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Radish is one of the suppliers of the first spring vitamins. Many gardeners try to choose seeds of early varieties and hybrids in order to quickly harvest. It is to them that the radish variety Rudolf belongs, which many consider a hybrid.
Description
The radish variety Rudolph was created by the Dutch company Bejo Zaden, one of the leaders in the seed production market. Its maturity is one of the earliest. Harvest can be harvested after 16-20 days after germination. In cold weather, this period is slightly extended – up to 25 days. Round-shaped root crops of the Rudolph variety with a diameter of up to 4 cm have a rich red color with a sheen. Their average weight is 20-25 g. The taste is very good, rich, the sharpness is weakly expressed. The white flesh is juicy.
The bush of the variety Rudolph is low. The leaves do not grow above 15 cm. Its productivity is high: up to 2,5 kg of tasty and healthy root crops can be harvested from each square meter. The purpose of the radish variety Rudolf is to obtain early beam products.
The radish variety Rudolph was entered into the State Register in 2002. It is suitable for growing in the spring in open ground and in stationary greenhouses all year round.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages and disadvantages of the Rudolph variety can be summarized in a table.
Advantages | Disadvantages |
Early ripeness and friendly return of the crop | Poorly tolerates lack of moisture |
Evenness of roots | Does not like excess mineral and organic fertilizers, they must be strictly dosed |
Excellent taste |
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High yield |
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Long shelf life and good presentation |
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High immunity to diseases |
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Low light tolerance and color tolerance |
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Preparation of seeds for sowing
Bejo Zaden radish seeds are ready for sowing. They are treated with thiram and do not require soaking. On sale there are seeds of the Rudolf variety of domestic producers.
They will have to be prepared as follows:
- calibrate – large seeds will sprout earlier and give a good harvest;
- place in hot water for 15 minutes, its temperature should be 45 degrees;
- wrap in a damp cloth for a day to swell.
Peculiarities of growing
To place the Rudolf radish variety, you need to choose a sunny place. Warning! Its predecessors should not be cruciferous vegetables.
The acidity of the soil does not matter much. The Rudolf radish grows well in both slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soils. This crop is best suited for soil with a high humus content.
In open ground
The sowing scheme is 5×15 cm, where the first number is the distance between the seeds, and the second is between the rows.
It is better to prepare the bed in the fall, and just loosen it in the spring: radishes can be sown very early. Since autumn, mineral fertilizers have also been applied: 20 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate per square meter. m.
Seeding algorithm:
- we make grooves on a loosened bed – on fertile soil no deeper than 2 cm, on lean soil – 4 cm;
- pour a layer of humus 2 cm high on lean soil;
- sprinkle the grooves with ash and add a little nitrogen mineral fertilizer. Radishes of the Rudolph variety do not tolerate excess nitrogen in the soil, from which the roots become flabby and lose their rounded shape.
- spread the seeds at a distance of 5 cm and fill the grooves;
- if the soil is dry, they should be well watered.
You can sow radishes in several periods.
- In early spring. Radish Rudolf can be sown in open ground immediately after the snow melts. In order for the soil to warm up better, it is covered with a film before sowing.
- Starting from the end of July. At this time, the day becomes shorter, so you can get marketable root crops. With a light day of more than 12 hours, even the Rudolf variety of radish that is resistant to flowering can partially produce flower arrows.
- Under the winter. A bed for winter sowing is prepared in advance by making grooves in it. Sowing begins when the ground is already frozen. Fill the grooves with dry peat or humus. Before winter, radishes of the Rudolph variety are sown only with dry seeds, increasing the seeding rate by 2 times.
Further care consists in thinning, if the seedlings are very thick, loosening the soil and mandatory watering. With a lack of moisture, the roots of the Rudolph variety will be woody and lose their juiciness.
In the greenhouse
The soil in the greenhouse is prepared in the same way as for open ground, but the sowing time is different. In an unheated greenhouse, you can sow as early as March. And if it is heated, then all year round.
In order to make the most of the limited area of the greenhouse, the row spacing can be reduced slightly. Caring for a root crop in a greenhouse has its own characteristics:
- crops should be watered regularly, preventing the soil from drying out;
- air temperature should be regulated by ventilation – it should not be higher than 20 degrees Celsius.
Even in an unheated greenhouse, you can harvest as early as the end of April.
Growing problems
Despite the short growing season, gardeners often face a problem when growing Rudolf radish. They can be summarized in a table.
Problem | Cause | What to do |
No seedlings | Too early sowing in cold soil – seeds rotted | Warm up the soil before sowing |
There are tops, but no roots | There is little potassium in the soil, the bed is poorly lit | Plant in a sunny place, add ashes when sowing |
Hollow and fibrous roots | Too much nitrogen in the soil, unnecessarily deep planting, late harvest | Water in time, do not bury crops, remove root crops in a timely manner |
Plants shoot | Late or dense sowing, damage to the root system when loosening, old seeds | Use of fresh seeds, optimal sowing time, thin out by pinching excess plants |
Diseases and pests
It happens that even if all the necessary conditions are met, the harvest cannot be obtained. And pests or diseases are to blame. The table will tell you what they are.
Disease or pest | How it manifests itself and when it hurts | How to fight | Preventive measures |
Blackleg | The root neck darkens and rots | Treatment with a solution of 2 tbsp. tablespoons of copper sulfate, dissolved in 10 liters of heated water | Pre-sowing heating of seeds |
Root blackening | Rot and bluish spots on the roots | Remove diseased plants, disinfect the soil in the greenhouse | Sowing only in light soil without stagnant water |
Powdery mildew downy | White bloom on leaves | Removal of diseased plants | Seed disinfection |
Phomosis or dry rot | All parts of plants have white spots with black dots. | Proper care and timely weeding | Seed warming |
Cruciflo flea | As soon as the soil warms up to 10 degrees | Treatment with Fitoverm, dusting wet leaves with ash | Spraying with a solution of shampoo against fleas in dogs, diluted in a bucket of water 3 tablespoons |
spring vegetable fly | When the cherry blossoms | Treatment with Fitoverm or Karbofos | Watering with salt water – a glass on a bucket |
Caterpillars of the cabbage white | Harm crops in the second half of summer | Treatment with Spark or Fitoverm | Planting next to marigold radishes |
The leaves of the plant are damaged by the cruciferous flea.
Root rot.
Conclusion
Rudolph variety is an excellent choice for those who want to get an early harvest of tasty and marketable root crops.