Vitluf Is A Valuable Product On Our Table

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Vitluf should be present in the diet of every health-conscious person. A useful product contains many vitamins and has medicinal properties, like its close relative, common chicory. What kind of plant is hidden behind this name? What is its value? And most importantly, how to grow your own crop of this irreplaceable food element? In the article you will find answers to all questions of interest to many lovers of proper nutrition

The word Vitluf hides salad chicory - a dietary product with medicinal properties. It copes well with diseases of the gallbladder, pancreas, liver, digestive tract, diabetes, lowers blood cholesterol.

Vitluf salad is created on the basis of the root chicory of the Magdeburg variety.

Leaves, white in the center with yellowish edges, collected in small heads of up to 300 grams, grown without access to light from root crops harvested since autumn, are eaten.

A prerequisite for successful cultivation at home is that the roots are stored for at least a month after harvesting in a cool room at a temperature of 1-2 degrees, buried in the sand. After aging, they are used for forcing in the winter-spring period from November to June.

There are two ways: non-covering and covering. Let's consider the features of each method in more detail.

Covering technology

It consists in growing Vitluf salad in tall containers (buckets, boxes, large bags) under a layer of loose component (sand, peat, sawdust).

For forcing, take root crops with a diameter of at least 3 cm. Cut the roots to the same height so that the growth points are at the same level. A loose mixture of peat and sand is poured into the bottom of the bucket. Turn it on its side, lay it out in layers of chicory, sprinkling each row with soil. Make sure that there are no voids between them.

In the middle, a tube is buried, flush with the edges of the container, but not reaching the bottom of 5 cm. Then, continue to plant the salad to its full volume. Return the bucket to an upright position. The soil is moistened in small portions through the tube. The soil should be slightly wet, but not soggy, otherwise the roots will rot. Dry sawdust is poured on top with a layer of at least 20 cm. They are well crushed (this technique will ensure the density of the heads of cabbage). They are removed to a dark place with a temperature of 10-15 degrees.

Evaporation from leaves is insignificant here, so additional watering is not required. If the air in the room is very dry, then it is watered little by little through a tube once every 2 weeks. After 20-35 days, the harvest is ready. Heads of cabbage are cut from the base of the root so that the leaves do not crumble.

The best place for forcing Vitluf salad is in the cellar, cool cellar and pantry. It is not necessary to increase the temperature in the growing room - this will lead to the formation of loose heads of cabbage with low marketability.

Non-covering technology

Requires less manual labor. It is based on covering the boxes of root vegetables with black films. In small volumes - with dense shields or covers.

Root crops are planted in the same way as in the first case, only they are not covered with loose soil on top. Leave the growth point uncovered. The lid is tightly put on the bucket. Packed in light-proof material. The temperature is maintained at 12-15 degrees.

With this method, the heads of cabbage are looser with a slight yellow tinge. A month later, the crop is harvested at a time. A new batch is planted in the vacant space.

Hydroponics

Alternatively, with the non-covering method, hydroponics are used. The substrate is completely absent here. Dark conditions are created in the area of heading formation due to opaque shelters.

Root vegetables are fixed in a container with many holes in the bottom. They are placed in pallets. Prepared solutions are also poured here. The water level must be carefully monitored so that the roots are not dry.

As needed, the crop is harvested selectively. It is enough to raise the shelter and cut off the required number of heads. This method is very convenient and less expensive.

Withstanding all the conditions of the selected technology, you can get up to 30 kg per 1 square meter of tasty and healthy Vitluf salad products for 1 planting.