Each gardener in his work list has a culture, when growing which is always something yes wrong, something yes not that.
Among such crops for many, radishes are no exception.
The most precocious culture.
It seems that there is enough knowledge for the cultivation of radish, but the harvest is not happy anyway - poor tails will grow.
We decided to help rectify the situation with such gardeners.
We collected all the most valuable information about the process of growing radish, checked it in our own garden, and now we are delighted to share our experience.
Preparing for planting radishes or what, where, when required from a gardener?
Radish culture is cold-resistant. For cultivation, you can not allocate a separate area, and planted in front of heat-loving plants.
First, before the time of planting the seedlings of culture, radishes have time to ripen.
And, secondly, it can be used as a lighthouse culture. For example, if you sow radishes on a plot of land where you plan to grow tomatoes in the future, you can even collect several crops of radishes, provided that you sow every week.
Thus, you and the land will prepare for planting the next crop.
Seed preparation: how not to get lost in a huge selection? what to prefer?
If you are engaged in planting radish is not the first time, then, of course, there are proven varieties that you out of habit prefer. But, if you are faced with the cultivation of this crop for the first time, or decided to diversify your diet, the following information will be useful to you.
Almost always and all cultivated crops have old proven varieties, and there are beginners, most often hybrids. Hybrids are characterized by high resistance to adverse factors, yield, beautiful appearance, precocity.
If on the labeling of seeds you see F1, then this means that before you seeds are hybrids.
If you do not know what kind of seeds to give preference to: hybrids or varieties, then try those and others, at the end of such an experiment you will already know what you liked more.
First you need to decide where and when you sow radishes. Based on this, during the purchase carefully read the description.
Provided that you grow radishes in a protected ground, you should choose varieties that are suitable for growing in greenhouses, and can also be grown year-round.These varieties are not whimsical to lighting.
Would you like to get the most early crop of radish? Then give preference to early and ultra-fast hybrids and varieties.
Often on the packaging of such seeds there is a designation: "16 days", "18 days". If the optimum temperature is 16-19 ° C, the root crop will be formed for 18-22 days.
If you plan to produce the sowing process with untreated seeds, then it is desirable to pre-calibrate them and soak them before sticking.
Calibration can be done by sifting seeds through a sieve with cells of 2 millimeters, after which the largest ones should be left. It should be soaked for 1-3 days, so the period of shoots will be shortened and it will pass more amicably.
A little about what time it usually ripens radishes
A very important characteristic of radish is its ripening period.Fans of super-early varieties can be advised to pay attention to: "Early Red", "18 days", "Ultra Early Red".
But remember, if you read on the package that the ripening time is so many days, then this indicator is subject to growing the crop at optimum temperatures (+15 - + 30 degrees).
If grown exclusively in open ground, then the temperature should be warm day and night. Under other colder conditions, the cultivation of radish will be delayed.
It should also be mentioned that the size of the seed directly affects the timing of ripening radish. The larger the seeds, the earlier the radish will grow.
Soil preparation: when to start? Anyway, is it necessary to start?
It is advisable to prepare the ground for planting radish since autumn. Before digging, make 1 m2: about 50 grams of superphosphate, 15 grams of potash and salt, and half a bucket of humus or decomposed compost.
If you did not prepare the soil in the fall, then the main thing is not to make a big mistake in the spring: never put fresh manure into the soil, from this radish will be hollow inside. Top-dressing is possible only with overheated organic matter.
Radishes are best grown on loose soil, on heavy inevitably marksmanship. If the soil is heavy, then sand, compost, and neutral peat can be added to it.
The ideal Ph acidity is 5.5-7.0. The soil is more acidic, it is advisable to forge, or add ash, otherwise the fruit will be prone to the disease of keel (growths grow on the fruit).
Good forerunners for radish are: beans, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers.
If the bed is prepared well in advance, the culture will not need further feeding. But, if you noticed that:
- Plant and root crop are poorly formed, and the leaves become yellow, it is necessary to feed the plant with nitrogen fertilizers. For example, it can be: a dandelion infusion with nettle, or an infusion of ash (1 cup of ash per 10 liters of water).
- If the leaves look good, but the root crop is not tied, then apply potash fertilizers.
How to arrange radish planting correctly?
Radish is a long day culture, very cold resistant. Based on this, it is recommended to start sowing as early as possible. If the soil is protected - then you can begin to sow in the third decade of March.
If sowing is carried out under film or in open ground, then from the second half of April, as soon as the soil allows. As an option, you can spend sowing the winter.
It is possible to have radishes on the table all year round only if these sowing points are observed:
- After the first early sowing of radishes, it is possible to sow the conveyor belt for a whole year, thus, continuously getting fresh harvests. To do this, you can sow the seeds immediately after the radish of the previous sowing of one or two true leaves. This method of cultivation is possible for varieties resistant to tsvetushnosti
- If the sowing is done at the end of May, or the beginning of June (you can sow after a lettuce or onions with a feather), then it is desirable that the bed is well lit, but without hitting the sun at noon. If you sow in permanent penumbra, then you will not grow radishes, but tops. It is advisable to close the bed for the next 10 to 12 days with a dark film (from 7 pm to 7-8 am). Thus, you will contribute to the development not of flowers, but of root crops.
- When sowing in early July, the garden bed should also be covered with foil, and also ensure that the soil is sufficiently moist.
- The end of August - the beginning of September: you can sow in greenhouses, they already by this time freed from tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Light day is reduced, so there is no need for black film.
Radish germinates at a temperature of -1 ... -2 ° C. The optimum temperature is + 15- + 18 ° С.If the temperatures are very high and there is also insufficient lighting, then an increase in the foliage will be inevitable, the root crop will be rough. Shoots can withstand frosts down to -4 ° C.
It should also be understood that if the seedlings maintain a small sub-zero temperature, in other words, short-term frosts, this does not mean at all that the radish is growing at this time.
At cold temperatures, the radish in its growth is inhibited - “it sits and waits for heat”. Based on this factor, this culture is more often grown in greenhouses or under film. Obtaining a predictable result in such conditions is more realistic.
Summer crops ripen for about 20 days. Depending on the type of early ripeness of the fruit, different period of technical maturation. Most immediately arrow.
The cruciferous flea is another problem during summer cultivation. The wetter the soil, the less likely the occurrence of these pests. You can also keep the seedlings under lutralis.
Radish planting scheme: calculate the correct distance for a decent harvest
The ideal scheme for sowing radish can be considered 10x2 centimeters.With the onset of the phase of the cotyledon leaves, the seedlings can be thinned to a distance of 5 centimeters.
And yet, experience shows that radishes sown one seed grows faster, and the likelihood that the plant will release an arrow less than the variant with transplant.
If you strictly adhere to the scheme of sowing radish, then in the future the plant will develop properly, the leaves will be able to take a horizontal position.
It is dangerous to sow deeper - a root crop may not start. The best option can be considered seeding on 10 m2 of about 15 grams of seeds. Consider further: 1000 seeds weigh about 7-10 grams. Germination persists for five years.
It is interesting! Until recently, it was customary to assume that those varieties in which root crops endure round transplant calmly. In the presence of dense shoots, it was often recommended to plant them. What is not said about the varieties with long roots.
In these varieties during the transplantation, the main part is taken by the root, which is damaged. As a result, a clumsy, twisted, deformed root crop. It is up to you to grow radishes from seedlings or immediately adhere to the correct sowing scheme, but before making decisions, weigh the pros and cons of both methods.
Digging deeper, and the result is lower: landing depth
At any time of year before sowing seeds of radish grooves should be plentifully shed. Depth should not exceed 1 centimeter. After that, the grooves should be filled with loose earth.
If the sowing process is organized with the arrangement, it will be very time consuming. It can be accelerated and thus simplified by using a ribbon when planting. You can make it yourself, or you can buy it.
Proper care of radishes - a pledge of a generous harvest
Radish care is minimal - daily watering, especially in dry hot weather. If you try to grow radishes without moisture, then you can be sure that you will fail. It is enough to hold the radish without moisture for several days, and this will lead to abnormal development.
A sure sign that the radish grew with a lack of moisture is the stiffness and bitterness of the root crop, the root crop is rough and hollow, and the plant is quickly darting. Special demanding radish to regular watering after the appearance of this leaf, because it is at this time that the root crop begins to form.
Radish does not grow without moisture.But, and you should not overdo it with watering, because waterlogging can lead to cracking of the root. It is desirable to adjust the frequency of irrigation to the air temperature, if the weather is hot - should be watered daily.
Radish culture is light-loving. But, if the planting is done in early spring, then you can calmly sow in the partial shade of the trees, until the leaves bloom.
Some gardeners to the work on the care and loosen the soil, as well as the removal of weeds. But, we would not advise you to do this, so as not to damage the root crop, which forms almost on the surface.
And if you planted in the ground without weeds, then until the radish grows (25-30 days) with weeds, a garden bed with sowing will not have time to overgrow.
It is advisable to sow radishes on fertilized soil. If you delve into the school curriculum, you can remember that almost all root crops "prefer" potash fertilizers.
Garden radish is no exception. Feeding, if there is such a need, should be organized from the same series. Urea must be diluted with the calculation of 10 grams per bucket of water.
Pests, all the most effective methods of control
Pests are frequent guests of vegetable gardens. They also visit radishes, and these can be: cruciferous flea bees, bare slugs, wireworms, shovels, garden earwig, field bug, midge.
By the way, the flea does not "perforate" wet leaves, waiting for them to dry out. It especially rages in dry hot weather. The main thing to save young shoots from the cruciferous flea. Then, when the foliage grows up, and the flea will be moderately much, you can not worry - it does not have time to sit down.
The most effective methods of pest control are folk remedies. You can protect your radish culture from many pests by pre-treating a bed of tobacco dust or ash, or garlic infusion. You can also pick up a good neighbor to your radish, he will take care of decent protection.
Harvesting and proper storage
The crop is removed selectively, first the already formed roots are collected, and the rest remain to grow to technical ripeness. Harvesting roots should be when you reach the average size. Most often this is done in 2-3 approaches at intervals of 4-5 days.
Radish is badly stored. Is that keep it in the refrigerator or in the cellar.To do this, it is desirable to fold the roots in a plastic bag so that they do not shrink.
A prerequisite for good preservation is cutting the tops. Radishes with uncut tops are stored for only a few days.
Only some late-ripening varieties of root vegetables can lie in the cellar for a long time (up to four months) without losing quality.
If the roots are not cleaned, then the radish in the ground can live up to two years. It speaks about the frost resistance of this culture. But do not remove the roots, but rather the opposite is also planted by those gardeners who want to get their own seeds.
Radish is most often cross-pollinated, but there are cases of self-pollination. The flowers are collected in neat inflorescences, and the color depends entirely on the variety: white, pink, red, purple, purple, lilac. Petals, like all crucifers, are located crosswise.
Taking into account the fact that every second gardener, having even the smallest piece of land, is trying to grow radishes, we deeply hope that all our above tips will be useful to you, and the radish harvest will please you. And this record holder of ripeness will open the season of abundance of the freshest vegetables.
