Is it possible to water radishes with cold water? How to water radishes correctly? We follow important rules

Radish (lat. Raphanus sativus)- an annual or biennial plant belonging to the Radish group of the Radish genus of the Brassica or Cruciferous family. The name radish vegetable comes from the Latin word radix, which means root. This is an early ripening garden crop, a leader among fast-growing vegetables, it is very popular in the spring, since at this time only radishes contain living vitamins, which are so necessary for the body after winter.

Planting and caring for radishes (in brief)

• Landing: sowing seeds in the ground - before winter or in spring, from late March to mid-April.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: loose, light soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction (5.5-7.0 pH).
• Predecessors: undesirable - any cruciferous crops. Good ones are potatoes, cucumbers, legumes. After radishes, it is best to grow tomatoes on the site.
• Watering: frequent and abundant: in normal spring with rains and thunderstorms - once a day, in the morning or after 17.00, but in abnormally hot and dry weather - both in the morning and in the evening. The soil on the site should be slightly moist at all times.
• Feeding: when growing on poor soils, fertilizing is applied twice, on rich soils - once. Complex mineral fertilizers are used.
• Reproduction: seed.
• Pests: cruciferous flea beetles and mole crickets.
• Diseases: bacteriosis, clubroot, blackleg.

Read more about growing radishes below.

Radish vegetable - description

The radish plant is grown in many countries. It is a root vegetable with a diameter of 2.5 cm, covered with a thin skin of red, pink or white-pink color with a pungent taste due to the pulp contained in it mustard oil. The radish vegetable is a long-day plant; for normal development it needs a 13-hour daylight hours. But its growing season is short, so you can grow the radish root crop throughout the entire season, planting it literally every week.

Planting radishes in open ground

When to plant radishes in the ground

Radish seeds germinate at a temperature of 1-2 ºC; for normal development, the plant needs a temperature of 15-18 ºC, but no more, since too warm air with insufficient lighting (and at this time of year the days are still short) only leads to the growth of tops, in while the root crop does not grow and becomes coarse. As soon as the soil thaws and warms up, radishes are planted in the ground. This usually occurs in mid-April, although in warm areas early varieties of radishes are sown as early as the end of March.

Soil for radishes

Growing radishes from seeds begins with preparing the soil. The area where you sow radishes should be sunny for at least the first half of the day and protected from the wind. The optimal soil for radishes is loose, light soil of a neutral or slightly acidic reaction, the pH value of which is in the range of 5.5-7.0 units. Too acidic soils must be limed before planting radishes.

It is good to sow radishes in an area intended later for growing tomatoes: you can sow radishes on it every week until the twentieth of May, collect a good harvest of root crops and at the same time prepare the soil in an area for growing tomatoes. Heavy and cold soils or poor sandy loam soils, if you want to grow radishes in them, will have to be dug up with humus at the rate of 2-3 kg per m². The soil under radishes is not fertilized with fresh manure.

You can plant radishes in an area where potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and beans were previously grown, but in an area where turnips, radishes, turnips, daikon, watercress, cabbage and horseradish grew, you cannot grow a good harvest of radishes. It is advisable to change the place for radishes every year so that each time it has predecessors from a different family.

The site is prepared for spring sowing in the fall: the soil is dug up to the depth of a spade with compost or humus - then in the spring, immediately before sowing, the depth of digging with the simultaneous application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers can be no more than 20 cm.

How to plant radishes in open ground

Radish seeds are sown densely in grooves previously spilled with water to a depth of 2 cm, keeping a distance between rows of 15-20 cm. The grooves are covered with loose soil, then the surface is compacted, but not watered, but the area is covered with a layer of peat or humus 2 cm thick. At night, after five o'clock in the evening and until the morning, the bed is covered with film until the seeds germinate. The time of emergence of seedlings depends on the weather. In good, dry and sunny weather, seeds can germinate within 3-4 days.

During the development phase of the first leaf seedlings, they are thinned out, leaving a distance of 3-5 cm between the specimens. If you are a patient person, sow the seeds immediately at the specified distance so that you do not have to break through the seedlings later, because this procedure can damage the roots of the main seedlings, and they will develop worse, and as a result, they may shoot. At proper care Growing radishes in open ground until harvest lasts 20-30 days.

Planting radishes before winter

We told you about the timing of spring sowing, but winter radishes, biennials, are planted at the end of autumn. Radishes are planted in the fall after the start of frost - in mid or late November. Not all varieties of radish are suitable for winter sowing, but varieties such as Yubileiny, Spartak, Mercado, Mayak, and Carmen are able to germinate even at low temperatures.

Preparing the site for sowing is carried out at the end of summer: the soil is dug up and fertilized, adding half a bucket of humus or rotted compost per 1 m², 1 tablespoon of double superphosphate and potassium sulfate. After applying fertilizer, cover the bed with film, pressing down its edges with stones or bricks so that the cover does not blow away with the wind.

The procedure for autumn sowing differs from the spring procedure in that in the fall the seeds are thrown into dry soil, and after planting the seeds, the bed must be mulched with dry soil or peat, the surface is compacted and the area is covered with snow if it has already fallen.

What is the advantage of winter sowing? The fact is that next year you will receive the harvest of radishes sown in the fall two weeks earlier than the harvest of radishes sown next spring.

Radish care

How to grow radishes

Caring for radishes in open ground involves watering, weeding and loosening the rows. If you put a layer of mulch on the bed after sowing, maintenance will not be tiresome, but try to complete all maintenance procedures on time.

Watering radishes

Radishes are a moisture-loving crop; the optimal soil moisture for the normal development of its root crops should be about 80%, so you will have to water the area often, especially at first, otherwise the radishes will be bitter. If there is insufficient watering, the plant shoots and the roots do not develop. If watering is too frequent or abundant, the roots will crack.

How to water radishes to achieve a good and high-quality harvest? If the spring is normal, with rains and thunderstorms, water the radishes every day in the morning or after 17.00, but if the spring turns out to be dry, then the soil on the site will have to be moistened daily both in the morning and in the evening. It is especially necessary to strictly monitor the condition of the soil after the first true leaf appears on the seedlings. Only if the soil in the radish beds is kept slightly moist all the time can you grow juicy, tasty root vegetables.

Radish feeding

On poor soils, radishes need to be fed twice during the growing season; for radishes growing on rich soils, one feeding is enough. Try not to overdo it with the nitrogen component, since in this case the radishes will spend all their vital energy on growing tops, and the roots will be elongated and oversaturated with nitrates.

How to fertilize radishes, what fertilizers can be applied to the soil without the risk of saturating root vegetables with substances hazardous to human health? Here is a recipe for a balanced mixture of fertilizers that will help radishes form a healthy and juicy root crop: compost and humus, in the amount required for your soil, 10 g of potassium fertilizer and superphosphate, 10-15 g of saltpeter, one and a half liters of ash. IN fertile soil It is enough to apply only mineral fertilizers.

Radish pests and diseases

The main enemies of radishes are the cruciferous flea beetle and the mole cricket; other garden pests (aphids, wireworms, caterpillars) do not have time to greatly harm the radish due to its rapid growth. The cruciferous flea beetle is dangerous for radishes precisely at the early stage of its development, since it is capable of destroying barely hatched defenseless seedlings throughout the entire area in a few days. When the seedlings get stronger, they are no longer afraid of the flea.

How to treat radishes so that the cruciferous flea beetle does not bother them? To scare away insects from young green leaves, the tops are sprayed with a solution of wood ash: 2 cups of fresh ash and 50 g of grated laundry soap are dissolved in 10 liters of water. You can simply scatter the ash around the area. It must be said that both of these methods are ineffective, and the most reliable protection against flea beetles is the construction of a shelter: metal arched supports are installed along the length of the entire bed, on which spunbond is thrown. Under this shelter, the radishes breathe normally, the tops do not burn under the scorching rays of the sun, and most importantly, they do not penetrate under the spunbond harmful insect cruciferous flea beetle, which destroys radish crops. After the tops grow, the shelter can be removed.

Medvedka It often harms early varieties of radishes in the greenhouse, where they crawl in the spring to bask. If you grow radishes in open ground, then this terrible enemy is unlikely to have time to cause much damage to your crop. And it is very difficult to fight a mole cricket.

What are the diseases of radishes? Among the diseases dangerous for radishes are bacteriosis, manifested by premature yellowing of leaves, mucus and rotting of root crops, clubroot, also determined primarily by yellow leaves, as well as by growths and swellings on root crops, and black leg, which affects plants at the seedling stage, causing their leaves to turn yellow and curl and the stems to turn black at the base.

To avoid these problems, choose disease-resistant varieties for cultivation, follow agricultural practices, and most importantly, remove diseased plants from the site in a timely manner. Clubroot can be combated by treating the soil around the plants with lime milk (2 cups of fluff lime per 10 liters of water), consumption - 1 liter of milk per plant. Specimens affected by blackleg are treated 2-3 times at weekly intervals with an infusion of onion peels (pour 20 g of peels into a liter of water and leave for 24 hours).

Radish processing

Readers often ask questions about how to treat radishes against pests or how to treat radishes against diseases. It is not advisable to use pesticides in the fight against diseases and pests of quickly ripening root vegetables if you are concerned about your health and the health of those who will eat these radishes, so the best protection is to follow all the rules of cultivation and care.

If the recommendations we described did not give results, and it is necessary to take emergency radical measures, then you will have to treat the blackleg radishes with a solution of copper sulfate (1 tablespoon of the drug, 50 g of laundry soap shavings per 10 liters of water), and treat bacteriosis by treating the plants with a one percent solution Bordeaux mixture.

But we repeat: whatever you treat the radishes with, you will then eat.

Harvesting and storing radishes

Radishes do not ripen at the same time, so when asked when to dig up radishes, we answer: they need to be removed selectively, as they ripen. It is better to harvest radishes in the morning, watering the beds abundantly the night before. Having pulled out the root crops, shake off the remaining soil from them, cut the tops not just under the root crop, but at a distance of 2-3 cm from it, and do not cut off the roots at all. How long and how to store radishes?

From long-term storage, even in the best conditions, radishes become bitter and flabby, so give up plans to harvest this root vegetable, such as carrots or beets, especially since you can grow fresh juicy radishes at any time - not in the garden, but also in greenhouse The radish harvest harvested in the described manner is stored in plastic bags in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for about a week.

Types and varieties of radishes

Radish varieties for open ground are divided according to ripening periods into super-early ripening, early ripening, mid-ripening and late ripening.

Ultra-early or early ripening varieties of radish

ripen in 18-20 days. The most famous of them:

• 18 days– the roots of this variety reach maturity precisely during this period; they have juicy, tender pulp, a cylindrical shape, and a deep pink color;
• Firstborn– an ultra-early high-yielding hybrid, ripening in 16-18 days. Large, round dark red root vegetables of this variety are resistant to bolting and cracking, their flesh is sweet and juicy.

Early maturing varieties of radish

ripen in 20-30 days from the moment of emergence, the best of them include:

• Ilka– the yield of this variety is quite high, the root crops are scarlet in color, round, weighing from 15 to 25 g, dense, juicy, the flesh is white and white-pink, the taste is medium-sharp, without bitterness. The variety is resistant to low temperatures, bolting, formation of porosity or woody pulp;
• French Breakfast- also a popular productive variety with bolt-resistant long cylindrical dark red fruits weighing up to 45 g with a rounded white tip. The pulp is juicy, without bitterness. Disadvantage: shoots in extreme heat;
• Sachs– this variety ripens in 23-27 days, the shape of the root crop is round, the color is bright red, the flesh is white, juicy, with a slightly pungent taste. The average weight of the root crop is 22 g. The variety is resistant to flowering and retains freshness for a long time;
• White Fang– the conical root crops of this white variety, original for radishes, ripen in 33-40 days, reaching a length of 12 cm and gaining weight up to 60 g. The pulp is juicy, the taste is slightly pungent;
• Heat– a high-yielding variety that ripens in three weeks. The root vegetables are small, dark red, round, weighing up to 25 g. The pulp is white or white-pink, the taste is slightly pungent. The variety, despite its name, does not like heat, so when grown in hot weather it should be covered with a canopy.

Mid-season radish

ripens in 30-35 days. The best varieties this group are:

• Faith– a stem-resistant, productive variety with bright red root crops of almost the same size, resistant to cracking;
• Helios– a variety with yellow round root vegetables with juicy pulp of pleasant taste;
• Quantum– a productive variety that ripens in 30 days with pinkish-crimson root crops of delicate taste. When stored, retains elasticity for a long time;
• Zlata– ripens within a maximum of 35 days from the moment of emergence. A yellow round root vegetable with dense, tender and juicy pulp reaches a weight of 18 g;
• Duro– one of the most popular and productive varieties with very large (up to 10 cm in diameter), round red root crops weighing up to 40 g, which requires more spacious planting in rows: the distance between specimens should be at least 10 cm. The variety is resistant to stemming, woodiness and cracking of fruits, is well stored.

For late-ripening radish varieties

which require 36-45 days to ripen include:

• Red giant– a productive variety with large cylindrical bright red fruits up to 14 cm long with juicy white-pink pulp and a mildly pungent taste. Resistant to cruciferous flea beetle and mole cricket, it is perfectly stored: in a container with sand it can be kept fresh for up to 4 months;
• Ice icicle- a variety almost identical to the Red Giant, but only with white root vegetables;
• Champion– this high-yielding variety ripens in 40 days. Its root vegetables are crimson-red, large, elongated and round, weighing up to 20 g, the pulp is juicy, tender, but dense, pinkish-white in color, the taste is good. Root vegetables do not form voids and do not become flabby and soft for a long time;
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The beautiful and crunchy roots of this vegetable are especially pleasant after winter. But radish loves to play around.
And its cultivation requires certain knowledge. Here's a quick summary first.

1. You need to sow radishes early. She loves short daylight hours.

2. You need to sow as rarely as possible. And don’t hesitate to thin out when the shoots appear. You need to water often and a lot. So that the soil gets wet by 5-7 cm.

3. From flea beetles, seedlings can be sprinkled with ash. You can also treat it with vinegar water. To do this, you need to dilute 2 tablespoons of essence in 10 liters of water and water the bed well, wetting the seedlings. Such watering can be done every 2-3 days until the plants produce 2-3 true leaves.

And now more details.

When preparing the soil for radishes, you must remember that this vegetable does not tolerate fresh organic fertilizers. Radishes cannot be grown after radishes and cabbage. If in the fall you bury any green manure in the soil, and there may be many plants, then in the spring you will only have to loosen the soil and make furrows. In a 50 cm bed I make only 2 furrows. You can wet the radish seeds or sow them dry. But the grooves need to be well watered.

After the radish shoots appear, the film must be removed. Otherwise it will be like my neighbor’s last spring. At first it was warm. They all sowed together and didn’t cover it with film, but I still covered it, although not tightly, so that the seedlings wouldn’t mate. But the film helped retain moisture. The radishes sprouted, it became cold, and some nights there was frost. If you sit in the country all the time, you can cover the seedlings at night. But we usually don’t go there for more than 2-3 days. I removed the film, but covered it with double spunbond. When we arrived again, the neighbor expressed regret that my radish was apparently frozen. I was sure that everything was fine. He shook his head and pointed to his, covered with film. The radish tops were beautiful and green. And mine was still barely visible above the ground. I didn't object.

But after 3 weeks I took a large bunch of radishes to my neighbor, and he said that once again they were left without radishes, but again I have them so big and beautiful. I explained that it was impossible to cover the radishes with film. And it was not necessary to feed with infusion of manure. All the plants “went to the tops,” as people say.

Draw a conclusion from this story: radishes do not like heat and fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers.

In order to get a good harvest of radishes, they must be sown early. She doesn't like long daylight hours. It likes abundant watering and soil fertilized with organic matter, but one should not overdo it with fertilizers, therefore poorer soil is better than overfed soil. But, if you have good humus, pour it into the garden bed, you won’t regret it. The radishes will thank you.

Radishes must be thinned mercilessly if they sprout thickly. Pull out the grown root vegetables and eat them. And don’t wait until the root vegetables harden and all sorts of insects will settle in them. Learn to eat vegetables at the peak of their ripeness.

When you sow, look at the bag. As a rule, it says the number of days that vegetables need to reach full maturity. This will not always coincide exactly, since the weather plays a big role. But you can roughly calculate. And it's better to pull out spinach, radishes, and lettuce sooner rather than later.

I repeat once again that radish seedlings need to be thinned out. Don't be greedy, break through and throw away everything unnecessary. Leave 4cm between plants.

Pay attention to the following lines. Quote from the US Garden Journal, 1908. “The kindest gardener is the one who thins out seedlings of vegetables and flowers in the most ruthless manner.”

Radishes need to be watered frequently. Usually, when I arrive at the dacha, I immediately water the radishes. I do it again in the evening. I water it the next day, and water it before leaving.

Give it a try. You will succeed. Even if you have the usual ridges or just a square meter of land, do everything in this order. I'm sure the radishes will grow. And you will be proud to treat your family with it.

If you have any radish seeds left over, don't hide them until next year. Under any tree in the garden, loosen the soil and scatter the remaining radish seeds. Rake the earth. It is possible that after a month you will begin to loosen the tree trunk or weed it. And you will find wonderful root vegetables there. There won't be many of them. In such cases I say: “It’s a small thing, but it’s nice.”

And further. In my opinion, it is very important to learn to treat all failures with humor and enjoy small victories.

Alexandra Sobolevskaya, website

Radishes are considered the most popular early-ripening crop and are classified as green vegetables. The leaves and roots contain a large amount of vitamins. At first glance, it may seem that growing this crop is a simple process. However, to get a rich harvest, you should remember the basic rules for growing and do not forget to thin out the seedlings.

Typically, for radishes, a frequent sowing method is used to make it easier for the crop to break through and not be drowned out by weeds. In addition, this is done so that poor seed germination does not affect the future harvest.

Radish care consists of:

• glaze;
• thinning;
• loosening;
• feeding.

After about 5 days, when the first shoots appear, the first thinning should be carried out, since radishes are a light-loving crop and will stretch out from shading and shoot arrows early.

The optimal distance between sprouts is 2-3 cm. Seedlings with unfolded cotyledon leaves can be transplanted to a new location. And plants with small leaves are destroyed.

In addition, thanks to thinning, the leaves of the plant take a horizontal position. This position prevents the appearance of arrows.

Unprepared radishes

It is difficult to say exactly when to thin radishes. Usually you need to thin out a second time after about a month. It is necessary to leave a distance so that the root crop can grow and develop. To do this, seedlings are thinned out at a rate of 5-6 cm between plants. The torn root vegetables can now be eaten.

Basic thinning rules:

1. Thinning is recommended after watering.
2. The optimal time for thinning is in the evening.
3. You should hold the ground around the seedling with one hand, and pull the plant out of the ground with the other hand. This simple procedure will reduce the risk of possible capture of a neighboring plant.

After thinning, you need to compact the soil with your hands and water the remaining shoots warm water. To improve aeration, it is recommended to loosen the soil between the rows.

To avoid the thinning procedure, you can mix radish seeds with semolina or sand.

Thinning radishes

If this crop is not regularly watered, the root crops will grow dry, bitter, and hollow. However, you should not overwater the plant either, since the root crop will rot. Therefore, in order to get a good, rich, crispy and sweet harvest, it is necessary to control the dosage and moisture supply. After each watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil.

To avoid early and premature flowering of the plant, it is recommended to water the radishes in small portions 2-3 times a week. This procedure helps reduce ground temperature. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the soil, and as it dries out, water the bed with the plant.

In hot weather, you may need to water this plant daily.

The first time the soil is watered immediately after sowing the plant.

An important point when watering is the depth of watering:

• First, water the bed so that the water penetrates to a depth of 8 cm;
• When the root crops have formed, the plant should be watered to a depth of 15 cm.

For irrigation, simple clean water, a solution of tobacco or ash, or herbal infusion are suitable. It is recommended to combine watering with pest prevention. Radishes have a developed root system and in some varieties the roots can grow up to 30 cm in depth.

This should be taken into account when watering; it is necessary that it has enough moisture to feed it. Improper moistening and drying out of the soil can lead to bolting of the plant, dry and empty root crops.

A few hours before harvesting, the last watering of the plant is carried out. Thanks to this, the root vegetables will be tasty, juicy and will last longer.

Watering radishes

Radishes require nutritious soil, and for this the soil needs to be fed. However, this cult can accumulate nitrates. For this reason, fertilizing should be done carefully and chemical fertilizers should be avoided.

The main application of fertilizers occurs in autumn. When digging, organic matter is added to the soil. In the spring, before planting, complex mineral fertilizers are added to the soil. Such fertilizing is sufficient on fertile soils.
Poor, infertile soils need fertilizing, which is carried out along with watering.
The following are ideal fertilizers for radish growth:

• potassium chloride;
• superphosphate;
• a solution of bird droppings or slurry.

However, it should be remembered that oversaturation with nitrogen can cause bolting of the bush, and not growth of the root crop.

In addition, the soil at the top can be fertilized with humus and peat. However, their layer should not be higher than 1 cm. Thanks to this procedure, less moisture evaporates and it is retained in the ground.

When growing radishes in greenhouses, ventilation should be carried out after each watering to reduce the risk of blackleg disease.

Fertilizing the soil for planting radishes

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied during irrigation at a rate of 20-30 g per square meter. It is contraindicated to fertilize radishes with fresh manure, since such fertilizing will cause the plant to bloom rather than develop the root crop. To harvest a rich and large harvest of this crop, it is recommended to regularly weed and loosen the rows.

Radishes need thinning. Without this procedure, the root crop will grow small and deformed, since the seedlings will fight among themselves for the necessary conditions for growth: water, nutrition, light. Therefore, many gardeners thin out radishes at least twice - the first time after germination, and the second time approximately a month after planting.

The preparation of soil for growing radishes must be approached very carefully. It should be very fertile, loose, drained, weed-free soil, loamy or sandy loam. On heavy, dense sandy and gravelly soils, radish grows extremely poorly. Rotted manure is added to such soils before sowing seeds.

Please note that it is better not to plant radishes in an area where root vegetables and cabbage grew. The best predecessors are tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers.

Fertilize the soil with nitrogen fertilizers (20-25 g per 1 sq. m), but remember that its excess will contribute to the formation of voids in the radish pulp and rapid rotting of the root crop.

In the fall, carry out deep plowing on the selected area, add ½ bucket per 1 square meter. m. humus with 40-50 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium salt. Level with a rake.

Planting radishes in open ground

In the spring, before sowing seeds, the soil is loosened. From April 10, radishes of early and mid-season varieties are planted (Teplichny Gribovsky, Rubin, Early Red, Zarya, Yasochka and Saksa). From August 1 to August 10, late-ripening varieties are sown.

For outdoor planting, choose wet and cool weather. If there is a drought, then do not expect a rich harvest. The place should be well lit and ventilated; radishes do not grow well in the shade. When planting in July, choose an area with slight shade.

Prepare ridges up to 1.4 m wide on the site, leave a distance of 40-50 cm between them for ease of plant care, make furrows at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. Soak the seeds 12 hours before planting, sow to a depth of 1.5-2 cm at a distance of 2-3 cm, at the rate of 2 g per 1 square meter. m, germination begins after 4-5 days. Radish develops well at a temperature of 16-20°C. For early sowing, prepare film shelters, which are best made in an arched shape 40-50 cm high from the ground.

Approximate timing of sowing radish seeds for cultivation from the beginning of summer to late autumn: April 20, May 10, June 1 and 20, July 10, August 1 and 20.

Regularly weed, thin out and water as needed in dry weather. If you do not monitor the condition of the soil, the plants will quickly begin to shoot out. Thinning is carried out when the seeds sprout en masse and you see rows, approximately 5-7 days after sowing, the distance between plants should be 4-5 cm.

Water the radishes from a watering can (2 liters of water per 1 sq. m) every 2-3 days, every day in dry, hot weather. After chapping the soil between the rows, sprinkle with mustard or ground pepper (1 tsp per 1 sq.m.) to combat cruciferous flea beetles, and then loosen.

If the development of the plant is weak, then feed it: 1 tsp per bucket of water. urea and 1 glass of mullein at the rate of 4-5 liters of solution per 1 sq.m.

When to collect radishes from the beds and their storage

If the root vegetable is not collected in time, its pulp will become rough and unsuitable for eating. Dig up the root vegetables, shake them off the ground, cut off the tops and place them in plastic perforated bags (no more than 2 kg in one bag). Store radishes in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2-3°C, late-ripening varieties in a cold cellar.

To make radishes large and tasty, you need to observe some nuances when growing them, which will be discussed in the next video.

Rich in phosphorus, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron and vitamins, radishes are a welcome guest on our tables. It has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract, helping to restore strength after winter with its colds and colds. This is the earliest vegetable that grows in our garden, which means that sowing occurs earlier than other vegetables, when they are just beginning to prepare a place for them. When is the best time to plant radishes, and what care does it require in open ground?

We cultivate in our gardens the annual radish plant of the Brassica (Cruciferous) family for its root crop, which is actually a modified shortened stem. A rosette of leaves forms above it, and a taproot with a small number of lateral roots grows below. The leaves can be different shades of green, from dark green to a very light yellowish green. The root of most cultivated varieties grows from 15 to 30 cm.

It takes 20 to 40 days after sowing until the desired maturity of the root crop, depending on the variety and care. This is the time when it acquires the greatest taste value and concentration of nutrients. The root vegetable can have different shapes and colors - it can be red, white, yellow, purple, round or flattened ball, long cylinder or spindle. It can be small, weighing only 15-20 g, medium - up to 50 g, large - up to 200 g. The Japanese love to grow giant radishes, which their breeders have worked hard on.

If you do not dig up the root crop, the plant develops further - it forms a stem, peduncles, flowers, and fruits. From the moment of sowing until the fruit ripens, it takes from 150 to 170 days. The flowers are white, pink, even purple, they are collected in a raceme inflorescence. Radishes are cross-pollinating plants. To preserve the properties of the variety, other varieties or related plants (especially radishes) should not be allowed to grow at a distance of 200 m.

Flowering lasts a month, when it ends, the fruit is formed - a dry pod, the seeds ripen 65 or 70 days after flowering. Radish seeds are small brown, round or flat-round; they remain viable for 5–6 years. When buying seeds, you should pay attention to their color - with age, the brown color gives way to gray. 1 g of seeds contains up to 130 pieces.

In the industrial production of seeds, plants are simply allowed to grow and develop without changing their care, but at dachas, gardeners speed up this process by transplanting the mother plant (mother plant) to another place. When it is planted in a new place, or the care is changed (for example, the watering schedule), the plant is more likely to throw out the shoot due to the resulting stress. This is facilitated by high temperatures and increasing daylight hours.

Landing dates

Radishes are planted in open ground earlier than other vegetables due to their ability not to suffer from cold and even easily tolerate night frosts. Night temperatures of -6 degrees will not interfere with this vegetable; the main thing is that during the day the temperature rises above +10 degrees so that shoots appear faster. If the temperature rises to +15 degrees, then sprouts should be expected in a week; when the temperature reaches +20, sprouts appear on the 4th or 5th day.

Typically, radishes begin to be sown at the end of March or beginning of April, when the sun is already warm. To speed up the germination process, crops can be covered with film or agrofibre. The root crop grows best at an air temperature of +20 degrees. When it gets hotter and the daylight hours lengthen, the plants rush to bolt, which is why radishes are grown in spring and autumn.

Considering that the harvest is harvested after 16–20 days for early varieties or after 40 days for the most late varieties from the moment of sowing, you can calculate the time when it is better to plant radishes so that they ripen before the heat.

Seeds can be sown after a few days so that the crop ripens almost constantly, but not simultaneously, since it is impossible to store radishes, especially early ones, for more than a few days without losing their taste and beneficial properties.

They usually take a break for the summer, and then start sowing radishes again at the end of August or September. Those who want to eat a fresh, vitamin-rich vegetable all summer long plant it, and then cover the plantings with an opaque covering material with 18-oo every day to reduce daylight hours.

Seeds can be sown unprepared, but in order to increase germination and reduce germination time, they are calibrated, for which they are sifted through a sieve with 2-3 mm cells, and then soaked in warm water or simply left in a damp cloth overnight. Large seeds will give good seedlings and, with proper care, large root crops will grow from them, so when choosing seeds, preference should be given to large ones with a brown color. Grey colour seeds indicates their long storage and warns of poor germination. It is also advisable to disinfect the seeds by soaking them for 30 minutes in a bright solution of potassium permanganate. All these manipulations should speed up the harvesting process and eliminate plant diseases.

For pre-winter sowing, the bed is prepared in the summer, even the grooves are marked, and then it is covered with film, pressing it down at the edges so that it does not fly away with the wind.

Landing technology

Plant radishes in rows or nests. Leave 10 cm between rows, and 3 to 5 cm between seeds in a row, this depends on the expected size of the root crop. If you plant using the nesting method, there should be at least 5 cm of free space between the plants on all sides. If you plant plants in rows, leaving a path every 1 m, then caring for them will be easier.

Planting material is placed in a groove or hole, having previously watered them hot water, and then they fall asleep and compact the wet soil so that the depth is no more than 1.5 cm. Tamping is necessary to achieve maximum adherence of the soil to the plane of the seed, this will speed up germination. Some experienced gardeners pre-glue the seeds at the required distance with flour paste to narrow strips of thin paper (toilet or newspaper), and then simply place this paper strip in the groove and cover it with soil. To make it easier to sow small seeds, they are dried and mixed with fine white sand, so they are better visible on dark soil. But such crops will have to be thinned out; it is better to plant each seed in its place. Then, in the process of care, there will be no need to break through them, that is, to disturb the weak roots that are just beginning to grow.

When sowing in winter, the seeds are placed in dry soil, the furrows are filled, tamped down, and then the bed is mulched with compost, peat or just dry soil, and snow is thrown on top if it has already fallen. This method will allow the seeds to overwinter in a dormant state (at the same time harden), and then hatch when the ground thaws and they are saturated with spring water from the melting snow.

Video “Planting early radishes”

See what a simple method you can use to plant radishes outside in early spring to always have a good harvest.

Features care

Caring for radishes involves watering, fertilizing (if necessary), loosening the soil, weeding, thinning, and pest control. There should be constant moisture, but stagnation of water will not lead to good things, so you need to water as the soil dries out, and to a sufficient depth. The root system of this vegetable does not develop very well, so moisture must reach the main tap root, to the depth that it reaches, and in some varieties it is 30 cm. It is advisable to carefully read the description of the variety.

The first watering after planting is carried out with warm water, using a watering can with a strainer-divider. Warm water is especially useful if watering is done in the evening - it will help retain heat when the temperature drops at night. Then, the growing plants are watered after about 2 or 3 days, but at high temperatures and wind the soil dries out quickly, more frequent watering may be necessary.

During its short growth period, radishes should not experience a nutrient deficiency if the soil was fertilized before planting. But if the soil is very depleted, then fertilizing can be carried out, which can easily be combined with watering. A solution of slurry, bird droppings or mineral fertilizers is added to the water.

It must be remembered that from an overabundance of fertilizers (especially nitrogen), radishes can go into decline or simply grow greenery rather than root crops.

In addition, radishes accumulate nitrates. Therefore, it is better to water it with infusion of herbs and wood ash. Such not very concentrated fertilizers can simultaneously serve as a prevention of fungal diseases and repel pests. So, ash can get rid of slugs, snails, and some types of aphids.

Plants are covered with film against the cruciferous flea beetle while it is active. There are, of course, special chemicals for pest control, but many gardeners prefer natural remedies.

Proper care will minimize the risk of infection and pest attacks. This means that you need to prevent weeds in the garden bed, remove plant debris, and loosen the soil so that a crust does not form after watering. Moreover, the depth of loosening needs to be increased as the vegetables grow.

Mulching the plantings with peat, compost or simply cut grass will help make care easier - you will have to loosen the soil less often, weeds will not grow, you can even water less often, since the moisture will not erode.

Video “Growing early radishes”

- the most long-awaited vitamin products on our table after a long winter. It is these crops that we try to plant first.

The first vegetables after a long winter

We begin growing radishes in open ground in early spring, when the ground has thawed a couple of centimeters.

The plot of land where you want to plant radishes is covered with film and left to warm up for several days. Radishes tolerate low temperatures well; seeds begin to germinate, even if it is only 3-4 degrees Celsius at night. And an adult plant can withstand frosts down to -4 degrees.

But the heat can ruin everything, the seedlings will bloom, but the root vegetables will be flabby, too spicy, and not tasty.

What radishes are really demanding about is light. Long daylight hours with bright sun are essential for an early harvest. Therefore, spring is the best time to plant early varieties of radish (read more about varieties).

Preparing the soil for planting

How to grow radishes in open ground at the dacha to get an early harvest?
To do this, the beds should be prepared in the fall. The soil is carefully dug up, organic fertilizers and ash are added.

The bed can be covered with a dark film before winter, then warming it up in the spring will be much faster.

Planting radish seeds in open ground

• To plant seeds, make grooves at a distance of 10 cm and a depth of 3-4 cm.
  Sow the seeds 2-3 cm apart, sprinkle with humus or peat in a 1.5-2 cm layer.
• You can use a marker. This is a board to which small pins are nailed at a distance of 6x6 cm. Using a marker, make holes 2 cm deep, then lay out the seeds, sprinkling them with fine peat.
• Some gardeners have used a plastic egg container instead of a marker, which is also convenient for making holes for planting.

The bed is thoroughly watered and covered with cutting material or film. The first shoots are afraid of low temperatures; when they get a little stronger, the film can be removed.

Care and watering

• The seedlings need to be thinned out; planting too densely leads to bolting and the root crops will be small. Leave the strongest shoots at a distance of 6-10 cm from each other, the rest must be removed.
• When growing radishes, you need to remove all weeds in time; they deplete the soil and shade the plantings, which can greatly reduce the yield.
• It is necessary to water frequently, approximately every 2-3 days, and in hot weather every day. If there is a lack of moisture, the root vegetables will grow flabby and too spicy. Excess moisture is also harmful; in addition to the threat of disease development, it can lead to cracking of the fruit.

Harvesting

Root crops are collected selectively as they ripen. The ripening date is usually indicated on the seed packet.

Mid-ripening varieties, as a rule, are much larger than early ones, have better taste, are more varied in shape, color, and better in taste.

Pests and diseases

Autumn radish

There is very little information about how to grow radishes in open ground in the fall. It is believed that in autumn there are many different vegetables; there is no need to grow this crop.

However, late varieties of radish have a number of advantages over early ripening ones:

• large size up to 15-20 cm
• the taste is much better, which is due to the long ripening period of 45-70 days
• long shelf life.

Late varieties of radish are planted from late July to August. First, the beds are prepared by adding organic fertilizers and ash.

After this, grooves are made at a distance of 10 cm from each other.
Sow the seeds at a distance of 6-8 cm, sprinkle them with peat or humus.

Water the seedlings regularly so that the soil does not dry out and is not too dense.
Ripe root crops are harvested towards the end of September to mid-October.

As you can see, growing radishes in open ground is not at all difficult, you just need to carefully study the article and a good harvest is guaranteed.

One of the most popular vegetable plants in open and protected ground. This crop is demanding on fertility, moisture and soil structure. To get an early harvest, areas with light loamy soils and a deep humus layer are allocated for radishes, preferably on a southern or southwestern slope. Radishes should not be grown in saline soils.

Radishes can be sown after any vegetable crop(except cabbage). It is often cultivated as an intercrop: before planting cucumbers or tomatoes, planting late varieties of cauliflower, before summer sowing turnips. You can sow after harvesting early potatoes, green crops, as well as between rows of cucumber plantings.

This culture is quite cold-resistant.

Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of +4-5°C, but the warmer the soil, the faster the seedlings appear. Young sprouts are not afraid of temperatures dropping to -4°C, and adult plants can tolerate frosts down to -6°C. However, prolonged cold weather delays the formation of root crops, deteriorates their quality, and causes flowering.

Radish does not tolerate high temperatures during the growing season and especially drought. The root crop becomes woody, bitter, loses its juiciness and goes to seed early. It works best in a cool, humid period, in early spring or in the second half of summer. At the height of the July heat, radishes provide a low-value product. It should be remembered that the first half of August in central Russia is the last date for ground sowing of radishes. In the south, autumn sowings are postponed to the end of August - September.

This crop can be grown in compacted crops. For example, we planted cabbage. It will only take one or two months for it to develop its leaves and cover the area around itself. Before this, early and mid-early radishes will have time to grow in its row spaces. As a lighthouse crop, it helps to promptly control weeds and soil crust when growing slow-germinating crops: carrots, parsley, dill, etc. For example, when sowing carrots in the furrows, along with the seeds of the main crop, one radish seed is placed every 25-30 cm. Carrots will sprout in 2-3 weeks, and radishes - in 4-5 days and will mark the rows. Before carrots sprout, you can safely weed the rows and prevent weeds from drowning them out.

Sowing at the end of summer is very convenient. In the spring, we don’t have time to sow the seeds on time, and numerous gardening chores distract us from caring for the seedlings. Late July - early August is a great time to sow radishes. The oppressive heat is subsiding, it is raining more and more often, and therefore there is enough moisture in the soil. Many plants have already given up their harvest and freed up some of the beds. Try sowing a collection of radishes with different root maturation periods. And then throughout September you will be able to harvest magnificent juicy root vegetables of excellent taste.

Failures in growing radishes are most often due to the fact that many people do not know enough about the biology and agricultural technology of radishes. Radish is a long-day plant: in such conditions (in early June, daylight lasts more than 17 hours) it quickly reaches the flowering phase, a peduncle appears, and the root crop becomes rough and inedible. To avoid this, you can cover the beds for 2-3 weeks (from 18 to 8 hours) with lightproof film. With a short day (10-12 hours), stemming is delayed for 2-3 months, and the root crop retains good taste for a long time. Steering also increases when the crop is dense and there is a lack of moisture. Often gardeners, especially beginners, regret thinning out radish seedlings. As a result, the plants suppress each other, and root crops may not even grow.

Radishes are light-loving, especially in the first period of growth. Therefore, already in the phase of cotyledon leaves, plantings must be thinned out, providing for each remaining plant 24-25 cm 2 for early ripening varieties and 36-42 cm 2 for mid-ripening varieties.

How to care for radishes

The area allocated for radishes must be dug up in the fall and humus or compost added (2-3 kg per 1 m2). In the spring, when digging, add one tablespoon of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen fertilizers or 2-3 tablespoons of nitrophoska per 1 m2. With a lack of nitrogen in the soil, leaves and root crops develop poorly, and with a lack of potassium, root crops develop poorly.

Radishes are sown at several times, starting in mid- or late April, then at intervals of 10-15 days. The deadline for spring sowing is the second half of May: no later than the 25th. In June and the first half of July, only non-shooting varieties are used for sowing: Vera, Viola, F1 Molniya, Polka.

For a bed of 1 m2 you need from 2 to 5 g of seeds, the planting depth is 1.5 - 2.5 cm, depending on the type of soil. With deeper sowing, field germination of seeds is reduced by 1.5 - 2 times. Seeds are placed with a feeding area of ​​4 x 5 to 6 x 7 cm. When sowing in rows, the distance between them is 8-10 cm, between plants in a row - 3-4 cm. Early ripening varieties require a small feeding area, they are sown more densely, for sowing 1 m2 is required large quantity seeds than when growing mid-season varieties. Seeds of late-ripening varieties are placed 15-20 cm apart from each other at a sowing rate of 2 g per 1 m2.

Precision sowing using a special marker made from a board with teeth is more effective and increases radish yields by up to 40%. For varieties with elongated root crops - Slava, Dungansky - make furrows 1-1.5 cm deep in order to hill them up when the shoots appear. Sowing in furrows causes a slight elongation of the hypocotyl, and subsequent hilling helps to elongate the root crop.

After sowing, it is advisable to mulch the bed with peat or humus with a layer of 1-2 cm and cover it with film for 5-7 days to get quick shoots. For sowing, you should select well-made, large seeds with a diameter of at least 2.5 mm. Small ones germinate poorly and often produce flowering plants. To get uniform shoots, the seeds are divided by size into fractions and each is sown separately.

To speed up germination, seeds can be soaked in water for a day and sown while they are pricked. Shoots at a temperature of +18-20°C appear on the 5-7th day. Radishes tolerate transplantation well at a young age. When sowing is thickened, the seedlings can be transplanted or thinned out, otherwise you will only get tops and not root crops. If the plants become very elongated, soil is added to them.

When caring for radish crops, in addition to forming the correct sowing density great attention have to pay attention to watering. Before the root crop forms, radishes are watered moderately, and as soon as the root begins to expand, watering is increased. At least 10-15 liters of water are required per 1 m2. Radishes are watered regularly every 2-3 days, and in dry weather - daily. On hot days it is better to do this in the evening, and after watering the soil should be loosened or mulched. After each collection of root crops, be sure to water the remaining plants.

In summer, seeds are sown only in moist soil. If there is a lack of moisture, the furrows are watered before sowing and rolled after sowing. To preserve moisture, the ridges are mulched with peat or humus.

If no fertilizers were applied when preparing the soil for radishes, then the plant seedlings can be fed with a weak solution of a mixture of mineral fertilizers (3 tablespoons per bucket of water). On poor soils, nitrogen fertilizers are applied (0.5 tablespoon per 1 m2) immediately after thinning, and then again seven days later. After each feeding, the plants are watered well.

When growing radishes in the shade and with dense crops, root crops are not successful.

When growing radishes in a greenhouse the best soil is a mixture of turf soil and humus (1:2). A mixture of turf soil with peat (1:1) or compost with peat (1:1) is also used. In protected soil, after emergence, moderate humidity and ventilation are necessary. During the formation of root crops, watering is increased, and immediately before harvesting it is stopped.

Radish diseases and pests

Blackleg

The disease manifests itself on young plants in the form of darkening of the basal part of the stem, which is why it got its name.

Several types of soil fungi cause blackleg of radishes. Fungi attack seedlings early age, when only cotyledons or no more than 2-3 true leaves are developed. The root part of the stem at first becomes watery, and then turns brown and rots, the plant lays down and dies. Seedling failures occur in patches, with several neighboring plants dying around one plant.

Blackleg pathogens persist in the soil and accumulate when the same area is continuously used for growing radishes for a number of years.

The development of blackleg is favored by high humidity and acidity of the soil, thickening of crops, weakening of plants by improper nutrition, for example, excess nitrogen, high temperature.

In the fight against blackleg, preventive measures are important. Plants should be grown in soil free from blackleg pathogens. When infection accumulates in greenhouses, the soil is replaced or disinfected.

Since an acidic environment is favorable for the development of blackleg pathogens, liming of the soil is recommended. Good results are obtained by adding ash to the soil at a rate of 200 g per 1 m2. It is important to maintain the optimal plant density, when fertilizing, do not overestimate the dose of nitrogen fertilizers, and ventilate greenhouses in a timely manner. When blackleg lesions appear early, it is necessary to remove diseased plants.

Kila

The plant cell, under the influence of the fungus growing in it, increases in volume. When cells divide, tumors or growths form on the roots. Diseased roots are developed and work poorly. During the hottest time of the day lower leaves may droop, the plant wilts, and is easily pulled out of the soil. Subsequently, the growths on the roots are destroyed under the influence of soil microorganisms, and the spores enter the soil, where they can persist for 4-5 years or more.

Clubroot affects young and adult plants. Of the other plants of this family, many wild species are affected - shepherd's purse, spring grass, field mustard, etc.

To prevent the development of the disease, the soil is limed, in the spring (10-12 days before sowing) 1-1.5 kg of freshly slaked lime per 1 m2 is applied, crop rotation is observed with the exclusion of cabbage from the infected area for 4-5 years.

Cruciferous flea beetles

Cruciferous flea beetles are one of the most dangerous pests young plants of all cabbage crops, including radishes. Flea beetles can seriously damage seedlings in protected and open ground.

Immature beetles overwinter under various plant debris in the field, under fallen leaves, in ditches, in gardens, in the upper layers of the soil, often in crevices and cracks of greenhouse frames. In the spring, as soon as the soil thaws and the first vegetation appears, the flea beetles awaken. At first, they feed on various weeds from the cabbage family. When seedlings emerge or after seedlings are planted in the ground, flea beetles en masse move onto the cultivated plants.

Females lay eggs in the ground in areas occupied by cabbage root crops or weeds. The larvae that emerge from the eggs feed on the small roots of plants without causing noticeable damage to them.

The greatest damage is caused by overwintered beetles, which damage mainly leaves, very rarely leaf petioles, and even less often flowers and pods on the seed plants. Flea beetles scrape out small pits and sores on the leaves. The damaged tissue dries out, crumbles, and as a result, small holes are formed. Plants can easily cope with minor damage, but if the pest attacks en masse, the plants are stunted in growth, heavily eaten leaves dry out, and sometimes the entire plant dies, especially if fleas destroy the growing point. The activity and gluttony of beetles in spring increases during hot and dry weather.

Control measures: To repel fleas, use wood ash mixed in equal parts with tobacco dust and lime, pollinating the plants every 4-5 days.

Actellik and Fosbecid are also used when spraying plants during the growing season.

Cabbage flies

Plants are damaged by the larvae of two types of cabbage flies - spring and summer. Distributed everywhere where cabbage family crops are grown. Fly larvae penetrate the inner part of the main root, which leads to a delay in the supply of nutrients to the above-ground part. Plants are delayed in development, weaken and die.

Cabbage flies are similar in appearance to the familiar houseflies. The spring fly reaches a length of 6-6.8 mm, the summer fly is slightly longer - 7-8 mm. The eggs are white, deeply grooved, 1-1.1 mm long. The larvae are legless, white, shiny, cylindrical, 8 mm long. The pupa overwinters in the soil at a depth of 10-15 cm in the areas where the larvae were found in the previous year. Flies emerge from cocoons in early spring after the soil warms up to +12°C, which coincides with the average time for planting cabbage seedlings (the main feeding plant) in open ground. The flight of flies begins during the flowering of birch and cherry trees. In protected soil, flies appear earlier. Female flies lay their eggs in cracks in the soil formed at the base of plant stems, one at a time or in small groups. The emerging larvae move to the stem and roots and penetrate into them. The duration of feeding of the larvae is 20-30 days, after which they go into the soil to pupate.

The spring fly develops in two generations, the summer fly in one. The most dangerous is the spring generation, which damages immature young plants.

Control measures: early dates sowing seeds at the optimal depth, periodically raking eggs from plants and hilling the latter. Hilling is repeated after watering and fertilizing. Careful autumn digging of the soil contributes to the death of a significant number of fly cocoons. To repel flies, apply tobacco dust mixed in equal quantities with slaked lime or ash close to the stems.

Cabbage aphid

This small sucking insect that damages leaves is ubiquitous. The body of wingless females, which give birth to larvae without fertilization, is ovoid, 1.9-2.3 mm long, covered with grayish-whitish waxy dust. Winged females have transparent wings with a characteristic dark spot at the top, the head and chest are brown, the abdomen is yellow-green, and the body is up to 2.3 mm long. Oviparous females are wingless, 1.7 mm long. The egg is elongated-oval, initially creamy, later black, shiny, 0.5 mm long. The larvae are similar to adult wingless aphids, but are much smaller. The eggs overwinter on weeds. In the spring, larvae emerge from them. They develop into wingless aphids - females that give birth to larvae. Later, winged females appear, usually flying in mid-summer from weeds to cultivated plants, where they reproduce, hatching larvae. One female hatches up to 40 larvae. When the pest develops massively, plant leaves are completely covered with aphids. Damaged leaves become discolored, sometimes turn pink, curl, and plant development stops. When the testes are damaged, no seeds are formed. During the summer, up to 16-17 generations of aphids develop. Aphids are destroyed by many beneficial insects: aphidus parasite, beetles and larvae of ladybirds, lacewing larvae, and hoverflies.

Control measures: collection and burning of plant residues, destruction of weeds of the cabbage family. Planting plants of the nightshade family (tomato, eggplant, pepper) next to radishes, which repel cabbage aphids. When the first colonies of aphids are discovered, the areas inhabited by them are wiped with a rag soaked in a solution of laundry soap. In case of mass reproduction of aphids, infusions and decoctions of plants with insecticidal properties are used - yarrow, onion, garlic, horse sorrel, hot pepper.

Harvesting and storing radishes

Radishes of early and mid-ripening varieties should be harvested selectively as they ripen. You cannot be late with harvesting, as root crops quickly become coarse. If the tops of the collected root vegetables are removed, they can be stored for some time in the refrigerator at a temperature of +2 to +5°C.

When storing radishes, use bags made of thick polyethylene (150-200 microns). They create high air humidity and accumulate a favorable concentration of CO 2 (2-3%), which contributes to the preservation of root crops. Untied bags filled with root vegetables are placed on racks in cool rooms. Radishes are stored well in boxes lined with plastic wrap.

We all love crispy and juicy radishes - this first spring vegetable gives such long-awaited vitamins to our winter-tired body. In addition, planting radishes in the spring is an excellent reason for avid gardeners to begin their first gardening work. Let's try to understand all the difficulties of sowing and caring for this common crop.

Despite the fact that radishes are traditionally considered an easy-to-grow, unpretentious crop, certain rules of agricultural technology must still be followed. For example, sowing should not be postponed until the end of spring, since radishes develop better in early spring, when daylight hours are still short, otherwise the crop becomes prone to bolting.

If speak about early varieties crops, then they are able to produce the first harvest of root crops within 20-30 days after the first shoots hatch. Therefore, if you want to harvest vegetables as early as possible, you need to start preparing the beds for sowing early: as soon as relative spring warmth has established. Moreover, radishes are rightfully considered a cold-resistant plant - planted in open ground, they can easily survive nighttime temperature drops down to -5 degrees.

The optimal time to sow radishes is considered to be the last days of March or the beginning of April, when Sun rays They are already quite actively warming the earth. To answer the question of how to choose the right time to sow radishes, you need to take into account the average daily temperature in your region: for example, if you plant radishes at a temperature of +8 degrees, the seeds will not sprout for a long time.

If the crop is sown at a time when the average temperature has reached +10 +15 degrees, the first green shoots will begin to confidently appear within seven days. Radish seeds sown in open ground germinate fastest when the air temperature stops at +20 degrees: in this case, you will see seedlings already on the fourth day. Thus, you can decide for yourself when to plant radishes, simply focusing on weather conditions and the expected result.

Spring radishes are also good because you can collect the first selective harvest already on the 20th day after germination - these will be medium-sized (but the most long-awaited) root crops, which should be carefully removed from the garden bed, thinning the rows. A little more time will pass, and it will be possible to harvest the remaining plants. Many gardeners confidently take advantage of the short growing season of the crop, extending the season throughout the spring - to do this, we simply sow radishes in several stages, observing a frequency of approximately 7 days.

By the end of spring, you can gradually reduce the pace of radish cultivation, since the hot summer season is not conducive to the formation of high-quality root crops - the radishes will grow small, dry and not at all as tasty as radishes harvested in April or May. True, by the end of summer, sowing radishes in open ground can be resumed - the cooler autumn air, as well as the short period of ripening of the root crop, are quite conducive to another harvest cycle.

Soil preparation

It's no secret that all plants, without exception, love high-quality and fertile soil. Radishes are no exception. Like other crops, it needs a carefully selected and prepared bed. If you plan to sow radishes in March, then you should start preparing the site the day before in the fall.

How to do it? It’s very simple: first of all, you need to add compost or humus to the ground and carefully dig it to the depth of a spade bayonet. Another requirement of the crop is the composition of the soil. It is better to plant radishes in spring in loose, light soil. If the soil in your garden is clayey, try adding a little river sand or peat.

Preparatory work with the soil requires mandatory winter fertilizer - it is necessary to achieve maximum nutritional value of the soil.

To do this, add a little mineral fertilizer to the prepared soil:

• ammonium nitrate – 15g;
• superphosphate – 25g;
• potassium chloride – 20g.

The specified amount of fertilizer is enough for 1 square meter of soil to ensure that radish cultivation is as productive as possible.

Seed preparation

By planting radishes in open ground, you can significantly speed up the germination process. To do this, it is necessary to carry out a simple pre-sowing treatment of the seed material, namely, try to germinate them:

• Many beginning gardeners are wondering how to grow large root vegetables. It turns out that to do this you just need to soak the seeds before planting them in the garden. The selected material is immersed for several hours in a solution of the Baikal EM-1 preparation, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:500. After this, the seeds are taken out, laid out on gauze folded in several layers and covered with a cotton cloth moistened with the same magical solution. The container with such a “sandwich” is sent to a warm place for several hours - the seeds will begin to hatch right before your eyes. As practice shows, radish seeds processed in this way produce root crops that will be larger on average by 30 g;
• When planning sowing, you can try to calibrate the seeds - to do this, sift them through a regular sieve with cells of about 2 mm. This way, you can select only the largest and most viable specimens;

• Another trick for those gardeners who have been planting radishes for years is to treat the seeds with potassium permanganate: it will protect the plants from various diseases;
• It is better to sow radishes manually, without using any equipment. This way you will be able to maintain the optimal distance between future shoots, which will provide the plants with the opportunity to develop normally, and will save you from the need to thin out the beds. In addition, you will significantly save seeds - let us remind you that the optimal consumption of seed material is 5 g per square meter of bed.

Landing in the ground

You need to sow radishes in areas suitable for the crop: it is better to choose the southern or southeastern parts of the garden, which are well lit by the sun, but at the same time well protected from cold spring winds. If you have not prepared the soil since the fall, then this is necessary before sowing radishes - March will be enough for you to do all the necessary manipulations.

Add rotted manure or compost to the ground (1 standard bucket for each linear meter of the bed), sprinkle it all on top with a liter jar of wood ash (for every 2 linear meters) and dig it up thoroughly. Now it's time to smooth the surface, getting rid of any lumps. When everything is done, you can form rows: for this we make peculiar “streams” at a distance of 10 cm from one another along the entire length of the selected area. You can sprinkle the formed planting rows with crushed coal from the fire - this will add looseness to the soil.

Some farmers prefer to treat the seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate and “powder” them with starch - thanks to this, each seed becomes clearly visible in the ground, because our task is to spread them evenly along the entire length of the row, maintaining equal intervals, in order to save ourselves from thinning out the seedlings. When all the seeds have been lowered into the ground, it’s time to plant them: do not cover the radishes with a thick layer of soil - it should not be more than 1-2 cm.

The main planting of radishes in the spring is now complete. But our goal is a rich harvest, so let's try to take measures to protect future seedlings. To do this, we sow spinach or watercress along the perimeter of the radish plot - these crops effectively prevent attacks from numerous insects. Planting radishes in the spring also involves organizing a protective shelter - the bed should be covered with thin spunbond to protect it from possible cold weather.

Watering and fertilizing

Until the first shoots appear, watering should be carried out directly on top of the spunbond, in the morning every other day. Water consumption should be approximately 1 garden watering can of water settled in the evening for each square meter of beds. After a couple of true leaves appear on the seedlings, watering should be more frequent - now this must be done twice a day, in the morning and in the evening.

Moreover, it is better to finish morning watering before the sun starts to get hot, and evening watering - at dusk. Once every seven days, you can water the radish beds with a solution of fermented grass as an additional feed (two liters of solution for each bucket of water will be enough).

The frequency and intensity of watering is extremely important for radishes - the taste and marketability of root crops will depend on the sufficient amount of moisture. The soil in the garden bed must be maintained in a slightly moist state, without, however, allowing excess water to stagnate - this situation is equally detrimental to the crop: with a lack of moisture, the root crops will be dry, deformed, with a characteristic bitterness, and excessive watering can cause plant rotting. In addition, even short-term drought after excessive watering will lead to cracking of root crops.

If you are growing radishes in a closed greenhouse, we recommend using warm water for daily evening watering: thanks to warm water, the plants will be able to maintain the required temperature throughout the long and cold night.

Considering the rapid ripening period, radishes show good yield indicators even without additional fertilizer, provided that the soil on your site is fertile. If this is not the case, then you can support the seedlings (on the seventh day after their appearance) with a small amount of organic fertilizer - just add a little compost infusion to the water for irrigation. Another option is to mulch the beds with last year’s dried humus or even mown grass.

The main thing to remember when fertilizing radishes is to never add too much! Otherwise, as with most root crops, the crop begins to actively increase green mass, without paying due attention to the formation of a high-quality tuber.

The crop is often and successfully used by summer residents as a kind of marker: radishes are sown directly in beds with cucumbers, beets or pumpkins. Considering the short growing season and early shoots, caring for the beds (weeding and loosening the soil between the rows) becomes much easier, in addition, we get the opportunity to harvest two different cultures from the same bed.

Some particularly resourceful gardeners while away the long autumn evenings with an interesting and unusual activity - gluing radish seeds onto long, narrow strips of paper. If such “garlands” are dried and stored until spring, then all we have to do is simply lay the strip on the bottom of the prepared planting “stream”. As a result, thinning of seedlings is not required.

Everyone who has at least once grown radishes on their plot is unanimous in their opinion - you cannot keep plants in the ground longer than expected, in the hope that the root crops will increase in size. Unfortunately, this will not happen, but the radish will certainly lose its taste and commercial qualities - it will become rotten, dry, and deformed.

Some virtuosos manage to successfully sow radishes for the winter - the seeds are placed in the ground when the garden is fully prepared for winter, sometimes even after the first snow falls. This technology allows you to get the first spring harvest much earlier than the March plantings begin to bear fruit. It is noteworthy that pre-winter sowing assumes that the seeds are placed exclusively in dry soil and carefully mulched with a protective layer. Then they will calmly overwinter, remaining in a state of rest (which is important - at the same time they will undergo a hardening procedure), and with the arrival of spring they will be saturated with moisture and begin to actively develop.

And the last thing I would like to mention is the ability of radishes to accumulate nitrates. Therefore, when choosing a feeding method, try to give preference to organic means: after all, everything that you pour onto the garden bed, you will then eat yourself.

Video “How to get a good harvest of radishes”

From this video you will learn how to properly care for radishes and get a good harvest.

You should be very careful when watering radishes.. She loves moisture, so she needs to be watered regularly. It is important not to overdo it here - excess moisture leads to root crops cracking and rotting. And from insufficient watering, radishes form poorly and become bitter.

Choosing a watering can

It is best to choose a watering can that has a small strainer-divider. The radish root system is shallow (about 15 centimeters). Using such a watering can, you can water the crop without fear of washing out the root zone of the plant, since the water supply will be gentle.

What water should I use?

As a rule, warm water is used to water radishes. This prevents the root system from overcooling. This is especially true for evening watering, since this way the roots will retain heat at night when the air temperature drops.

But in the summer, when the weather is especially hot and dry for a long time, you can allow watering and cold water.

How can you moisten the soil so that radishes grow faster?

It is necessary to determine the type of fertilizing only by the appearance of the plant.. Radishes that grow and develop normally do not need feeding.

What additives can be used to feed radishes:

1. If the leaves are actively growing, but the roots remain small, this indicates that there is not enough potassium and phosphorus. To do this, dissolve 40 grams of superphosphate, 20 grams of potassium sulfate and 1 glass of ash in 10 liters of water.
2. If the radish leaves become pale, then the plant needs to be fed with nitrogen. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoon of urea (nitrogen fertilizer) in 10 liters of water and water the radishes. As a rule, one feeding is enough. Read more about fertilizers for radishes.

Using fertilizer for radishes does not imply additional soil moisture- it should be done during normal watering.

Beginning gardeners are often faced with the misconception that the quantity and quality of radishes grown depends only on feeding. But in fact, this stage is just as important as proper soil moistening, loosening, etc.

How often should I carry out the procedure after planting?

In order for root crops to develop normally, to be even, large and juicy, watering must be regular and sufficient.

The first time the soil is moistened immediately after sowing, using a watering can with a special strainer (so as not to wash away the seeds) and warm water. It is important that the roots receive enough moisture. To do this, when watering, water must penetrate to the required depth.

At first, radishes are watered to a depth of about 8 centimeters, and when root crops begin to form - up to 15 centimeters. You should know that in some varieties of radish the root can reach 30 centimeters, so before planting you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the available seeds.

Radishes love watering. But you should not over-moisten the soil, nor should you allow it to dry out.

Step-by-step instruction

Let's consider the features of watering radishes depending on growing conditions:

Radishes are a crop that will not be difficult to care for even for a novice gardener. The high speed of root ripening allows you to get quick results when growing. And rich chemical composition leaves no doubt about its benefits for the body as a whole. All this makes radishes indispensable in any garden.

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