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When to remove radish from the garden
You can harvest the radish until the first frost. A suitable month for harvesting root crops largely depends on how long you plan to store it.
When to remove radish from the garden?
In order for the harvested radish to be preserved throughout the winter, planting should be done in early summer. The crop must be harvested before freezing temperatures. If the bad weather came unexpectedly, it is better to postpone the collection of fruits until warming. The radish harvested during the frost period has a bitter taste and hollowness.
It’s time when you need to remove the radish from the garden for storage, continues until the first frost
The radish, planted in early spring, has a short shelf life. The first young fruits ripen in July and are stored for no more than a week. A later harvest retains its properties for 3 weeks. In order for the plant to remain fresh as long as possible, it is necessary to take into account the features of each variety when storing it:
- It is better to pack summer radish in a plastic bag and then in a wooden box with holes. The box must be placed in the refrigerator. The optimal conditions are humidity of at least 90% and a temperature of about 2 degrees.
- Autumn radish can be stored both in the refrigerator and in the cellar. Root crops must be covered with sand and provided with a temperature of no more than 3 degrees.
- Winter radish is best kept in a cellar covered with wet sand. When preparing for harvesting for long-term storage, root crops can be kept in the refrigerator or in an earthen hole.
During storage of the radish, you need to carefully monitor its quality. Sick or rotten fruits should be disposed of immediately. Otherwise, there is a risk of contamination of the entire crop.
When is it time to remove the radish from the garden for storage and how to do it?
The radish should be removed from the garden when the fruits are fully ripe. Mature roots are about 5 cm in diameter and protrude somewhat above the ground. It is important to dig them up in a timely manner. Overripe fruits have an unpleasant bitter taste. When digging up a crop, you must:
- use a shovel for dense soil so as not to damage the plant;
- leave the root crop extracted from the ground to dry in the fresh air for 2-3 hours;
- to clear the radish from the remnants of the earth;
- trim foliage.
Some root vegetables can be damaged when digging up. They should be eaten as soon as possible. They are not subject to long-term storage.
For long-term storage, it is better to choose winter radish varieties. They will not change their taste and will preserve vitamins.