Radish Sprouts: Benefits, Uses, Planting Time and Methods

Radish is one of the vegetables commonly eaten in winter, but few people know that the sprouts grown from radish seeds can also be eaten as a vegetable. Radish sprouts, also called baby radish greens, are a fine choice among leafy vegetables, with high nutritional value and certain medicinal value.What are the benefits and uses of radish sprouts? When are they generally planted? What are the specific planting methods?

I. Benefits and Uses of Radish Sprouts

Radish sprouts are not only crisp and refreshing to eat, but eating them regularly also provides certain benefits and uses, as follows:

1. Nutritional composition table of radish sprouts (per 100g of fresh radish sprouts)

2. Benefits and uses of radish sprouts

(1) Promotes intestinal peristalsis. Radish sprouts are rich in cellulose and mustard oil, which have a certain effect on promoting intestinal peristalsis, can enhance appetite, and reduce the occurrence of constipation.

(2) Helps with weight loss. The most important point of weight loss is to eat less, and being unable to bear hunger is a common problem for all dieters, but eating radish sprouts can make the stomach feel full so that you no longer want to eat.

(3) Cancer prevention and anti-cancer. Vitamin C has a certain effect on fighting and preventing cancer, because it can block the formation of nitrosamines, has strong antioxidant effects, and reduces the toxicity of carcinogenic substances. Radish sprouts happen to contain it, and in amounts several times higher than in some fruits, so eating them regularly can fight and prevent cancer.

In addition, radish sprouts also contain an enzyme that decomposes nitrous acid (remember, it must not be exposed to heat), active substances that induce interferon, and lignin, all of which have a certain effect on cancer.

(4) Improves the body's immunity. Trace elements are indispensable for human immunity, especially since a zinc deficiency easily leads to decreased immunity, and radish sprouts are rich in trace elements, so as a food ingredient they are better for supplementing trace elements than medication.

II. When Are Radish Sprouts Generally Planted?

Radish sprouts are a vegetable that cannot tolerate high-temperature weather and arid climates. They are suitable for growing in environments with suitable temperatures and humid climates, and can generally grow between 15-30°C, growing best at around 20-plus degrees, so we generally choose to plant them in April-May. Of course, with greenhouse cultivation nowadays, they can be grown all year round.

III. Radish Sprout Planting Methods

Generally, radish sprout planting methods are divided into soil cultivation and soilless cultivation. Today we mainly introduce soilless cultivation for home growing.

1. Radish sprout seeds are very easy to buy, about one packet is enough. As for the basket, we can go to a fruit market and buy an unwanted fruit basket, for at most two yuan.

2. Put the bought seeds in a large bowl, add water and soak for one day.

3. Place the soaked seeds on moistened paper towels; here you can use kitchen paper or large paper hand towels, and be sure to spread them out evenly in the fruit basket. After spreading them out, pour another layer of water over them, and to keep them moist, cover them with a wet towel, which is also fairly breathable.

4. Remember, spray water on the surface of the seeds three times a day, and also make sure the paper towels at the bottom stay moist.

5. After the seeds sprout green shoots, they need light during the day, so uncover the wet towel, and at night they still need to be covered. Although they need light, do not expose them to direct sunlight.

6. Because they are soaked in water for a long time, root rot is very likely to occur, so it is best to keep the basket at a certain distance from the ground, and continue watering and following the steps in step 5 throughout the process.

7. They can be eaten in about 10 days. Of course, what you grow yourself is not as large in quantity as radish sprouts from outside, but it is green and pollution-free, tastes good, and is safer to eat.