mothers, since it greatly affects the taste of breast milk and is the cause of colic in babies. If you have the following diseases, you should consult your doctor about the advisability of using this product:

• gastritis;
• pancreatitis;
• ulcer of the stomach or intestines;
• colitis;
• enteritis;
• chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• severe kidney pathology.

Application in cooking

The taste of Chinese radish is very similar to the taste of radish. Loba can be used both as an independent dish and added to salads, sandwiches, appetizers and okroshka. A boiled vegetable is used as the basis for the first and second hot courses, and pickled and salted loba is an excellent addition to dishes from various products.

The best allies of the taste of Chinese radish in salads are green and. The radish can be cut coarsely or finely, into slices, straws or cubes, grated. Chinese radish salad will fit perfectly into any diet menu, if there are no contraindications to its use. From the following list of ingredients, you can prepare a very tasty and healthy salad with a minimum amount of calories:

• half (its juice);
• a mixture of peppers;
• beam;
• 1 medium radish;
• 1 large carrot;
• 1 medium onion;
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Radishes and carrots are rubbed on a coarse grater, onions are cut into thin half rings. A dressing is prepared from the juice of half a lemon, vegetable oil, a mixture of peppers and salt. All ingredients are mixed and seasoned with the resulting dressing, finely chopped greens are added to the salad.

For those who do not like too spicy dishes, the pepper mixture can be replaced with 1 small chopped bell pepper.

The resulting salad, like all dishes based on Chinese radish, can be consumed both in summer and in winter. The rich complex of vitamins in the composition of the loba will help you feel great even for those who severely restrict themselves in nutrition, trying to lose weight. Yes, and the prevention of many infectious and viral diseases during the off-season will not be superfluous, and the Chinese radish copes with this task perfectly well.

Loba (lat. Raphanus sativus)- an annual or biennial crop, which is one of the varieties of sowing radish and belongs to the common Cabbage family. She also has other names - Margelan or Chinese radish.

Description

For most of the main parameters, the forehead resembles a daikon. However, Loba has a longer growing season. It often takes a year, and sometimes two (most often this is exactly what happens) to develop it. In the first year of life, from ten to fifteen rosette leaves and small root crops weighing from three hundred grams to half a kilogram are usually formed in the forehead. And the flowering of the forehead and the formation of seeds can be observed only in the second year of her life. As for annuals, their full development cycle manages to fit into one growing season.

The vast majority of Loba varieties are characterized by a much larger mass of root crops than for ordinary European varieties of radish. And the shape of root crops, depending on the varieties, can vary greatly - it can be either spindle-shaped or oval, or standard round. Yes, and the color of the root crops can differ markedly: there are purple, red, green, yellowish, white foreheads or foreheads with a huge number of a wide variety of transitional shades and tones. However, the pulp of root crops, which can be reddish, greenish or white, can also boast of a variety of palettes. And also the varietal affiliation affects the duration of the growing season of a given crop, which can vary from seventy to one hundred and twenty days. However, lobas of all varieties need regular watering.

Since there is much less rare oil in the forehead than in its European relatives, it has a less sharp and bitter aftertaste. And to taste, it is more like not a radish, but a well-known radish.

Where does it grow

The largest loba plantations are located in Uzbekistan, Japan and Korea with China. In addition, this crop is actively grown in the Far East. And the most popular varieties are currently considered "Raspberry Ball" and "Elephant's Fang".

Application

Loba is quite suitable for consumption both fresh and as part of a wide variety of dishes: it can be boiled, salted, marinated and fried. Loba dishes will not do any harm to the figure, because the calorie content of this product is only 20 kcal for every 100 g.

The fiber contained in these interesting root crops helps to increase intestinal motility, which in turn helps to quickly cope with constipation. And the essential oils in the composition of the loba are endowed with a pronounced bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect, respectively, the systematic use of this root crop gradually inhibits the active vital activity of various pathogenic microorganisms that have settled in the vastness of the gastrointestinal tract.

Among other things, the loba boasts an excellent choleretic effect, in connection with which it brings a lot of benefits in diseases of the gallbladder and liver. It also helps with low acidity of gastric juice.

For various inflammatory and catarrhal ailments, it is recommended to use root juice (necessarily freshly squeezed). And this juice is very good at helping with arthritis and sciatica. It can also be used to remove small pebbles or sand from the liver and kidneys - for this, twice a day, take a quarter glass of loba juice.

Contraindications

Eating too much loba is highly undesirable (especially fresh) - it is fraught with increased gas formation, bloating and some other troubles with the digestive system. And for people with a duodenal ulcer or stomach, the forehead is generally contraindicated.

Chinese radish is a two- or one-year-old plant. This root vegetable belongs to the Cabbage family. It is most actively grown in Japan, Korea and China. In our country, Chinese radish grows well in the Far East.

The most common varieties are Red Radish (raspberry ball) and Lobo (elephant tusk).

Appearance of a vegetable

The shape of the "body" depends on the variety. It is round, spindle-shaped and elongated (oval). The color of the root crop can be white, green, yellow, red and purple. It also sometimes happens and then the vegetable has a double, and sometimes a triple color (yellow-green, purple-white, and so on). The pulp also has different colors and transitional shades. Usually its color depends on the color of the peel and can be either richer or lighter. Chinese radish weighs from 250 grams to 1 kilogram.

Basically, the plant is grown for 2 years. In the first year, leaves are formed (usually their number does not exceed 16 pieces) and a root crop. It has a small mass (no more than 300 grams). In the second year, the radish begins to bloom and its seeds ripen. The root crop increases in size and mass.

Taste

These do not contain as much oil as Russian ones. Due to this, it does not have a spicy aftertaste and bitterness. They contain many minerals and are rich in vitamins, as well as various enzymes, fiber and essential oils. Thanks to this, they have a tender and juicy pulp.

The photo shows the Chinese Lobo radish, or elephant tusk.

cultivation

It is usually grown in the fields after harvesting cucumbers, tomatoes, legumes and potatoes. It is not recommended to plant a vegetable after other representatives of the Cabbage species. If this is not taken into account, then the Chinese radish can be affected by clubroot and other diseases characteristic of this species. It can also be grown after garlic, onions and other early crops.

Before sowing, it is necessary to prepare the soil differentially. To do this, you can use mineral fertilizers and, if necessary, organic fertilizers, with the exception of manure. When using it, the Chinese Loba radish cracks, is poorly stored and rots, and also becomes tasteless and often gets sick. The most suitable "organic" is humus. You can also use wood ash.

Sowing radish is best done in the 2nd half of July. If the Chinese radish was planted in the 1st half of the month, then there is a possibility of root crops overgrowing, which will lead to a decrease in marketability. If the weather in the growing area is suitable, then it grows until November.

These varieties tolerate cold weather well, they begin to sprout at a temperature of 2-4 degrees Celsius above 0. When frosts down to -5 degrees, they do not freeze and do not die.

Water the radish should be plentiful and regular, so it will give a good harvest.

An interesting fact: if you plant Chinese radish in the last days of July or early August, then the amount of the crop will be greatly reduced, but at the same time marketability and safety will improve.

The photo shows a red Chinese radish, or raspberry ball.

Beneficial features

Chinese red radish and Lobo are used to remove harmful substances from the body and treat certain diseases. They can prevent fatty degeneration and other liver diseases. They also have diuretic properties, so they are used to clean the renal system from deposits consisting of sand and small stones. It is well suited for the prevention of urolithiasis.

Tip: if you constantly eat salads that include these varieties, then your appetite increases. This increases the production of gastric juice and speeds up the digestion of food.

The pulp contains components with a calming and analgesic effect. Therefore, it is used during neuritis, muscle pain and sciatica.

The juice of fresh root crops is widely used for the prevention of colds and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Who shouldn't eat radishes?

Doctors do not recommend eating these varieties of radish for pregnant and lactating women. Some components of vegetables accumulate in the body, and with an overabundance of them, the uterus can tone up. This is unacceptable when carrying a child, as this can provoke an early termination of pregnancy and premature birth. Red radish can cause allergies in mother and child, as its components can penetrate into breast milk.

Radish is also contraindicated for people who have heart disease, ulcers, gastritis, enterocolitis and other ailments of the gastrointestinal tract.

These are very popular in cooking.

Application in cooking

There are a large number of dishes in which these varieties of radish are used. They are mainly used in the manufacture of various salads, less often they are used in the preparation of soups, meat dishes and side dishes.

Root crops help to acquire an unusual taste and aroma of food. The taste of the vegetable does not change during heat treatment. They can be stewed, boiled, fried and steamed.

Red radish and Lobo are very juicy and tasty varieties. Their colors are varied, which makes them look unusual. In cooking, they are widely used due to their taste. They do not have bitterness and pungency, so they have a delicate taste. They are also used to treat and prevent many diseases. However, some people are not recommended to eat them.

Chinese radish Loba

Loba: Chinese radish with an unusual flavor

Chinese radish, or loba, is widespread in Japan and China. This root crop has a high nutritional value and a number of medicinal properties. Radek Loba differs from the usual radishes with a sweet-spicy taste, a special aftertaste and aroma. This vegetable- the most valuable source of vitamins, including C, as well as various minerals. In the winter-spring period, when the shortage of fresh vegetables is most noticeable, loba comes to the rescue, it is perfectly stored until spring.

The value of loba is that it improves metabolism, helps the intestines, stimulates appetite, stimulates the secretion of bile and gastric juice, and also removes various salts, cholesterol and toxins from the body.

Early spring sowing of Loba provides for cultivation in an annual crop, late summer- as a biennial plant. From germination to technical ripeness, depending on the variety, 60-90 days pass, from germination to seed production, 120-130 days are required.

The leaf rosette is raised, up to 50-60 cm high. The leaf blades are often whole, less often lyre-shaped, slightly dissected. Root crops of various shapes- from round to elongated-cylindrical, the color of the pulp and bark is white, green, pink, raspberry.

This light-loving, cold-resistant culture makes high demands on soils. It grows well on fertile lands of light and medium mechanical composition, heavy clay soils are unsuitable for it. The soil is prepared very carefully. In autumn, it is dug up to the depth of the arable layer with the simultaneous introduction of humus or well-rotted compost (5-7 kg / sq. M). In the spring they dig up again, and immediately before sowing they loosen deeply. If there is no organic matter, it is necessary to bring in for digging per 1 sq. m 30-40 g of superphosphate and 25-30 g of ammonium nitrate. You can use complex fertilizers, which include not only phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, but also the necessary trace elements. Acidic soils must be deoxidized with slaked lime.

Cold forehead is not terrible. Seeds germinate even at 4°C, but the most favorable temperature for plant growth is 18-20°C. Before sowing, the bed can be moistened. For foreheads, narrow-profile ridges are preferable to a flat surface. Then the seedlings are more friendly, and the root crops are larger, up to 600-800 g each. Seeds are sown in mid-July in moist soil. With the ordinary method, the row spacing is 40-45 cm, the belt method provides for two-three-line sowing. The depth of seed placement is 1.5-2 cm. After sowing, the soil is rolled, seedlings appear on the 3-6th day. To speed up the germination of seeds, the surface of the bed can be mulched and covered with a film.

Shoots are badly damaged by a flea, so consider in advance how to deal with it. Immediately after the emergence of seedlings, pollinate the crops with wood ash (can be mixed with tobacco). This will protect them from cruciferous flea, which can completely destroy seedlings in the cotyledon leaf phase. After the appearance of two true leaves, the plants are carefully thinned out, trying not to damage the delicate roots. Seedlings with a clod of earth can be transplanted into empty rows and be sure to water. The second time thinned out in the phase of 3-4 true leaves, leaving the plants at a distance of 15-25 cm from one another.

Loba is very sensitive to lack of moisture, so they try to keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. The peak of moisture consumption at the forehead falls on the time of intensive growth of the root crop. In dry weather, water regularly so that the roots are juicy, tender.

Loba has special requirements for soil fertility, it responds well to top dressing. When the root crop grows to 4-5 cm in diameter, the forehead should be fed: early varieties- 1-2 times late- 3-4 times with an interval of 10-12 days.

To prevent crops from thickening and shading, yellowed leaves and weeds should be constantly removed, row-spacings should be loosened after each rain or watering. It is useful to periodically poke root crops, this will protect them from slugs.

Root crops must be harvested before frost and in dry weather: early varieties- selectively as they mature, and winter- in a row at one time. Trying not to damage the root crop, the tops of the plants are cut off, leaving 0.5 cm of leaf petioles. Healthy and timely harvested loby root crops are well stored in cellars in boxes or in bulk until spring, for reliability they are layered with wet sand.

Vasily Opimakh

Chinese Loba Radish

In recent years, Japanese radish - daikon - has become widespread among our gardeners. But not everyone knows, probably, the Chinese radish, or forehead, although it deserves no less attention, since it also has many outstanding virtues.

In China, such a radish is grown everywhere, and it is sold in all the numerous bazaars.

Loba roots are the most diverse in shape and color - from round to cylindrical, with white, light green or red skin. But in the upper part of the head, the roots are always painted in an intense green color. The pulp of root crops has a color from white to pink-red. The weight of the root crop ranges from 0.5 to 1 kg or more.

Root crops of Chinese radish in taste occupy an intermediate position between daikon and European radish varieties, their flesh has a slightly spicy taste. In terms of taste, many of its varieties are close to radishes. Loba root crops are stored better than daikon, but worse than winter varieties of European radish.

In addition to their exotic appearance, amazing taste and impressive size, loba roots have healing properties - they inhibit the growth of bacteria, remove excess water from the body, promote digestion, cleanse the liver and kidneys, dissolve stones in them, remove salts of heavy metals and radionuclides.

They do not have a sharp stimulating effect on cardiac activity, like our black radish, so it is not contraindicated for older people. Their value is much higher than the usual radish and radish, they help to strengthen the immune system, reduce the level of cholesterol and carcinogens in the body.

Loba is a rather unpretentious plant, and even those varieties that are round and not buried deep in the ground can be cultivated on heavy clay soils, but a high yield is naturally obtained on fertile soils well seasoned with organic matter (compost or humus) and with neutral reaction. The best predecessors for loba are legumes and winter crops, cucumber, early potatoes, tomatoes, onions.

Chinese radish is sown both in spring and summer (mostly). When sown in spring, it quite often forms flower stalks; the roots of such plants, unlike daikon, are not suitable for food. And during the autumn period of cultivation, the plants do not form flower stalks and give a very high yield of root crops.

The soil for growing lobes is prepared in the same way as for other root crops. It must be well seasoned with organic fertilizers (compost, humus), 1 bucket per 1 sq. m on light fertile soils and 2 buckets per 1 sq. m on heavy clay soils. But fresh manure cannot be brought under it. It is applied only under the previous culture.

The depth of digging the soil should be at least 30 cm. On acidic soils, slaked lime must be applied. In low-lying areas, it is better to grow forehead on ridges and beds.

Of the fertilizers before sowing, it is better to apply a complete mineral fertilizer or nitrophoska, 1 teaspoon per 1 sq. m. But it is even better to use complex fertilizers "Kemira-lux" or "Kemira-universal-2", containing not only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but also all the necessary trace elements. These fertilizers are more expensive than nitrophoska, but much more effective.

Depending on the variety, lobou is sown in two terms. To obtain root crops in the summer-autumn period, seeds are sown from April 25. For winter storage - from June 20 to July 10, since early sowing of winter varieties of Loba often leads to the ejection of inflorescences in the first year of life and cracking of root crops. The optimum temperature for growth and development is 15-18°C. The culture is cold-resistant, withstands light frosts.

In the garden, grooves are made 1.5-2 cm deep at a distance of 30-35 cm. Seeds are sown in grooves in nests of 3 pieces. The distance between the nests is 15 cm. If the soil is not moist enough, then after sowing the plot must be watered. Subsequently, 5-6 days after the emergence of shoots, one healthy plant is left in each nest of three shoots.

The maximum yield of root crops is obtained by sowing seeds at the beginning of the first decade of July. At this time, growing conditions are most favorable for most varieties of Loba. But at the same time, the soil must be well watered, and after sowing, mulch.

And if you want to lay root crops for the winter, then it must be sown at the end of the first decade of July. The latest date for sowing seeds is mid-July, but such root crops in this case will be small.

The yield and size of root crops largely depend on the seed sowing scheme. Practice has shown that the most optimal is the scheme of sowing seeds on beds 110 cm wide in 4 rows with a distance of 30-35 cm between them. Seeds are sown in nests of 2-3 pieces to a depth of 2 cm.

To speed up the germination of seeds, the bed is covered with a film, which is removed when shoots appear. Seedlings appear after 6-7 days, and when sown with soaked seeds in moist soil - after five days. In the phase of 2-3 true leaves, the plants are thinned 15 cm apart, and for large-fruited varieties - up to 18 cm.

When the root crop reaches a diameter of 3-4 cm, the plants must be fed with a solution of mullein or ash. On rich soils, 1-2 top dressings are enough for early varieties, and 3-4 top dressings with an interval of 10-12 days for winter varieties. And one more feature of the forehead - in the garden, it gives a higher yield than on a flat surface.

Root crops are harvested before frost. Early varieties are harvested selectively in dry weather as they mature, while winter varieties are harvested in a row. For root crops intended for storage, it is better not to cut the tops, but to cut them off by twisting, leaving a petiole 1.5-2 cm long. In cold cellars, winter varieties are well stored until the end of winter, remaining as juicy as if they had just been removed from the garden .

In Russia, only two varieties of Chinese radish are zoned:

Elephant's tusk is a medium-late variety, 70-100 days pass from germination to harvest. Root crops of an elongated cylindrical shape, up to 25 cm long, white, smooth, weighing 350-550 g. The color of the root crop is white with a light green top. The pulp is white, juicy, good taste. Gives a stable harvest from seeds obtained in local conditions.

Severyanka is an early ripe variety, from germination to technical ripeness it takes up to 60 days. Root crops weighing 500-900 g, with a sharp base. The pulp is white, tender, juicy, slightly spicy taste.

Chinese varieties of lobas deserve the closest attention - Red Heart, Fireball and Chinese Delicatessen.

The red heart has a unique color of the root - light green on top, and bright red "watermelon" inside. This radish is the decoration of any festive table all winter. Its pulp is juicy and tender, practically devoid of a specific rare taste.

The fireball is the same round and large root crop, weighing up to 1 kg, but its color is exactly the opposite: it is bright red on the outside, and snow-white, juicy, tender, and has no bitterness at all. Even the petioles of the leaves are painted red.

The Chinese delicacy is a very early ripening variety. Perhaps, in terms of early maturity, taste and yield, it has no equal varieties. Root crops are cylindrical, long, even, weighing up to 2 kg, with snow-white juicy pulp of sweet taste.

In China, gardeners today have loba as the most promising vegetable crop, which could greatly oust many of our usual vegetables if it were not for our conservatism.

To get their seeds, overwintered root crops are planted (like ordinary beets or carrots) or seeds are sown in early spring, at the end of April. Sown early, when low spring temperatures are combined with a long day, the plants go to the arrow, bloom and by August - September seeds ripen on them.

But when growing seeds, it must be taken into account that forehead is a cross-pollinated crop, all its varieties can be pollinated with each other, as well as with radish. With cabbage, rutabaga and turnips, the radish does not cross-pollinate.

When growing new crops brought from afar, we must remember that everything new adapts to new conditions not in one year, but gradually. Therefore, the seeds obtained in your area in the second or third year give a higher and more stable yield than in the first year of sowing.

Loba keeps well. Root crops can be placed in a basement or cellar along with carrots, layered with wet sand, or put in a plastic bag and stored at a temperature of 2-5 ° C.

V. G. Shafransky