Radish Facts
Radish Facts
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| Interesting Radish Facts: |
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| Radish plant can reach 6 feet in height and 3 feet in width. Size of the root depends on the variety. Rounded varieties are usually 1 inch wide, cylindrical types are 7 inches long, while carrot-like varieties grow to the size of 24 inches. Biggest ever recorded radish (root) had 3 feet in length and 100 pounds of weight. |
| Radish has green, strap-like or lobed leaves arranged in the form of rosette. |
| Radish produces white flowers arranged in racemose inflorescence. Insects are main pollinators of the flowers. Fruit of radish is edible pod filled with seed. |
| Radish is usually cultivated because of its edible root. Color, size, shape and taste of root depend on the variety. Best known types are white, pink, red, purple, yellow and green colored. |
| Radish grows quickly. Seed starts to germinate 3 to 4 days after planting and radish can be harvested 3 to 6 weeks later. |
| Radishes can be divided in two groups, based on the planting time. Summer types are planted in the spring. They are usually round shaped and pink in color. Winter types are sown at the end of the summer. They are often elongated and white colored and have stronger taste than summer varieties. |
| Radish is rich source of vitamin C and vitamins of the B group. It also contains dietary fibers and minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and manganese. |
| Radish has mild to hot peppery flavor and crunchy texture. It is often consumed raw in the form of salads, but it also can be pickled, boiled and fried. |
| Leaves can be consumed fresh, as salad, but they less popular than root. Seeds can be used as spice. |
| Radish was used in treatment of kidney stones, intestinal parasites and bad skin in the Britain in the past. |
| Radish can be used to relieve stomach ache, to facilitate digestion and elimination of the excess body water and to regulate blood pressure. It contains substance, known as sulforaphane, which has potential to prevent cancer development. |
| Radish is very popular type of vegetables. Annual amount of sold radishes in the UK equals the weight of 40 blue whales. |
| Ancient Egyptians used radish oil in their diet before olive oil was discovered. |
| Oilseed radish is a sort of radish cultivated because of its oil that is used as biofuel (type of fuel that does not pollute atmosphere like conventional types of fuels). |
| Radish is usually cultivated as an annual plant (plant that completes its life cycle in one year). |
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