The Daikon Radish is a friend to many!
Gardeners, food enthusiasts, and permacuture homesteaders all agree, the Daikon Radish is an incredible plant. Here on our homestead, the "soil" is hard and rocky. It would take you a long time and a lot of effort to till it, and you would need one powerful machine or a pick-axe to do the job. When I have as much work to get done as I do, I'd rather not do it all myself.
Anytime that I am able to enlist plants or animals to help get the job done, it is a huge bonus for us. I share the mentality of @bluerthangreen when it comes to utilizing the resources that we have been given upon this earth in a way that benefits everyone involved. Pigs, goats, and even radishes all have specific niches to fill and jobs to do, so when we are proper stewards of the earth and work with the natural characteristics of the plants and animals around us, incredible things can happen.
As a gardener, I enjoy reaping the return on my investment and I enjoy delicious, home-grown food from a trusted source. Radishes can be tasty anyway, but when they are grown in hot weather, they really heat up. Unlike many other radishes, the Daikon can grow to some impressive lengths. The one I am showing in this post is "just a little guy."
Since plant life feeds so much other life, it is important to make sure that you create areas in which your plants can thrive. The Daikon does this in many ways. First off, the deep roots grow quickly and break open the ground. If the radish is left to finish its life-cycle and die in the hole that it was planted in, the roots decompose rapidly and feed the microorganisms living in the soil. In this way, it is not just opening up the soil, but building the soil as well.
Also, the top of the Daikon is also impressive. It can be planted as a cover crop because the leaves of the radish grow thick and long, blocking out the sun for other plants that may be trying to grow in that area. Since everyone hates weeding, why not grow a plant that fights the weeds for you?
Of course you can still pull and eat the radishes. I love to do that, but I also share. The leafy tops make a good treat for our rabbits when fed to them in moderation. It is a great way to mix up their diet a little bit while still providing our own food.
I like to call Daikons my "Soil Drills" and am amazed at the work that they can do. I long for rich, organic soil to grow my food in, and am pleased with the role that Daikon radishes will play in that goal. Not only will these radishes be used for food for my family, they will break up the soil, build the soil, fight the weeds, and feed the rabbits while they are at it! And all it takes to get that party started is to plant a seed!
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-edible-soil-drill
