Winter radish: how to grow a traditional vegetable

When to plant winter radish

Winter radish is good because it does not take up a separate place – it can be sown after early crops, which are already harvested by July. It is ideal if it is sown after dill, spinach, lettuce, peas and winter onions (1).

The bed should be in a sunny place: the radish loves an abundance of light. Before sowing seeds, it is dug up to a depth of 25 – 30 cm and 2 buckets of humus, 1 bucket of sand or peat and 1 glass of ash per 1 sq. m. But in no case should you use non-rotted organic matter – manure or bird droppings! From them, the radish grows ugly, tasteless and poorly stored.

If the soil in the area is acidic and has not been limed since autumn, it is sprinkled with dolomite flour before sowing, otherwise the radish may get sick with clubroot. Consumption – 4 full faceted glasses per 1 sq. m.

It is better to sow the seeds in a square way according to the scheme 15×15 or 20×20 cm to a depth of 2 – 3 cm (2). And this is justified: radish germination is almost 100%, and plants should develop freely from the very beginning. If the distance is less, seedlings in the cotyledon phase are thinned out. Sowing should be compacted – rolled, then the seeds will sprout together.

After sowing, it is useful to cover the ridges with a non-woven fabric – it will help retain moisture in the soil and protect seedlings from pests.

Varieties for July sowing

There are several varieties that are designed just for sowing in the middle of summer.

Black winter round. This is the most popular variety of radish, and it was bred in 1950 (3). It has black round roots and white, juicy, slightly spicy flesh. It is very well kept. Ripens 70 days.

It is sown throughout July, including in the second half.

Margelanskaya. This radish is green both outside and inside. Its flesh is very juicy, crispy and not bitter at all. It lies beautifully in the cellar all winter. Ripens 60 days.

Seeds are sown in the second half of July.

Elephant tusk. A very unusual variety, more like a daikon. Her root crops are very large, they are up to 50 cm long! They have a white skin and white, juicy, tender flesh without bitterness.

Sow it in the third decade of July.

Sowing Rules

It is best to sow radishes after early vegetables – lettuce, peas, green onions and spinach. But after radishes, it cannot be sown – they have common diseases and pests.

The place for the radish should be sunny. Before sowing, the site must be fertilized – add 2 buckets of humus and 1 glass of ash per 1 sq. m, and then dig a shovel onto a bayonet.

Seeds are sown to a depth of 2 cm according to the scheme: 20 cm between rows and 15 cm in a row. Before sowing, the furrows should be well watered, and the seeds should be covered with dry earth.

You need to water the radish once a week, 1 liters per 10 sq. m. Additional feeding is not required for her – enough of what was introduced into the soil before sowing.

How to care for winter radish

In general, radish care is not difficult, but it is important to do everything on time.

Watering. It is watered so that the earth is constantly wet to a depth of 15 – 20 cm. The norm is 1 – 10 liters per 12 square meter once a week. m. If the soil dries up even for a short time, the unpleasant rare smell will increase in the root crops, they will become hard, bitter, and juicy. If watered unevenly, from time to time, the root crops will crack and will not be stored.

Feeding. Everything is simple here: the radish needs only one fertilizer during the season – ash.

The first top dressing is done when the first 3 – 4 true leaves appear – the ash is scattered directly over the leaves, 1 tbsp. spoon per plant.

The second top dressing is given 2 – 2,5 weeks after the first – in the same doses and also on the leaves.

And then – every 2 weeks, but already 1 glass per 1 sq. m. And not on the leaves, but in the soil.

Watering and fertilizing should be stopped 3 weeks before harvesting.

Loosening. Not all summer residents loosen their beds, but you can’t be lazy with radish: you need to break the soil crust after each watering and rain. Otherwise, root crops may grow tasteless and ugly. It is necessary to loosen to a depth of no more than 4 – 6 cm, otherwise the roots may be damaged.

Additional tricks. Root crops will be of the correct shape if, at the end of July – beginning of August, take them by the tops and shake them slightly from side to side. In this case, the upper side roots will come off. Then the plants need to be spudded with humus a little – after such a reception, the pulp of the root crops will turn out to be more tender.

So that the root crops do not spoil the pests, it is most reliable to keep the bed under the non-woven fabric – until harvesting. And in order to weed, water and feed the radish, it is removed during the day, when fleas and flies are resting.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about growing winter radish with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova – she answered the most common questions of summer residents.

Sources of

1. Panteleev Ya.Kh. ABC vegetable grower // M .: Kolos, 1992 – 383 p.
2. Fisenko A.N., Serpukhovitina K.A., Stolyarov A.I. Garden. Handbook // Rostov-on-Don, Rostov University Press, 1994 – 416 p.
3. State Register of Breeding Achievements https://reestr.gossortrf.ru/