How to plant a radish: simple rules with step by step instructions

Biological features

Radish is an annual crop belonging to the Cabbage family. The plant consists of a leaf rosette and a root crop, which is eaten. Depending on the variety, the root crop can have a very different shape, size and color. Most often, radishes are round or oval in shape, but there are instances of conical, spindle-shaped and elliptical shapes. The standard size of root crops is 2–5 cm in diameter and 15–25 g in weight, however, there are varieties with a larger root. Red-pink or variegated red-white color is considered the most common for radishes, but not so long ago, new varieties have appeared that have yellow, white, gray and even purple color.

Radish is characterized by a sharp taste, which is due to the presence of mustard oil glycosides. As a vegetable crop, it is grown and used in cooking everywhere, because it has a considerable set of vitamins and the ability to strengthen the immune system. In addition, the plant easily tolerates transplantation and temperature changes (it is not damaged by light frosts), so you can plant radishes in early spring, at the end of March or in April, as soon as the ground thaws by 3–5 cm.

The culture is propagated by seeds that have the ability to germinate quickly. If they are soaked before sowing, then the first shoots will appear literally in 2-3 days. Therefore, radishes are often sown in rows to mark bed lines with other crops. The radish root also grows very fast. Early varieties are ready to eat 3-4 weeks after the seeds have been sown in the ground.

According to the ripening period, radish varieties are divided into the following types:

• early ripe – root crops are ready for digging 20–30 days after sowing;
• mid-ripening – the ripening period is 30-40 days;
• late-ripening (45-60 days) – you can dig up a crop only in June, or even in July, provided that the seeds were planted in April or May.

When sown with seeds, radishes grow well in greenhouses and greenhouses. Under favorable conditions (good humidity and air temperature + 18 … + 20 ° C), sprouts appear in 2-4 days, but then it is necessary to lower the temperature to + 15 … + 18 ° C – this degree contributes to the early formation of root crops. Plants do not need a long light day – with natural light for more than 12 hours a day, they turn to flowering. It is also important to dig up the radish in time, because 10-14 days after the root crop has grown, a flower stalk appears on the plant, and the radish itself loses its taste.

Terms of planting

The question of when it is possible to sow radishes in order to get an early harvest and at the same time the crops are not frozen worries any gardener. As already mentioned, radish is a frost-resistant crop and tolerates undulating spring frosts well. In early spring, it can be sown immediately with seeds in the ground, without fear that they will freeze. However, when planting radishes in March, it is better to place the bed under the film so that the seeds germinate faster. Alternatively, you can build a film greenhouse, and with the advent of warm days, remove the film.

The most favorable soil temperature for sowing radishes is +12…+15 °C. The earth reaches such a degree somewhere in the middle or at the end of April. In the northern regions, radish seeds are usually sown in the ground in May and, accordingly, the crop is harvested a little later – in June or July. You can also sow the crop at the end of August, when the summer heat will go away, and daylight hours will become shorter. Many gardeners prefer to sow seeds at the end of summer, because the soil has cooled down a bit, and there is still enough time for tubers to form. Judging by the reviews, autumn radishes are sweeter and almost never empty inside.

In principle, you can sow a vegetable with seeds all year round, with the exception of June and July.

This is due to the fact that in June and July the air and soil temperatures are too high, and under such conditions, the roots will become bitter or not form at all, in addition, plants can release flower stalks. During the winter months, radishes are sown from seed only in greenhouses.

Also, some gardeners practice planting radishes before winter, that is, the seeds are sown in the ground in late autumn, just before frost, and they germinate next spring. This practice allows you to grow very early and high-quality radishes, since the seeds harden over the winter, and then good root crops grow from them. Another plus of winter sowing is that under the snow the ground is constantly wet, which contributes to the swelling and rapid germination of seeds.

Landing technology

Radishes are sown with seeds directly into the ground. The soil for growing crops is prepared in advance: for spring sowing – in the fall, for sowing during the season – in a couple of weeks. Radish grows best in loose and fertile soil enriched with humus. If the soil is acidic, it must be limed to equalize the acidity. Before digging, humus and compost are introduced into the soil, after which the bed is dug up with a pitchfork. If the soil is not very fertile, you can add mineral fertilizers: potassium chloride, superphosphate, ash.

For the beds should allocate a well-lit area. Radishes can also grow in partial shade, but in this case, the roots will be small. Pay attention to the predecessors of radish – the culture does not grow well after cabbage vegetables, lettuce. You can sow the seeds in the place where you plan to plant tomatoes and peppers later – this technique will save the area of ​​u15bu20bthe garden. The bed should be high, at least XNUMX–XNUMX cm.

Before planting, radish seeds are recommended to be soaked and calibrated (select the largest ones) – this is the only way you can speed up germination and are guaranteed to get high-quality root crops.

To check the quality of the seeds, you need to fill them with water. Those that sink to the bottom can be used for sowing.

You can soak the seeds in plain warm water or in a growth-stimulating solution. Alternatively, planting material can be placed in a damp cloth (gauze) and put in a warm place for a couple of days.

If everything is in order with the seeds, they are calibrated and germinated, you can start planting. We make shallow (5 cm) furrows along the length of the entire bed at a distance of 10–15 cm. We water the hole well and lay the seed. Sowing radishes with seeds involves placing them in a hole in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 3–4 cm. Of course, the process is very troublesome, and if you can’t do it, then you can sow more densely and then thin out the rows. Next, the holes are covered with a layer of earth, and if the weather is cold, then the bed is covered with a film.

Video “One of the ways to plant radishes”

This video will introduce you to one of the ways to sow radish seeds in open ground.

Care

Garden care consists of timely watering, weeding and loosening the soil. For intensive growth of root crops, it is necessary to maintain normal humidity – make sure that the soil does not dry out, but is not overly moist. If the summer turned out to be hot, it should be watered daily, the rest of the time – 1 time in 2-3 days. Sprinkling can be done in the evening. After each watering, it is necessary to slightly loosen the soil between the rows, and also remove weeds. In the spring, as soon as 1-2 leaves appear on the sprouts, the bed must be thinned out – only the strongest plants should be left at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other.

The main pests of radishes are cabbage flies and cruciferous fleas. To protect against these insects, it is recommended to spray the beds with a solution of ash or tobacco infusion. If the bed was prepared correctly, then the radish sown with seeds in the spring does not need to be fed. When sowing in autumn, potash fertilizers or compost must be added, as the soil has become a little depleted over the summer.

Radishes are consumed fresh. Root crops from spring sowing should be dug up in time, because they quickly overripe in warm soil. If the harvest is ripe in the fall, then you can not rush to harvest – in the cold ground, the roots will remain fresh longer. In a cool place (-2 … 0 ˚С), radishes are stored for quite a long time. Late varieties, ripening in July, can lie in the refrigerator almost all summer. It is better to store the autumn harvest in a cellar or basement, while the tops must be removed, and the roots should be sprinkled with sand.

Video “How to get a good harvest of radishes”

With the right agricultural technology, several harvests of radishes are obtained from one garden per season. What you need to do to grow a good crop, you will learn from this video.