How to plant black radish

Black and white radish are the sharpest of all representatives of the Sowing Radish species. Culture has been grown for thousands of years in the East, from where it spread to Europe. In Our Country, a hundred years ago, the root crop was no less popular than carrots and was considered an ordinary food. Planting black radish in open ground today has become much less common, but in vain.

This cruciferous member of the cruciferous family may not be very tasty if you just peel and cut off a piece of the root vegetable. But with skillful preparation, radish can become an appetizer, side dish, and even a sweet and spicy dessert. And even those who have no idea what it looks like know about the beneficial properties of the root crop.

When to plant radish in open ground with seeds

Planting and care in the open field for radishes differ depending on the variety. The skin of early root crops is usually painted white, later – black. This radish is round, at an early age it easily takes root in a new place, therefore, it can be grown through seedlings. This simply does not make sense, with the right choice of planting dates, it ripens perfectly when sowing seeds in the ground.

Radish is a short daylight plant. At the beginning or end of the season, it forms a root crop and builds up green mass. As soon as the day becomes longer than 12 hours, the plant begins to prepare for fruiting and throws out a flower arrow. From this, the root crop becomes hollow and unfit for food.

It turns out that all types of radish need to be sown, grown and harvested at the very beginning of the growing season, or closer to its end.

Planting dates for radishes in early spring

White radish has a much milder flavor than black radish. It is somewhat sharper than a radish and forms a large or medium root crop. White varieties are considered early, they are called summer and are planted in the spring, when the soil thaws and warms up a little. This usually happens in April, in the North by the end of the month, for the southern regions – at the beginning.

Summer radish is an annual crop that forms a root crop and produces seeds in the same year. From the moment of emergence of seedlings to technical ripeness, an average of 50 to 60 days passes. This is much longer than the radish, but less than the growing season of the black radish. Summer varieties are not suitable for storage, they are grown specifically for fresh consumption.

White radish seeds are planted very early, they germinate at a temperature of 5-10⁰ C. The culture is not afraid of short-term frosts and manages to give the harvest before the day becomes longer than the night. In most regions, by this time the temperature does not have time to become critical and provoke flowering.

When to plant winter radish

The timing of planting black radish and caring for it depends on the growing season. And the culture grows for a long time, on average 90 days. There are varieties with a ripening period of up to three months. Black radish is perfectly stored in winter, and the longer the time passes from the moment of emergence of seedlings to the stage of technical ripeness, the better. Varieties with the longest growing season can lie without loss of marketability for up to eight months.

Given that the culture tolerates light frosts, it may seem that it needs to be planted as late as possible. But root crops that have fallen under negative temperatures lose their keeping quality and quickly deteriorate.

The timing of sowing black radish should be correlated with the climate of the region. It must be planted in such a way that root crops begin to form by the time the daylight hours become shorter than 12 hours. It is necessary to dig winter varieties before the onset of frost, and in dry weather. So it is not enough to focus on temperature and light. It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the climate.

In the south, black radish seeds are planted in the second half of July or early August. In the Moscow region – no later than the beginning or middle of July, for the Middle lane, the sowing dates are shifted to the end of June – the beginning of July.

When to plant a radish in Siberia

In the North-West and Siberia, black winter radish is planted in early June. While it rises and begins to form a root crop, daylight hours will become shorter.

Is it possible to plant a radish before winter

Planting radish before winter is possible. But does it make sense? Podzimny sowing is done in order to get fresh vegetables or herbs as early as possible, and not with the aim of experimenting whether shoots will appear.

To clearly understand why it is not worth sowing a radish before winter, it is better to sort everything out point by point.

1. Radish seeds germinate quickly even at low temperatures. At 4⁰С, after 14 days, seedlings appear above the soil surface, and hatch even earlier. In those regions where winter thaws are possible, it makes no sense to sow radish – it will germinate, and then die safely when the temperature drops for a long time. In the North and beyond the Urals, you can simply miss the time of planting seeds.
2. Even if seedlings appeared in early spring, they can be destroyed by a return frost. The germination temperature is rather low and unstable at the beginning of the season. Short heat is replaced by frost, for early spring this is normal.
3. Suppose that the radish survived the winter safely, germinated on time and was not destroyed by low temperatures. As soon as the soil warms up a little, in March or early April, a cruciferous flea that has wintered there will come out of the ground. A hungry insect usually settles on wild-growing colza, yarutka, or other weedy cruciferous plants. Too early seedlings of a cultivated plant will be completely destroyed by a flea, as they are a delicacy for a pest. End.

Of course, it is possible to grow radishes from winter crops. But the effort expended will not be equivalent to the result. And given that potent chemicals will need to be used to combat the cruciferous flea at the beginning of the season, the benefits of early root crops will become doubtful.

Which variety to prefer

As of the end of 2018, the State Register lists 28 varieties of black and white radish. In fact, there are much more of them. In order to choose the right varieties of black and white radish, you need to take into account the region where the crop will be grown and the timing of its consumption.

Selection of varieties depending on the region

Radish varieties included in the State Register are recommended for cultivation throughout Our Country. They are simply planted a little earlier or later to adapt to the local climate.

One could write that the most frost-resistant varieties are grown in the North, and those not prone to shooting are chosen for the south. But in fact, round white and black radish gives a good harvest everywhere, you need to dig it out, regardless of the region, before the thermometer shows a negative temperature. And the peduncle will in any case form when the day is greater than the night, or during intense heat, unlike radishes, which have varieties that are resistant to bolting.

Selection of varieties according to the terms of maturation and storage

For fresh consumption, varieties of white radish are chosen, which are planted in early spring. They are not stored and unsuitable for processing, but they have a milder taste than winter ones. We can recommend growing such early varieties:

• Agate with a white conical root weighing up to 400 g, ripening – 50-60 days;
• A delicacy with a convex head weighing up to 50 g and ripening in 38-40 days;
• Bianca with small (up to 45 g) flattened heads, ripening – 40-42 days;
• May – white root crop, flattened, weighing up to 100 g, ripening – 55-65 days;
• Munich Beer – a variety with an oval white root crop weighing up to 400 g, ripening in 55-60 days;
• Sirius is the newest high-yielding variety, with a conical white root weighing up to 65 g and ready for harvest 38-40 days after emergence.

There are varieties that can be stored for a month or a little longer. They are considered late autumn, but not because they are planted in the summer, but because of the shelf life – they are eaten fresh or kept until the start of winter. Such a radish will not be stored longer. The best varieties:

• Astronomer with pink skin and conical roots weighing from 75 to 330 g, ripening in 65 days;
• Autumn Luck – a variety that ripens in 72-75 days, with rounded white roots and a weight of up to 270 g;
• Matchmaker with a flattened white root crop, weighing up to 150 g, ripening period – 52-55 days.

Radish varieties for winter storage are usually (but not always) distinguished by black skin, pronounced bitterness and the highest content of nutrients. The longer their ripening period, the better the keeping quality of root crops. We can recommend the following varieties for cultivation:

• Uncle Chernomor – a new variety that ripens in 55-60 days with a flat-round black root crop, white flesh, moderately spicy taste and a weight of 200-220 g;
• Winter round white – an old tested variety with excellent keeping quality, ripening in 80-100 days, with a round head, white skin and a sharp taste;
• Winter round black – perhaps the most famous old variety, ripens in 70-110 days, with black skin and white flesh, rounded root crop weighing 250-550 g, pungent taste, long shelf life and high content of nutrients;
• Misato Grin – French winter variety, distinguished by good taste, white-green peel and triangular root crop weighing 350-450 g, ripening – 50 days;
• Night considered one of the most delicious winter varieties, ripens in 68-75 days, round black root crop, up to 220 g;
• Cylinders stands out among other varieties with a conical long black root, similar in shape to a daikon, ripens in 62-73 days, weight – up to 210 g.

Planting radish in open ground with seeds

Radish is easiest to sow directly into the ground. Even varieties with round roots that can be transplanted at a young age do not make sense to grow through seedlings.

Soil preparation

The soil before you need to dig deep, under summer varieties from autumn, for winter – at least 2 weeks in advance. Since alkaline or neutral loose soils are ideal, if necessary, improve their structure with sand, peat or mature compost. Acidity is adjusted with lime.

Fresh manure cannot be applied – excess nitrogen will lead to active growth of greenery to the detriment of the root crop, the formation of voids in it, a decrease in keeping quality and a deterioration in taste. Before sowing winter radish, which is held in the middle of summer everywhere except Siberia and the North-West, you can grow onions for greens, spinach or dill on the site. Do not plant lettuce or other cruciferous crops there.

How to plant a radish

Round black and white radish are sown in furrows. They are made 3-4 cm deep, a glass of ash and 1 tablespoons of full complex fertilizer are added to 3 running meter, mixed with soil and watered abundantly. Rows should be 30 cm apart.

After that, seeds are sown, and the larger the root crop, the less often. Then the planting is covered with a layer of soil 1,5-2 cm. So it will be easier for the seeds to sprout – a crust does not form on the surface of the soil after watering, and besides, they will not be washed with a stream of water. Moisture in the furrows is sufficient after pre-moistening.

Then the seedlings will be thinned out several times, and in the early stages, the seedlings can be transferred to a new place, and in the later stages, young root crops can be eaten. 1 g contains 100-120 radish seeds, so there should be no problems.

But if necessary, you can grow a crop by planting not in furrows, but in nests. 2-3 seeds are sown in them, in the phase of 2-3 true leaves one sprout is left. The distance between the holes is at least 15 cm. But for radish with large root crops, it should be large.

Growing radish in open ground

What does a round bitter radish like? In order for the roots to be tight, juicy, and for winter black varieties to lie for a long time, the culture needs:

• good lighting for no more than 12 hours a day;
• regular watering;
• top dressing, mainly potash fertilizers;
• cool weather;
• loose soil.

Radish does not like:

• long daylight hours;
• heat;
• fresh manure;
• large doses of nitrogen fertilizers;
• dense acidic soils;
• thickened landing;
• drying of the top layer of soil.

White summer radish, if the soil was filled before sowing the seeds, not only with ash, but also with complex fertilizers, you can not feed. You need to water the culture regularly so that the soil does not have time to completely dry out, otherwise the pulp will be dry, fibrous and tasteless.

If necessary, the garden bed is covered with black agrofiber or lutrastil after 7 pm to limit light access. The aisles are cleared of weeds and loosened regularly. Thickened plantings are thinned out.

How to grow black radish outdoors

There are some nuances in growing and caring for black radish. First of all, this concerns top dressing. Black late varieties are intended for long-term storage, they must accumulate the necessary nutrients for this.

The first dressing for radish is given at the stage of formation of 5-6 true leaves. At the same time, a full complex fertilizer is used, better – specially designed for root crops. The second top dressing should not contain nitrogen and is done at the stage of the beginning of root formation. You can replace mineral fertilizers with ash – it is rich in potassium, and it is this substance that radish needs more than others.

Otherwise, everything is the same as for early varieties: loosening, weeding, lime milk, regular watering, which is stopped 3-3,5 weeks before harvest.

How to get radish seeds

To obtain summer radish seeds, it is better not to leave it in the garden, but to dig it up, wash it, prepare it and plant it back into the ground. They do this in order to choose the best root crops that meet varietal characteristics.

Radishes are dug up, cleaned of soil, all leaves are cut off, except for the central ones, and soaked in water. To obtain seeds, a root crop is suitable, which will sink, and those that float to the surface are rejected.

Plant the radish in the ground in a sunny place. It is ready for harvest when the pods turn yellow and the seeds turn brown. Now the plant is pulled out and placed in a dark, well-ventilated place for ripening. After 12-15 days, the pods should burst easily, they are threshed, sieved and poured into a paper bag with ventilation holes, on which the year of collection is inscribed.

When to plant black radish tubers for seeds

Winter black radish, which has a two-year life cycle, is planted the next season after harvest. If she went to the arrow early and managed to give seeds in the year of planting, it is better to throw them away. A quality radish will not grow from them.

To obtain seeds, the best root crops are selected that correspond to varietal characteristics, and stored separately from the rest of the crop, and planted in the garden in late spring.

Black radish seeds are harvested and stored as described above.

Why the radish goes to the arrow and what to do

Radish most often goes to the arrow due to violation of planting dates. When root development occurs under long daylight hours, flower formation cannot be avoided. The only thing that can be done is to regulate the illumination by covering the garden bed with black lutrastil or agrofibre.

High temperature also contributes to the formation of a flower arrow. Here you really need to focus on the climatic features of the region before planting radishes. You can help a little by increasing watering. But you cannot drown a radish in water.

The lack of moisture makes the plant strive to complete its life cycle as quickly as possible and produce at least some seeds. Watering the radish should be regular and plentiful.

An excess of fertilizers, especially those containing nitrogen, makes the root crop hollow, fibrous, and stimulates flowering. Extra feeding radish is not only unnecessary, but also harmful. It is impossible to bring fresh manure under the culture or fill the soil immediately before planting with humus.

Dense heavy soil by itself is unsuitable for growing radishes and can speed up the formation of flower stalks.

It is easiest to deal with thickened plantings – they just need to be thinned out. Moreover, small plants can be planted on a new bed, and those who have already managed to form a root crop can be eaten.

Diseases and pests of radish: control and prevention measures

Radish almost does not get sick. On acidic soil, cruciferous plants can form a keel, which they fight by watering the plants with lime milk. Constant overflows, coupled with dense soils, can cause rot.

But radish has trouble with pests – it is affected by all insects characteristic of cruciferous crops. As a preventive measure, it can be advised after watering to sprinkle the soil with dry ash, lay out wormwood in the aisles.

If pests have already appeared, you can use tobacco dust, spray the garden bed with an infusion of wormwood or red pepper. It is impossible to use karbofos, as some sources advise! This drug is so toxic that it is banned in Europe, but we use it because of its high efficiency.

Conclusion

It is necessary to plant black radish in open ground on time. If you focus on the requirements of the variety and your own climatic conditions, there will be no problems with the culture.