Daikon: how to grow a good crop

Daikon yields are amazing, and from a small area. And all because the roots of the classic daikon are very long – some go underground by 2,5 m!

However, now round varieties have also been bred, very similar to radishes and radishes. But they can be distinguished by the main feature: most of the root crop is located above the soil.

By the way, scientists, after conducting many experiments, proved that the daikon, even if it was grown in adverse conditions, remains completely environmentally friendly. It does not absorb any heavy metal salts or dangerous radioactive substances. And our black radish scored 16 times more harmful.

When to plant daikon

Most varieties of daikon have one characteristic feature. These are short-day plants: the root crop actively grows when the daylight hours are shorter than the night. That is why they are sown in late June – July. You can, of course, sow in May, but then the daikon will bloom in summer. For radishes and radishes, this would be a disaster, as the arrow takes away all tenderness and taste from vegetables. But the qualities of the daikon do not change during flowering: the roots remain juicy. But they stop growing, causing the yield to drop.

The optimal sowing time is July 10-15 (1). The soils should be light – daikon works best in peat or sandy areas. In such conditions, root crops grow even as if picked. However, experienced gardeners successfully grow it on heavy clay, using a tricky trick: holes are made in the soil with a hand drill 0,5 m deep and filled with sand or peat. And even better with a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 1: 1. And then seeds are sown in each hole to a depth of 2 cm. They germinate in 4-7 days (2). The distance between plants in a row is 25 – 30 cm, between rows – 60 – 70 cm.

How to care for a daikon

The watering rate for daikon is the same as for radish – once a week, a bucket per 1 sq. m. If the earth dries out even for a short time, the roots will become coarse and less juicy and may crack.

On fertile soils, the daikon does well without fertilizers. But if you feed it with ashes, the root crops will turn out tastier. It is applied every 2 weeks, scattered over the surface of the soil. Norm – 1 glass per 1 sq. m.

But in poor areas, it is useful to feed the daikon with nitrophoska – 2 tbsp. spoons for 10 liters of water. Consumption rate – 1 bucket per 1 sq. m. This top dressing is applied when the plants have 3-4 true leaves.

Daikon is convenient because it practically does not need to be weeded – powerful leaves give such a shadow that a rare weed will be able to survive in the garden.

When to harvest daikon

Daikon is harvested in dry weather before the first frost. In general, these root crops tolerate mild frost, but this reduces the shelf life. On light soils, the daikon is pulled out, on heavy or deep root crops, it is dug up with a shovel. Then cut off the tops.

Daikon storage rules

Only winter varieties are suitable for storage. They lie well until spring in the cellar at a temperature of 0 – 5 ° C and a humidity of 90%. It is more correct to keep the daikon in boxes 20 cm high. Root crops are laid in layers, sprinkling each with sand. To save space, the boxes can be stacked in 5 tiers.

In a city apartment, the daikon can lie until spring on an insulated balcony in plastic bags.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about growing daikon with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

Sources of

1. Kulenkamp A.Yu. Daikon // Great Encyclopedia (Electronic resource), 2016, https://bigenc.ru/agriculture/text/2855620
2. Sychev S.M., Sycheva I.V. Daikon introduction in the Central region of Our Country // Bulletin of the Bryansk State Agricultural Academy, 2011, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/introduktsiya-daykona-v-tsentralnom-regione-rossii