Radishes are an early-ripening garden vegetable that is in demand in spring and contains the vitamins the body needs after a long winter. The root vegetable is rich in sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. It has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, and helps restore strength. Planting radishes in open ground is the most popular way to obtain a rich harvest of a valuable vegetable.

Radishes have become widespread in many countries. Covered with a thin skin of pink, white-pink or red color, the root vegetable has a pungent taste due to the mustard oil contained in its pulp. For normal development, radishes require at least 13 hours of daylight. Due to the short growing season, the root crop can be grown throughout the season, ensuring a constant supply of fresh crops.

For radish seeds to germinate, a temperature of 1-2°C is sufficient; the plant develops normally at a temperature of 15-18°C. With warmer air and insufficient lighting during a still short period spring day the plant grows tops, the root crop at this time only becomes coarser and does not grow.

Radishes are planted in the ground after the soil has thawed and warmed up. This time usually occurs no earlier than mid-April, although root crops of early varieties in the southern regions are sown already in the last ten days of March.

At the end of August and in September, after the summer break, radishes begin to be sown again. When planting radishes in the summer, it is recommended to cover the plantings with an opaque covering material every day from 6 p.m. to reduce daylight hours.

Depending on the region, the timing of sowing radishes varies: in different climatic zones soil and air temperature in different time achieves the required indicators. In the Moscow region and middle lane The period for sowing root crops in open ground begins in the third decade of March and continues until the end of May.

In the northern regions and Siberia, the time to plant radishes comes closer to the beginning of May. In the southern Urals, these dates come a little earlier - from April 20-25. In the southern regions, you can start sowing at the end of March.

Selecting a location

The area for radishes should be sheltered from the wind and illuminated by the sun at least in the first half of the day. For root crops, light, loose soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction, with a pH value in the range of 5.5-7.0 units, is optimal. Too acidic soils require liming before planting radishes.

It is good to sow the vegetable in an area intended later for planting tomatoes: by sowing radishes on it weekly until May 20, you can get a good harvest of root crops and at the same time prepare the soil for growing tomatoes.

The root crop can be planted in an area where cucumbers, tomatoes or potatoes previously grew. A good harvest of radishes cannot be grown in a garden after cabbage, radish, daikon, watercress, horseradish, turnips, and turnips. It is advisable to change the place for radishes annually, so that each time its predecessors are crops from a different family.

Soil preparation

Soil preparation is one of the conditions necessary for growing radishes from seeds. They begin to prepare the area for spring sowing in the fall: they dig up soil with humus or compost to the depth of a shovel. Then in the spring it is enough to dig up the area to a depth of no more than 20 centimeters.

On heavy and cold or poor sandy loam soils Before growing radishes, you need to add 2-3 kilograms of humus per square meter. The soil for radishes cannot be fertilized with fresh manure.

Variety selection

Based on their ripening time, radish varieties for open ground are divided into:

• super-early;
• early ripening;
• mid-season;
• late ripening.

Ultra-early ripening (ultra-early) radish varieties ripen within 18-20 days.

Among them the most famous are:

1. 18 days - cylindrical root vegetables of saturated Pink colour with tender juicy pulp, reaching maturity during this period;
2. Firstborn is a high-yielding ultra-early hybrid that ripens in 16-18 days, the dark red round roots of which are large in size and are resistant to cracking and bolting.

Early ripening varieties include radish varieties that ripen 20-30 days after germination. The best among them:

1. French Breakfast is a popular variety with cylindrical long fruits weighing up to 45 grams, dark red in color with a rounded white tip. Prone to bolting in extreme heat.
2. White Fang is a variety that ripens in 33-40 days with conical white roots reaching a weight of 60 grams and a length of 12 centimeters. The taste is mildly pungent, the flesh is juicy.
3. Ilka is a high-yielding variety with round, dense, juicy scarlet root crops weighing 15-25 grams. Medium-hot taste without bitterness, the flesh is white and white-pink. The variety is resistant to low temperatures, woody pulp, formation of porosity, and bolting.
4. Zhara is a high-yielding variety that ripens in 3 weeks with small, round, dark red root crops weighing up to 25 grams. The taste is mildly pungent, the flesh is white or white-pink. Contrary to its name, the variety does not like heat; it should be covered with a canopy when grown in hot weather.
5. Saxa is a long-lasting, bloom-resistant variety that ripens in 23-27 days. Roots round shape weighing about 22 grams, bright red in color, with juicy white flesh with a slightly pungent taste.

In the group of mid-season varieties that ripen in 30-35 days, the best can be distinguished:

1. Kvant is a productive variety with pinkish-crimson root vegetables with a delicate taste, ripens in 30 days, and retains its elasticity for a long time during storage.
2. Vera is a yielding variety resistant to cracking and stemming, root crops of the same size, bright red.
3. Duro is a popular fruitful variety, large fruits reach a diameter of 10 centimeters, resistant to cracking, stemming, woodiness, and can be stored well.
4. Helios is a variety with round yellow root vegetables, pleasant taste, and juicy pulp.
5. Zlata is a large root vegetable yellow color, maximum ripening period is 35 days, the pulp is juicy and tender.

Among the late-ripening varieties that ripen within 36-45 days, the most popular are:

1. Champion is a high-yielding variety that ripens in 40 days, with large raspberry-red root crops of an elongated round shape weighing about 20 grams. The tender, juicy pinkish-white flesh has good taste. Root vegetables do not become soft and flabby for a long time, and do not form voids.
2. Rampoush is a bolting-resistant variety that ripens in 35-45 days with elongated, spindle-shaped, white roots with a medium-sharp taste without bitterness.
3. Red giant - resistant to mole cricket and cruciferous flea beetle, an excellently stored productive variety with cylindrical large fruits bright red in color, up to 14 centimeters long, with a slightly pungent taste.
4. Ice icicle is a variety identical to the Red Giant with white root crops.
5. Dungansky is a cold-resistant variety with elongated root crops up to 15 centimeters long and weighing 45-80 grams. The juicy white pulp has excellent taste.
6. Würzburg-59 is a variety with rounded root crops with juicy, dense pulp that retains its elasticity for a long time.

Sowing technology

Radish seeds can be sown unprepared, but to improve germination and reduce germination time, they are calibrated by sifting through a sieve with 2-3 millimeter mesh, and then left overnight in a damp cloth or soaked in warm water.

Large seeds will produce good seedlings and, with proper care, large root crops will grow. When choosing seed material, it is better to give preference to large seeds Brown. Grey colour serves as a warning about poor germination: seeds that have been stored for a long time have it. To disinfect, selected seeds are soaked for 30 minutes in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate.

Spring sowing

To sow radishes, make grooves 2 centimeters deep at a distance of 15-20 centimeters. They are first spilled with water and seeds are sown thickly in them. Having filled the grooves, fill them with loose soil, compact the surface, but do not water them, but cover the bed with a layer of humus or peat 2 centimeters thick.

Before the seeds germinate, the area is covered with film overnight (after 5 pm and until the morning). The time of emergence of seedlings depends on weather conditions. In good, sunny and dry weather, seeds can germinate within 3-4 days.

The seedlings are thinned out at the development stage of the first leaf. It is recommended to leave a distance of 3-5 centimeters between plants. It is better to immediately sow the seeds at the specified distance, so that later you do not have to break through the seedlings, since during this procedure the roots of the main seedlings are often damaged, which can lead to deterioration in development and bolting.

If on personal plot there is very little space; when sowing radishes, they use a special marker - a board with cloves made on it to a depth of 1 centimeter according to a 5x5 centimeter pattern.

In this way, 400 seeds can be placed on one square meter. The sowing is continuous and not in rows. The radishes will grow one to one. Before sowing, the soil should be homogeneous, moist and free of lumps.

The marker is placed on the soil and walked on it, pressing it into the ground. Seeds are placed in the resulting even holes, covered with earth and pressed with the palm of your hand. From one square meter of bed with such sowing you can get a harvest of up to 5 kilograms.

Planting radishes before winter

Two-year-old winter radishes are planted in late autumn. Planting is carried out from mid to late November, after the start of frost. Suitable varieties for winter sowing are Spartak, Mayak, Yubileiny, Mercado, Carmen, which germinate even at low temperatures.

At the end of summer, the site is prepared for sowing: The soil is dug up and half a bucket of rotted compost or humus and 1 tablespoon of potassium sulfate and double superphosphate are added per 1 square meter. After applying fertilizer, the bed is covered with film and pressed down along the edges with bricks or stones so that the wind does not blow away the shelter.

The difference between autumn sowing and spring sowing is that the seeds must be thrown into dry soil, and after planting the seeds, the bed must be mulched with peat or dry soil. After sowing, the soil surface must be compacted and covered with snow if it has already fallen by that time.

The advantage of winter sowing is that next year the radish harvest will be obtained 2 weeks earlier than that produced by vegetables sown in the spring.

Radish care

Timely watering, fertilizing, weeding and loosening of rows, pest control are the main procedures for caring for radishes in open ground. A layer of mulch placed on the bed after sowing will greatly facilitate care.

Watering

Radish is a moisture-loving crop. For normal development of root crops, soil moisture should be about 80%. The plot, especially at first, will have to be watered frequently, otherwise the radishes will be bitter. For the first watering after planting, use warm water and a watering can with a divider.

Warm water is especially useful if plants are watered in the evening - when the temperature drops at night, it will help retain heat. Insufficient watering can cause bolting of plants and stunting of root crops.

If there are rains and thunderstorms in the spring, the radishes are watered daily in the morning or after 17:00. In a dry spring, you will have to moisten the soil on the site in the morning and evening. After the first true leaf has formed at the seedlings, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil especially strictly. It is possible to grow tasty and juicy root vegetables only if the soil in the beds with radishes is slightly moist at all times.

Top dressing

Radishes growing in poor soils need to be fed twice during the growing season. On rich soils, one fertilizing is enough for the root crop. It is necessary to feed radishes with fertilizers that can be applied to the soil without the risk of saturating the roots with hazardous substances.

A balanced mixture of fertilizers will help radishes form a juicy, healthy root crop:

• humus and compost (the amount depends on the type of soil);
• 1.5 liters of wood ash;
• 10-15 grams of ammonium nitrate;
• 10 grams of superphosphate;
• 10 grams of potassium fertilizer.

If the soil is fertile, only mineral fertilizers will need to be applied to it.

Pest and disease control

The main enemies of radishes are mole crickets and cruciferous flea beetles; the others (caterpillars, aphids, wireworms) do not have time to seriously harm the plant due to its rapid growth.

The cruciferous flea beetle poses a danger to radishes at an early stage of development, since in a few days it can completely destroy young defenseless seedlings. For mature seedlings, the flea beetle is no longer dangerous.

Spraying the tops with a solution of wood ash will repel insects from green young leaves: dissolve 50 grams of grated in 10 liters of water laundry soap and 2 cups of fresh ash.

You can simply scatter the ash around the area. Both of these methods are the same high efficiency, and the most reliable protection against flea beetles is the construction of a shelter from arcuate metal supports and spunbond thrown over them. Radishes breathe normally under such cover, the scorching rays of the sun do not burn the tops, and the cruciferous flea beetle does not penetrate under the spunbond. The shelter can be removed after the radishes grow tops.

The mole cricket often harms early varieties of radishes in the greenhouse, where it crawls to bask in the spring. In open ground, it does not have time to cause much damage to the crop.

Among the diseases for radishes, bacteriosis is dangerous, causing premature yellowing of leaves and rotting of root crops, clubroot, which is determined by yellow leaves and by swellings and growths on root crops, and black leg, which affects plants at the seedling stage, causing yellowing and curling of the leaves and blackening of the stems at the base.

To prevent these problems, it is necessary to choose disease-resistant varieties for cultivation and observe agrotechnical conditions, and most importantly, remove diseased plants from the site in a timely manner.

They fight clubroot by cultivating the soil around the plants with lime milk (dilute 2 cups of fluff lime in 10 liters of water). Milk consumption per plant is 1 liter.

Plants affected by blackleg are treated 2-3 times at weekly intervals with an infusion of onion peels (pour 20 grams of peels with a liter of water and leave for 24 hours).

Collection and storage

Radishes do not ripen at the same time; they are collected selectively as they ripen. It is better to harvest radishes in the morning, watering the beds abundantly the night before. The root crops are pulled out, the remaining soil is shaken off, the tops are cut off at a distance of 2-3 centimeters from the root crop, and the roots are not cut off at all.

During long-term storage, radishes become flabby and bitter, so it is better to abandon plans to prepare this vegetable. Juicy fresh radishes can be grown in the garden or in a greenhouse at any time. The harvested crop can be stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator in plastic bags for about a week.

Radishes have a short growing season; they are planted earlier than other crops, without worrying about preparing the beds. When the time comes to plant the remaining, more heat-loving vegetables, the root crop will already produce a harvest. This is a good opportunity to use the same bed twice a season. This is the peculiarity of spring radish cultivation.

How is it different from growing at other times of the year?

Radish is a cold-resistant plant. To grow a tuber, it needs 10–12 hours of daylight, therefore.

When the day gets longer and the air temperature warms up to +24 - 25 degrees, this negatively affects the development of tubers - the radishes begin to bloom and enter the reproduction phase.

If it is necessary to replant in the summer, take into account the preferences of radishes for soil and temperature, selecting more suitable varieties with late maturation.

Why choose spring to plant vegetables?

Spring is the optimal time for growing root vegetables. During this period, the ground contains a sufficient amount of moisture for the necessary growth of tubers; the short daylight hours allow them to develop, and not the tops. Moderate air temperatures also contribute to this.

When can it be planted depending on the region?

The quality of the harvest is affected by the time of planting radishes. Long daylight hours and high air temperatures will make the harvest weak, the tubers grow small and fibrous. Depending on the temperature environment shoots appear 4–10 days after sowing, therefore, for different regions, the timing of growing root crops differs.

In Siberia

It is best to sow at the end of April, when the snow melts, the ground thaws, the soil warms up a little and becomes suitable for sowing.

In the Urals

Planting is done a little earlier, in mid-April, when there is no snow cover., the earth had time to warm up a little and the threat of frost had passed.

In Central Russia (Moscow region)

As soon as the snow melts, the ground thaws, severe frosts recede, you can begin planting radishes. those. no earlier than the end of March.

What temperature can the seedlings withstand, are they afraid of frost?

Radish is a frost-resistant crop, which is most important for the regions of the Urals and Siberia. Shoots appear at a minimum temperature of +5 degrees, are able to survive frosts on the soil down to minus five.

When it drops to minus eight, damage to the leaves is possible; if the frost drags on for a long time, the root crop may suffer. It is worth considering that low temperatures slow down the development of the vegetable.

Read more about the temperature at which radishes grow and whether they can withstand frost.

Step-by-step instructions: how to sow radishes correctly?

A guarantee of obtaining a high-quality harvest is the correctly selected variety and the preparation of the soil for sowing.

Which variety should you choose and why?

When choosing a variety, take into account the time and place of planting, the region of cultivation:

• One of the high-yielding and early-ripening varieties is considered “French Breakfast”. The first fruits are obtained after 23 – 25 days. They are distinguished by their elongated shape, bright red in color with a white tip. Practically does not throw out arrows.
• "Early Red" is resistant to bolting, the first harvest is harvested after 30 days. White juicy fruit of dark red color.
• The Sora variety is distinguished by the large size of the vegetable - up to 4 - 5 cm in diameter, with juicy dense fruits. Due to its resistance to disease and high air temperatures, it is suitable for cultivation in May - June.
• The mid-season variety "Helios" ripens after 30 days on average. A root vegetable of unusual yellow color with excellent taste.
• The earliest ripening variety “16 days” speaks for itself - it ripens in 16 days. It is characterized by slightly tart pink fruits with a white core.
• “Heat” with raspberry skin and pink, slightly spicy-tasting pulp will delight you with the first harvest in 20 days.

The varieties “Zhara”, “Helios”, as well as “Duro”, “Presto”, “Poker F1”, which are early ripening varieties, are suitable for cultivation in the regions of Siberia and the Urals. They are most adapted to short-term frosts and other unfavorable climatic conditions.

Where and how much can you buy seeds?

You can purchase radish seeds in Moscow and St. Petersburg at specialized sales points or on the Internet at a price of 10–35 rubles per package. The cost depends on the manufacturer and the selected variety.

Seed preparation

According to the rules, before planting, the seeds are carefully inspected and sorted, which helps to increase the percentage of germination. Damaged and half-grown specimens should not be planted; they are thrown away. For quick and accurate calibration, use the following method:

1. prepare a saline solution at the rate of one glass of water per 10 grams of salt;
2. the seeds are placed in the solution and kept for 2 minutes;
3. the seeds that float to the surface merge;
4. healthy ones are washed in clean running water and dried for further storage and sowing.

To prevent fungal diseases from affecting the seedlings, it is recommended to soak the seeds in a manganese solution for half an hour, rinse in clean water and dry thoroughly.

The larger the diameter of the seed, the better the harvest. Small seeds with an expiring shelf life will produce weak fruits and flowers.

Experienced gardeners recommend soaking the seed material in warm water for 15 minutes before sowing, or soaking it in a damp cloth for a day. Before planting seeds in open ground, hardening is carried out, thereby increasing their resistance to temperature changes.

To do this, the seeds are placed in a fabric bag and left for a day at room temperature. Then transfer to the refrigerator for the same time. These actions alternate for 3–4 days, after which the seeds are considered ready for sowing.

More information about preparing seeds for sowing is described in.

How to prepare the beds?

Preparation is best done in the fall. They apply fertilizers to the soil and dig or plow; by spring the soil will gain strength, absorb nutrients and be ready to produce a harvest. In the spring, the bed is harrowed, breaking up large lumps of earth with a rake.

Radishes love light, loose, neutral acidity black soil. Clayey, heavy soil is mixed with peat and sand, otherwise it will be difficult for the vegetable to form. An open, wind-protected loamy and sandy loamy plot of land is ideal.

The bed should not be illuminated by the sun for more than 12 hours; it is advisable that in the afternoon the area should be in partial shade. In the absence of natural partial shade, create an artificial one - install arcs and stretch agrofibre or shady garden netting.

Read more about choosing soil for growing radishes and which soil is preferable.

What is the best time to plant after?

Radishes feel good after zucchini, squash, and cucumbers. Legumes and nightshades are also considered beneficial precursors. Bad harvest will be after cabbage and other cruciferous plants. With proper crop rotation, you can grow a good harvest.

Process

Let's consider how to carry out the process of planting radishes, at what depth it is better to sow the seeds, what will happen if you plant too deep. Radishes are planted in the following way:

1. For planting, furrows are made on the site 2 cm deep and 15 cm apart.
2. It is advisable to sprinkle the bottom with ash or sand.
3. The furrows are watered.
4. The seeds are buried 1 cm, the distance between them should be at least 5 cm.
5. The grooves are slightly compacted to eliminate voids.
6. Water from above again.

Some gardeners have chosen the method of planting radishes using an egg tray. Water the prepared bed and wait until the water is absorbed. Then a tray is used to make depressions in the soil, into which a seed is then placed and covered with soil. The soil is compacted and watered with a watering can. Read about growing radishes in egg trays.

If you plant radishes too deep, the roots will be tough and stringy.

To speed up seed germination, after 6 pm the bed is covered with film and removed in the morning.

Caring for a young plant

The root crop does not require special care. The first watering is carried out a few days after the emergence of seedlings. In the future, provide the plant with high-quality daily watering, since the lack of moisture will affect the size and taste of the fruit. Excess moisture leads to cracking of the fruit. Read about how and what to water the plant to make it grow faster.

It is necessary to ensure that the beds are not overgrown with weeds; rows that are too dense are thinned out, otherwise the vegetable will only produce tops. The soil around the rows is loosened, preventing the formation of a dense crust. Fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers is not carried out during time - the vegetable is prone to the accumulation of nitrates.

Fertilize the soil in the fall using superphosphate and potassium nitrate. If it was not carried out in the fall, the following composition is added to the soil twice during the growing season per 1 square meter of bed:

• manure – 2 kg;
• compost – 1 kg;
• wood ash – 1.5 kg;
• saltpeter - 15 grams;
• superphosphate – 10 grams;
• potassium sulphide – 10 grams.

Harvest and storage

Harvest selectively as the fruits grow. In the evening, the beds are watered, and in the morning they begin directly collecting vegetables.

• Early ripening varieties produce a harvest in 18 days on average.
• Mid-season - after 23 days.
• Late ripening after 30 days.

Store the collected root vegetables in the refrigerator or cellar, after removing the tops at a distance of 2–3 cm from the fruit and packing them in plastic bags.

The shelf life is a week. Some varieties can be stored for a month, but during this time the fruits may become limp and tasteless.

Radishes are easy to grow, rich in vitamins and minerals, and are loved for their pleasant taste. Subject to proper growing conditions, it can produce crops throughout the entire season.

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For all its unpretentiousness, radishes are a specific crop, quite cold-resistant, but not tolerant of heat. Maintaining optimal temperature at different stages of radish growth will allow you to control the development of tops and the formation of root crops.

If there is a lack of heat, the growing season increases; if there is too much heat, the chances of bolting increase.

Differences between growing in open ground and in a greenhouse or greenhouse

Growing radishes in greenhouses allows you to regulate the microclimate and get a harvest in early spring, while planting them in open ground is a less troublesome task. There will be no significant difference in temperature, with the only difference being that plantings in open ground are subject to large differences heat and cold, depending on cloudy or sunny weather.

You can also achieve a good harvest if it is possible to place plantings outside residential premises - for example, on a glazed balcony or loggia. For home garden you should choose early ripening varieties that are resistant to insufficient light, drought and bloom - such as:

• "Dawn".
• "Early Red"
• "18 days."
• "Quart".

Maximum and minimum permissible values ​​of thermometer readings

Since radishes are an early ripening crop, then crops are not buried in the soil, seeds are planted to a depth of 2 to 2.5 centimeters(read more about sowing radishes in April). At what minimum temperature do seeds germinate? Due to the frost resistance of grown radishes, this value for seeds will be -4°C on the soil, and adult plants can tolerate short-term frosts down to -6°C.

But the extremely high air temperature is +24°C. An increase in temperature will stop the growth of the root crop, making it flabby, dry and bitter.

When can you sow in open ground?

1. the bed should be loose, and with early sowing - April 12-20, the furrows are additionally shed with hot water. For radish germination, +1..+2 °C is enough, but in such conditions, plant development will occur slowly.
2. Before emergence (usually 4-5 days), the most favorable temperature will be +20 °C, which can be achieved by covering the beds with agricultural canvas or.

   Important! When seedlings appear, daytime covering with film should be stopped and until the first leaf is formed, focus on a temperature of +6 to +14 °C.

   This is required to ensure that the development of tops is not overly active to the detriment of the formation of root crops. In April-May, daily temperature changes are most noticeable, so early spring plantings can continue to be covered with film at night.

   The advantage of the agricultural canvas is that the tender shoots of young shoots under it do not suffer from overheating on sunny days. And besides creating a greenhouse effect, the canvas also performs protective function from the appearance of flea beetles, therefore its use is also recommended for late sowing of radish.

3. For already grown plantings and during growth, the temperature can reach +24 ° C, subject to daily watering (read more about how to properly water radishes in open ground, a greenhouse and on a windowsill). With a relative air and soil humidity of 70% and proper care, the radish harvest can be obtained 20 days after the seeds are planted in the soil.

Optimal temperature regime of soil and air

Before radish fruiting, on sunny days it is appropriate for the air temperature to fluctuate from +20 to +22 °C, while the soil should be warmed up to +15.. +16 °C. In cloudy weather, favorable air temperatures range from +7 to +9 °C. At night, temperatures down to +5.. +6 °C are permissible.

During the period of formation of radish root crops, in sunny weather the temperature should not exceed +18 °C, on cloudy days - not fall below +14 °C. At night, the optimal air temperature is +8.. +10 °C, on the ground - also +15.. +16 °C.

Thus, from 6 to 20 days after sowing, it is important to maintain a moderate temperature without artificially shading the beds so as not to provoke.

To obtain several harvests of radishes per season, when planting in July or August, in order to prevent excess heat, you can resort to watering with cold water on hot days.

What should it be for rapid growth?

The timing of the harvest depends on the variety of radish and the quality of the seed. However, the time from sowing to harvest can be controlled by monitoring soil and air temperatures. Let's consider at what most comfortable temperature conditions radishes and their seeds grow in open ground:

• for seed germination, air and soil temperatures need to be +5.. +8 °C;
• for radishes to grow, the air temperature should be +14 °C, soil temperature +10.. +12 °C;
• grows quickly at air temperature +20 °C, soil temperature +16.. +18 °C.

Note! Maintaining a temperature regime for accelerated growth is unacceptable during the initial stage of root crop formation, otherwise only the tops will grow quickly.

Is the vegetable afraid of frost or not, which ones can it withstand?

Often, radishes are sown as soon as the snow has melted and the ground has thawed at least four centimeters deep. Short frosts from -4 to -6 °C can stop growth, but will not affect the quality of the future harvest. For adult plants, light frosts are even beneficial - radishes will grow juicy and tasty.

But long-term cold spells significantly slow down the development of plants, reduce the beneficial properties of root crops, which grow hollow and tasteless. A significant drop in temperature is guaranteed to destroy crops.

Are radishes that sensitive?

It may seem that a plant that claims to be unpretentious is too sensitive to temperature disturbances and that it is too difficult a task. But in practice, correctly selected varieties are already half the success. A little attention, using agro-cloth or covering with film, watering with cold water on hot days - and all spring, summer and even the beginning of autumn a harvest of juicy and beautiful radishes will be ensured.

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04.05.2019 7 343

When to plant radishes in open ground in spring to reap a tasty harvest?

The time to plant radishes in open ground in the spring comes much earlier than other vegetables, so it is worth following the timing and sowing technology in order to really reap a tasty and early harvest...

Radishes - growing conditions in open ground

Juicy and crispy radishes are an early vitamin-rich root vegetable, the taste of which will pleasantly diversify the spring menu; this crop grows better with short daylight hours and prefers cool weather. If the sun stays in the sky for a long time, and the air temperature remains at high levels, radishes often go into the arrow, so the timing of sowing radishes in the ground in the spring should not be postponed until later.

Temperature suitable for sowing radishes - from +10 degrees during the day, and if the air warms up during the day to +13 ْ+…15 ْС, the first seedlings will appear a week after sowing. If the weather is pleasant with spring heat (more than + 20 ْC), seedlings appear in 3-4 days. For normal height plants need temperatures in the range of +10 ْ+…20 ْС.

Under such conditions, the spicy vegetable reaches technical ripeness after 3 weeks. But, even if the temperature drops below the specified limits, there is nothing to worry about - the radish seedlings do not die, even if the weather brings a surprise in the form of frosts on the soil. Therefore, the timing of planting radishes in the spring is so different from the time periods in which other vegetables can be planted.

Another difference between the period when planting radishes in open ground in the spring is the soil moisture level, in spring time it is saturated with moisture from snow and, according to experienced gardeners, is a powerful natural biostimulant that promotes rapid seed germination, so with the onset of heat you should not wait for the soil to dry out under the scorching rays of the sun.

radishes in a greenhouse - in the photo

Another advantage of early sowing of radishes is the absence of pests, because the earlier the vegetable is planted, the less risk it has of being attacked by the cruciferous flea beetle; this insect damages the leaves and lays larvae at the base of the vegetable, and tiny worms bite into the pulp, which affects its appearance and taste qualities.

When to plant radishes in spring in open ground - planting dates

The timing of sowing radishes varies depending on the region - the air and soil temperatures in different climatic zones reach the desired levels at different times, so there are no universal dates for sowing radishes.

The period when planting radishes in spring in open ground in the Moscow region and the middle zone begins in the third ten days of March and the sowing season of the early vegetable here continues until the end of May. You can plant radishes in these regions every 10 days, so that the ripened harvest of root crops can be harvested every day throughout May and early June.

A little later there comes a time when you can plant radishes in open ground in the spring. Leningrad region, here the temperature reaches the required levels in early April, and you can sow radishes in the beds until the 2-3rd decade of May.

In the northern regions of the European part of Russia and in Siberia, stable warmth sets in closer to the beginning of May; it is during this period that the time comes when to plant radishes in the spring in open ground, and this must be done without delay, but in the southern Urals the sowing time comes a little earlier - from April 20-25.

The period when planting radishes in spring in open ground in Belarus and Ukraine begins at the same time as in the Moscow region, however, in the southern regions of these countries, sowing can be done earlier - already at the end of March, the same dates apply in the southern regions of Russia, in Kuban, Rostov region, Crimea.

In addition to weather conditions, when choosing the time to plant radishes in open ground in spring, most gardeners also take into account lunar cycles. It is believed that for different cultures The phase of the moon is crucial - for some, the new moon becomes a favorable sowing period, while for others it is better to plant on the waning moon. Regarding this pungent root vegetable, the time to plant radishes is lunar calendar, occurs on the waning moon, it is believed that when sowing in this cycle, the root develops better. If you want to know the exact dates, take a look at, which will tell you exactly which days are best to plant and care for.

Sowing radishes in the ground in spring - technology

In order for radishes to please you with a good harvest, in addition to choosing the timing, you need to pay attention to the choice of location and its preparation. It is advisable to do this in the fall, because adding nutritional supplements to soil that has just thawed will be problematic. In the previous year, cruciferous vegetables and herbs should not grow on it, so the ideal predecessors for radishes are garlic, tomatoes, potatoes and onions.

preparing a bed for radishes - in the photo
high bed for radishes - in the photo

The bed is dug up, the roots are removed from the ground, compost and humus (10 kg/m2) are added to it. If the soil is not nutritious enough, granulated superphosphate (20 g/m2), potassium sulfate (15-20 g/m2), ammonium nitrate (20 g/m2) should be added to it; on dense soils, coarse river sand and peat (1 each) should be used. kg/m2).

In order for cultivation to be successful, seed material is prepared, and to speed up germination, radish seeds are soaked in various stimulants, for example this could be:

• water with a spoonful of honey
• heteroauxin (according to instructions)
• aloe juice diluted in half with water

When the time comes to plant radishes in open ground in the spring, the beds are leveled and grooves 1.5 cm deep are made on them; the bottoms are compacted so that the seeds do not sink deeper. The distance between the grooves is 10 cm, and the seeds are placed in them 5 cm apart. Then the furrows are filled with loose soil and the surface of the bed is compacted. Next, it is watered with warm water, and if the weather is windy outside, cover the beds with film or non-woven material to prevent the formation of a dry crust on their surface.

You need to water the beds with early vegetables as they dry out. Radishes planted according to the recommended scheme do not need thinning after germination. If it was planted more densely, it is necessary to remove excess plants before the real leaves appear. Further care for radishes consists of weeding and watering.

Radishes are one of the popular spring vegetables. Its value is due to its unpretentiousness, ease of care, early ripening, the possibility of early planting in open ground, usefulness and taste characteristics. While other vegetable crops are at the seedling stage, its juicy root crops already supply the human body useful substances, making it possible to replenish vitamin deficiency after a long winter.

Optimal timing for planting vegetables

Radishes are planted in open ground earlier than other vegetable crops due to their ability to withstand cold and even easily tolerate night frosts. You can start sowing at the end of March or beginning of April. To speed up the germination process, crops need to be covered using film material. Early ripening varieties of radishes allow you to harvest the first harvest within three to four weeks after germination.

Early varieties should be planted in early June, and mid-season varieties in July, only when using the seedling method. You can also sow late-ripening varieties in open ground at the end of August or September.
And brave gardeners sow vegetables before winter before the onset of the first frost. Pre-winter sowing allows you to get a harvest earlier than any early variety planted in the spring ripens.

Preparing for work on sowing radishes

Planting radishes is a simple procedure. Common problems that may arise during the cultivation of crops are looseness of roots, bitterness, and the formation of flower stalks before harvesting. But all these difficulties can be resolved by wisely choosing a variety and following cultivation techniques. That's why To obtain a rich harvest, it is important to select high-quality planting material and prepare the soil in advance.

Selection and preparation of seeds that we are going to plant

The best option is to buy seeds in special stores. First you need to sort through them, sorting them by size. The key to successful germination and development of the largest root crops are seeds with a length of 3 cm or more. Before planting, soak the seeds in water or a damp cloth for 24 hours. And before sowing, soak for 20 minutes in hot water, to protect against the development of various diseases. After warming up, cool, enrich them with useful microelements by treating them with growth stimulants, and dry thoroughly.

Preparing the soil in the spring, ensuring good early shoots

For the full growth and development of radishes, you need to prepare favorable soil. The culture prefers loose, nutritious, well-drained soil with an optimal acidity of 5.5-7.0.
When choosing a site, give preference to a warm one, protected from strong winds. It also matters how much sunlight falls on the planting site per day. In accordance with crop rotation standards, the best predecessors are tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, cucumbers and legumes.

The ideal solution is to plant radishes every year in a new bed, which will help improve crop rotation in the garden.

The soil should be prepared in the fall. To do this, clear the area of ​​plant debris, dig it up and enrich it with compost or humus. With the onset of spring, as soon as the soil thaws under the warm rays of the sun, before planting a vegetable, it must be dug up again, adding minerals.

Correct planting technology, plant at the correct depth

Growing radishes in open ground requires proper planting, which includes the following operations:

1. Level the prepared bed, mark the grooves for sowing, keeping a distance of 10 cm between them. Acceptable embedment depth is 1 cm. Deep planting of seeds will lead to a change in the shape of the root crops.
2. Plant the planting material in the grooves, after watering them with hot water. Seeds should be sown at a distance of 5 cm between plants. It’s not worth it to be thicker, otherwise you’ll have to waste energy trying to plant them.
3. Sprinkle with soil and compact well to achieve maximum contact of the soil with the plane of the seed, which will speed up germination.
4. After sowing, water and fertilize the beds wood ash.
   Under comfortable weather conditions, seedlings will appear in 3-4 days.

Planting vegetables in egg cells

You can plant radishes in egg cells. This method has been tried and tested by many gardeners and is considered the best. As a result of this approach, ripened radishes have an even and neat shape. A During standard care, thinning will not be required.
To do this you need:

1. Prepare the bed by digging and loosening traditional method. After which the soil needs to be leveled.
2. Cut the bottom of the cells with a knife and lay them on the ground, pressing the holes down slightly to the ground. Fill the cells with soil and place one seed in each hole.
3. Cover the top of the crops with soil and water thoroughly.
   When sowing in egg trays, radishes will sprout with the same activity as with the usual method. In addition, this will automatically comply with certain scheme landings.

Planting radishes in egg cells

Caring for a newly planted plant, watering regime

Further care of crops includes the following activities:

1. Maintaining a certain humidity regime.
   Watering is considered an important care operation, since the growth, development and productivity of vegetable crops depends on it. Therefore, after planting, it is necessary to irrigate daily, preventing the top layer of soil from drying out, otherwise the taste of the root crops will deteriorate, they will become bitter, and also decrease in size. Favorable times for watering are morning and evening.
2. Thinning out frequent shoots.
   The procedure should be carried out on the fifth day after the formation of seedlings, while leaving stronger plants. For good ripening and high-quality fruiting of the vegetable, the seedlings should be located at a distance of 5 cm from one another.
3. Loosening the soil.
   Excessive moisture and its stagnation can lead to cracking of root crops or the appearance of diseases such as clubroot and black rot. To prevent this from happening, you need to loosen the soil after watering. Do this carefully, without damaging the root and growing root crop.
4. Feeding with a complex of fertilizers.
   The culture responds well to organic and mineral nutrition. After each application of fertilizer, mulching should be done using a mixture of peat and rotted manure. This will promote the absorption of fertilizers, as well as protect the plant from weed growth and maintain a moist environment.
5. Timely measures to protect against diseases and pests.
   It is necessary to constantly inspect plants to identify areas of damage by diseases and pests, and if a problem is detected, correctly prescribe treatment using proven protective agents.

Soil treatment and fertilizing products

Secrets of growing in open ground, thinning and fertilizing

There are some secrets that allow you to grow high-quality root crops in open ground conditions.

1. Every vegetable grower may encounter such a problem when the plant starts to shoot and then blooms. To avoid this, you should avoid sowing density, dry soil and low temperatures.
2. Cannot be added to the ground fresh manure, this will make the radishes hollow inside. Fertilizing should be done using rotted organic matter.
3. When planting, it is advisable to sow one seed at a time, since thinning damages the root system of the main plant, resulting in poor growth and the formation of shoots.
4. When growing, you cannot use chemicals, since there is a high probability of them getting into food. Therefore, radishes need to be sprayed only using folk remedies, which can be infusions of garlic, wormwood, celandine, and tobacco crumbs.

First feeding of radish seedlings

Pests and their control

Therefore, it is important to identify the first signs of the disease in time and take appropriate measures that will help the plant cope with them faster.

DiseasesNameDescriptionControl measuresClubroot Presence on the surface of the fruit
swellings and growths that become
cause yellowing and wilting
Leaves of the plant affected by clubroot should be dug up and
burn and cover the soil with slaked lime.
For 4 years, vegetable crops have been
this area should not be cultivatedPowdery mildewOn the surface of leaves, petioles
a white coating forms
mealy color, which
becomes light over time
brown tintOrganization of crop rotation and processing
plant suppressants
development of this diseaseBacteriosisRoot vegetables become covered with mucus
and begin to smell rotten.
In this case, yellowing is observed
radish leavesTo combat, you need to treat with Bordeaux
liquidPests Cruciferous flea beetle is a small insect with
dark color and metallic
shine damages the leaves, so
thereby disrupting the process
photosynthesis. As a result, the plant
stops growing and dies For prevention, organize the right
care. If damaged, treat radishes
appropriate medications. Before
than to treat with insecticides, you need
try gentle folk methodsWhite butterflylarvae of a white butterfly
eat leaves from the edges or
they gnaw through holes,
causing irreparable harm
culture

Radish affected by flea beetle

Harvesting what we managed to grow

Radishes should be harvested selectively as they ripen. When the root crop reaches medium size, you need to carefully pull it out, taking it by the tops and pulling it up, and you can serve it. And leave the rest to grow to technical ripeness.
Radishes are easy to harvest, it is important to do it in a timely manner. But even if you are late in collecting this vegetable, in this case you can get seeds for the next planting.

Even novice gardeners can cope with the simple rules of planting and care. These rules, of course, vary in the Leningrad region, in the Urals or in Krasnodar. It is important to plant radishes in the garden in a timely manner and create for them comfortable conditions for growth.

Sowing radishes correctly

Radishes are one of the first to supply vitamin products to our table. And even though it has little nutritional value, it is respected: after all, it launches a conveyor of continuous harvest that will work for several months. It is not difficult to sow radishes, but not everywhere and they do not always grow well enough.

Timing for planting radish seeds in the ground, germination time

Radish is an early ripening and cold-resistant crop; it can be sown early, and after a month it is time to harvest the earliest varieties. You can harvest radishes all summer long, but only in spring there is an urgent need for it: then radishes are replaced by other vegetables.

Radish seedlings tolerate frosts of -4 o C, and adult plants can withstand -6 o C. It is sown when the soil warms up to at least 7 o C, and plants develop best and root crops are formed at 16–20 o C. In principle, seeds germinate at a minimum positive temperature, but in prolonged cold weather the seedlings cannot be obtained root vegetables, but only flower arrows.

Therefore, if you want to sow seeds very early (in March), the furrows should be watered with hot water and the crops should be covered with non-woven materials. This can be done already when only the top 3–4 cm of soil has thawed.

Radishes are not afraid of the cold, and even their seedlings do not die in light frost

The best time for sowing radishes is in April: in the middle zone in the middle of the month, in the south - at the beginning, and most often already in March, and in the north - closer to the May Day holidays. The seeds hatch quickly: in warm weather this can happen after 4–5 days; in April, in moderate heat, after a week or a week and a half.

After harvesting, you can sow radishes again, but the last sowing is carried out no later than the end of May: from June or July sowing you can get only flowering flowers, since radishes do not set root crops during long daylight hours. You can, of course, cover the beds from the sun every day, but “it’s not worth it.” True, there are also non-shooting varieties (Vera, Tarzan, etc.), but it is better to resume sowing, if desired, only in August.

Selection and preparation of soil and beds

Not all gardeners produce good radishes. It does not tolerate shading at all and does not grow well in clay soils. The crop thrives best in light, nutritious soils. IN clay soils You definitely need to add sand. Radishes should not grow in a bed fertilized with fresh manure, but humus must be added in the fall. The norm is up to two buckets per 1 m2.

Radishes grow best after cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, and carrots. Unsuitable predecessors are all cruciferous vegetables, including any cabbage.

The bed prepared in the fall is only loosened in the spring with a heavy rake, having previously scattered 30–40 g of ammonium nitrate or urea per 1 m2. In those regions where it is customary to organize raised beds, this is also done in the case of planting radishes, more often this is not necessary.

Checking seeds for germination and preparing them for planting

Radish seeds are stored for quite a long time: germination begins to decline only after 5 years. If there are old seeds lying around the house, it is better to check their germination before sowing. in the usual way: Spread a dozen seeds on a damp cloth and keep at room temperature. After 10 days, those that could sprout will definitely sprout. By counting the number of seedlings, you can decide for yourself whether you need to buy fresh seeds.

Radish seeds are quite large and easy to handle.

To get powerful root vegetables in early dates, the seeds can be calibrated using special sieves: the best seeds have a diameter of at least 2 mm. There is no need to do anything else with them; radishes are usually sown with dry seeds.

Some fans soak the seeds for 6–8 hours, or even wait until they hatch. This hardly makes much sense: the harvest may ripen only 1–2 days earlier, and there will be more hassle with sprouted seeds. In addition, such seeds may die in the event of unexpected frosts.

Rules for planting radish seeds in open ground, planting schemes

Sowing seeds in a garden bed is done according to the usual rules for a gardener. Using the corner of a hoe or using a slate, make shallow grooves at a distance of 10 cm for early ripening varieties to 15–20 cm for late ripening varieties. The earliest varieties usually need small area nutrition, and the seeds are laid out every 3 cm. For late-ripening varieties, 5 to 8 cm are left between the seeds. More dense planting will not lead to saving space, but to a disastrous result: it will not be possible to obtain good root crops.

The sowing depth of the seeds is 1.5–2 cm: since radish seeds are quite large, you can spread them out individually. If there are a lot of seeds, sometimes they are sown using the “salt the bed” method, but immediately after the emergence of seedlings they should be thinned out without delay. After sowing, the seeds are sprinkled with soil, or possibly humus or peat, and the bed is lightly trampled.

The sowing technique is no different from sowing seeds of most vegetables.

There is a slight specificity in sowing seeds of those varieties of radishes that produce elongated root crops (for example, Ice Icicle). These radishes are lightly hilled during root growth. To make this easier, when sowing, deeper grooves are prepared, up to 5 cm deep, but the seeds laid out in them are still covered with only a two-centimeter layer of soil: the furrows are filled to the end later.

The bed is carefully watered from a watering can with a strainer and covered with film until the shoots appear. If stable heat has already established, you can use spunbond, or even do without shelter at all.

Video: sowing radish seeds in a garden bed

Some gardeners sow radishes in cardboard egg boxes. In this way, seed savings are achieved and sowing is made more uniform. Cut off the tops of the cells, lay them out on the bed with the holes down, and press the cells a little. For strength, they are pinned to the ground, for example, with thick wire. Sow calibrated seeds one at a time into each resulting “hole”, after which the cells are filled with soil and watered.

In egg cells, radishes can be sown more evenly

Care and harvesting

Caring for radishes is not difficult, but it is needed constantly: the bed cannot be abandoned for a week. Therefore, those summer residents who can only visit their plots on weekends rarely grow good root crops. It's all about watering: the bed should never dry out. Even a layer of mulch does not always help; radishes need to be watered often. Soil moisture should be at least 80% of the maximum possible. If you don’t water the radishes, the root crops will either not grow at all or will be overly bitter, and more often than not, the plants will simply collapse due to drought.

But you can’t swamp the bed either: it’s too a large number of water can lead to cracking of root crops. However, even in normal weather, radishes have to be watered daily (morning or evening), and in dry weather - twice a day. Actually, on fertile soils, nothing more is needed except periodically loosening the soil and weeding the beds from weeds. Many gardeners do not feed radishes at all: the fertilizer applied to the garden bed is enough for them to last a month. If the soil is not nutritious enough, give 1-2 fertilizing with mullein infusion with the addition of wood ash. If mullein is not available, you can also use mineral fertilizers with a reduced nitrogen content.

You can use special mixtures for root crops for feeding.

Radishes do not ripen all at once, but quite quickly. The first root crops are pulled out selectively as they are ready, but in a maximum of a week it will be necessary to harvest the entire crop. It is better to pull out the radishes in the morning and water the garden bed in the evening. The harvest does not last long, a maximum of a week in the refrigerator, and this is not required: usually radishes are eaten immediately, straight from the garden.

Radishes are an early-ripening crop; every gardener tries to grow them. This is not difficult to do, but you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to care for the garden bed every day.

Radishes: planting and care in open ground

Raphanus sativus or radish is an annual, sometimes biennial plant, a member of the Radish genus of the Cruciferous or Brassica family. The name of this vegetable is derived from the Latin word radix, which translates as “root”.

This name was not given to the plant by chance, because it is the radish root that has the greatest value and is eaten in many countries. Radishes are early ripening garden crops, its ripening time makes it stand out even among all other fast-growing vegetables. In spring, radishes are in great demand among summer residents, since only they can ripen at this time of year and serve as a source of living vitamins, so necessary for a depleted body after a long and cold winter.

Today, radishes are grown by gardeners, farmers and agricultural enterprises around the world. This vegetable is a root vegetable with green tops, edible consume only the root of the plant. It has a round or oval elongated shape, covered with thin skin of pink, red or white-pink color. The pulp is juicy, white, sometimes with pinkish splashes, and has a sweet, pungent taste. The mustard oil contained in the pulp gives the vegetable its spiciness.

Radishes are a long-day vegetable. This means that for normal growth and development he needs twelve to thirteen hours of daylight. Characteristic feature The plant has a short growing season. This, undoubtedly, should be considered a plus, because this feature allows you to grow root crops throughout the entire summer season, planting it almost every week and quickly getting edible vegetables.

Growing radishes in open ground

Radish seeds can germinate in open ground at just one or two degrees of heat. But it is worth considering that the vegetable can develop and grow normally only at a stable temperature within fifteen to eighteen degrees above zero. Cold air will greatly inhibit the growth of radishes, and too warm, with a lack of sunlight (especially in spring, since at this time of year the daylight hours are still very short), will only cause abundant growth of tops, while the root crop will not have time to form normally and will become coarse.

The first planting in the ground is carried out in mid-spring, immediately after the ground has completely thawed and warmed up a little. Most often, the necessary conditions appear in mid-April, but in warm regions, early varieties of radish can be sown as early as the end of March.

Soil requirements

Planting radishes in open ground begins with preparing the soil. To grow vegetables, choose a sunny area, protected from cold drafts and wind. Suitable soil for radishes should be loose, light, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction and a pH value within five to seven units. If your vegetable garden or garden has too acidic soils, then before planting, mix the soil in the garden bed with lime, it will help correct the situation.

Avid gardeners recommend planting radishes in beds that will later be used for growing tomatoes. Radishes can be sown every week from mid-April to the twentieth of May. This way, you will reap a good harvest of these vegetables and prepare the land for planting tomatoes. If you want to grow root crops on heavy, cold or poor sandy loam soils, you will need to dig up the area, adding two to three kilograms of humus per square meter of land. Keep in mind that fresh manure is not used to fertilize radishes.

Beds that were used last season for growing crops such as potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes and beans are ideal for planting radishes. But areas where turnips, turnips, daikon, radishes, cabbage, horseradish and watercress grew are not suitable for such purposes. Experts recommend annually changing the place for radishes so that each time it has predecessors who are representatives of other families.

For spring sowing, start preparing the bed in the fall. To do this, dig up the soil to a depth equal to the bayonet of a shovel, add compost or humus to it. Then in the spring, just before sowing, It will be possible to dig up only the top layer of soil no deeper than twenty centimeters with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Landing technology

1. In the garden bed, prepare furrows two centimeters deep, leaving a distance of fifteen to twenty centimeters between them.
2. Water them well and sow the seeds thickly.
3. Fill the furrows with loose soil and compact the surface; no watering is required.
4. Fill the bed with a two-centimeter layer of humus or peat.
5. Every day, after five in the evening, cover the bed with film and remove it in the morning. This procedure should be carried out until the seeds germinate.
6. The timing of emergence of seedlings directly depends on the weather. In good, dry and sunny conditions, the seeds will germinate in about two to four days after planting.

Sowing is not everything; to get a high-quality and tasty harvest, seedlings should be provided proper care.

When the first leaves of the seedlings develop, they should be threaded. There should be a distance of three to five centimeters between individual specimens. If you are particularly patient and confident in the high germination of your planting material, sow it immediately at the distance indicated above. This will help you avoid the need to thin out the plantings, since this procedure, if not done carefully enough, can damage the root system of the plants remaining in the ground.

The result will be poor development of seedlings, which will lead to bolting of the tops and lack of root crops. If you ensure the seedlings are correct and quality care, That you can harvest within twenty to thirty days after planting.

Planting radishes before winter

Now you have all the necessary information about spring sowing of radishes. This is how the landing is carried out annual varieties. Now it's time to talk about biennial, winter types of radishes.

Biennial varieties should be planted in late autumn, after the first frost arrives - in mid or late November. Not all varieties of radishes are suitable for winter planting. First of all, pay attention to such radishes as: Spartak, Mayak, Yubileiny, Carmen and Mercado. They are able to germinate even at low temperatures.

Preparing the site for winter sowing should begin at the end of summer:

1. Decide on a planting site before winter and dig up the ground.
2. Fertilize the soil by adding half a bucket of humus or rotted compost, as well as one tablespoon each of potassium sulfate and double superphosphate. This amount of fertilizer is calculated for one square meter of land.
3. After you have fertilized the soil, cover the bed with film, strengthening it along the edges with bricks, stones or heavy boards. This is done to prevent the film from being blown away by the wind.

When planting in autumn, there is no need to water the bed before sowing.. After placing the seeds in the ground, it should be mulched with peat or dry soil, compact the surface and cover it with snow if it has already fallen.

Many novice gardeners ask the question: “What is the advantage of winter sowing?” Such sowing will allow you to get the harvest two weeks earlier than the harvest of radishes planted in the spring.

Features of care

Caring for radishes planted in open ground includes watering, weeding and loosening the soil between rows. If after sowing you covered the bed with a layer of mulch, this will make caring for the root crops much easier, but still try not to forget about the care procedures and carry them out on time.

Watering

Radish is a moisture-loving crop, therefore optimal humidity soil required for normal plant development should be about eighty percent. To ensure planting in such conditions, the bed must be watered quite often, especially at first, otherwise the root crops will be very bitter. Lack of moisture causes the plant to bolt, because of which the roots stop developing and growing. Watering too much can lead to cracking of the roots.

How to water radishes correctly in order to get a high-quality and good harvest of root crops? If there is enough rain in the spring, then water the plants every morning or after five o'clock in the evening. In case of dry weather, you will have to moisten the soil in the beds twice a day, in the morning and in the evening.

Begin to monitor the soil especially carefully after the seedlings form their first true leaf. If the soil in the planting area is always slightly damp, you will be able to get tasty and juicy vegetables.

Top dressing

When growing radishes on poor soils, the plantings will need to be fertilized twice during the entire growing season. If the radishes are planted on rich, nutritious soil, then the number of feedings is reduced to one.

Don't overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers, otherwise the radish will spend all its energy on growing tops, and the root crops will turn out elongated and saturated with nitrates.

In order not to saturate vegetables with substances hazardous to human health, it is worth knowing what to fertilize radishes with and what fertilizers can be applied to the soil when growing such plants. We present to your attention a recipe for a balanced mixture that will help radishes form tasty and juicy root vegetables:

• compost;
• humus;
• ten grams of potassium fertilizer;
• one and a half liters of ash;
• ten grams of superphosphate;
• fifteen grams of saltpeter.

The required amount of humus and compost depends on the area of ​​your garden bed. Usually half a bucket per square meter of soil is enough.

It is enough to add only mineral fertilizers to fertile lands.

Pests

The main enemies of radishes are mole crickets and cruciferous flea beetles. Other insects, such as aphids and caterpillars, do not have time to do much damage to the plant due to its rapid growth.

The cruciferous flea beetle is dangerous at an early stage of development, since it can destroy only hatched sprouts throughout the entire area in a few days. When the seedlings grow and become stronger, it ceases to be scary. So that the flea does not bother you, it can be scared away by treating young shoots with a special solution. To do this, dilute two glasses of fresh ash and fifty grams of laundry soap shavings in ten liters of water. You can also simply scatter the ashes between the rows.

It is worth noting that these methods are sometimes ineffective. Most reliable protection from the cruciferous flea beetle is a shelter, in order to build it you need to install metal arc supports along the entire length of the bed and stretch spunbond over them. Under such shelter, the plants will breathe freely, direct sunlight will not be able to harm the delicate leaves, and pests will not be able to get close to the crops.

Harvest and storage

Root vegetables do not ripen at the same time, so radishes should be dug up and harvested selectively, selecting only fully ripened vegetables. Harvesting is best done in the morning, preliminarily, in the evening it is good to strait the landing. This will make it much easier to extract root crops from the ground. Having pulled the radish out of the garden, shake off the remaining soil well, cut off the tops, stepping back two to three centimeters from the root crop. There is no need to trim the roots.

How and for how long are radishes stored? If stored for too long, even in good and correct conditions, radishes become flabby and acquire an unpleasant bitterness. Therefore, you should not harvest root vegetables such as beets or onions. Moreover, you can grow fresh and juicy radishes at any time of the year, if not in open ground, then, for example, in a greenhouse. The radish harvest can be stored in plastic bags about one week, placed in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.

Growing radishes in open ground: rules for planting and care

What could be easier than growing radishes in open ground? I sowed the seeds in the garden bed and after 3-4 weeks, harvest tasty and juicy root vegetables! But it's not that simple. Radish is not a capricious crop, but if you miss some of the nuances in its planting and cultivation, you can get a low-quality harvest or be left without it altogether. Therefore, before planting radishes , make sure you're doing everything right.

Growing radishes in open ground will require some knowledge in gardening.

When to sow radishes?

Radishes have a short growing season - on average, 4 weeks pass from sowing to harvesting. Therefore, many gardeners, when stable warmth sets in, plant radishes in open ground every 7-10 days - and so on all spring. As soon as the old batch of root vegetables is collected, a new one is on the way!

Most varieties of radish can be sown continuously throughout the spring - from March-April until the end of May, and then in August.

On the longest and hottest days of summer (especially June), a break is taken. Why? The fact is that radishes are short-day crops. Ideally, to grow a root crop, it requires 10-12 hours of daylight. If the day lengthens to 13-14 hours, and the air temperature rises to 25 degrees or more, most radish varieties begin to bloom (shoot). In this case, the root crop is small and skinny, since the plant spends all its energy on flowering and producing seeds.

However, if you really want to have fresh radishes on the table all summer, you can do the following:

1. Or cover the radish plantings every evening with dark non-woven material (spunbond, lutrasil) to shorten the daylight hours to 10-12 hours. For example, cover from 7 pm to 7-9 am.
2. Or, during the “difficult” period of summer, grow special non-shooting varieties of radish: Duro, Duro Krasnodarskoe, Malaga, Yum-Nyam, etc.

The second option - planting radishes of non-shooting varieties - is the most reliable and will not require unnecessary movements on your part. Look for information about bolting tendency on the seed packets. If the variety is not prone to flowering, this will be indicated by the manufacturer.

Radish Duro Krasnodar can be grown throughout the season; it is resistant to bolting (blooming) and sagging

Choosing a landing site

Sow radish seeds immediately to a permanent place - in open ground, a greenhouse, in a container or balcony box.

In spring, for planting radishes in open ground, you should choose a sunny place. In summer, on the contrary, partial shade is desirable, when the plants are in the sun before lunch, and after lunch they are shaded by a fence or other crops. Fall crops, again, require full sun.

With a lack of light, radishes begin to grow tops, while the root crop grows small.

Radishes work well as a companion to other plants. It is often sown between rows of slow-growing vegetables such as onions, parsnips, and carrots. Radishes ripen quickly and are harvested before they begin to interfere with the main crop.

Radishes are often planted between carrots or onions

Never sow radishes where they have just grown. Change the bed with each new sowing batch.

Preparing the bed

Radishes love fertile, but not heavy soils, without stones, snags and all kinds of debris. Ideal pH 7-7.4 (neutral or slightly alkaline reaction).

In order to prepare the soil for growing radishes, the following activities should be carried out:

• If the soil in the garden bed is clayey and dense, add sand to it, which will make it lighter. However, do not sprinkle the surface of the bed with sand, otherwise it will dry out quickly.
• If the soil is poor, add compost or humus. Fresh organic matter (manure) cannot be used, as it creates voids in the radish roots.
• If the soil is acidic, increase its pH. The easiest way to do this is in advance, in the fall, by adding dolomite or agricultural lime to the ground. Do not neglect this point, since in acidic soil, radishes are often affected by the fungal disease clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor), in which growths, cracks, and rot form on the roots of the plant.
• Remove any rocks from the soil as they will hinder the growth of the radish roots.

Radish sowing technology

Radish seeds are sown at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other, placing them individually in pre-made grooves. Leave 10-15 cm between the rows. You can sow them thicker, but then you will have to thin out the seedlings, removing excess plants.

The seeding depth is small, 1-1.5 cm is enough. If you sow radishes deeper, the shape of the root crops may change to a more elongated one. But not necessarily. In loose, light soil the shape will not change much and will remain round. But in a heavier one, it will stretch out in the form of a wedge.

Sowing radish seeds in shallow furrows

At a temperature of 15-20°C, radish shoots appear already 3-4 days after sowing. At lower temperatures, seeds hatch more slowly and have to wait up to 6-12 days.

If boule seeds are sown without maintaining the distance between them, you will need to thin out the seedlings

Radishes are a cold-resistant vegetable that can withstand light frosts down to -4°C. However, it develops best in relative warmth. Therefore, if you sow radishes in early spring, in an unstable climate, cover the plantings with non-woven material at night. This will prevent the soil from cooling quickly at night and allow the radishes to develop at a normal pace.

To learn how to plant radishes in open ground, watch the video:

Care rules: how to grow delicious radishes

Watering

The most important thing in caring for radish seedlings is to water them on time. It is necessary that the soil is constantly moist, but without a “swamp”. Frequent and even watering ensures rapid growth of radishes and the juiciness of its root crops.

If watering is poor, root vegetables become “woody”, fibrous, and excessive bitterness appears. Uneven watering is also undesirable. For example, you don’t water radishes for several days, and then you fill the bed with a lot of water. In this case, the radishes may crack.

Ideally, create a system for radishes drip irrigation. This is especially true if you grow this root vegetable not only in the spring, but also in the summer, on hot July days.

Mulching beds with radishes with mown grass, sawdust, etc. also retains moisture well.

After watering, it is advisable to loosen the soil so that it does not become compacted and the roots receive the oxygen they need. Mulched soil does not require loosening.

Feeding

Typically, radishes do not require fertilizing, especially if you prepared the bed in advance and added humus to it in the fall. If the soil is poor and not fertilized, then you will have to apply fertilizer.

Several recipes for feeding radishes:

• Ash – radish beds are sprinkled with wood ash and then spilled generously.
• Chicken droppings - pour bird droppings with water in a ratio of 1:20, leave in a warm place for 3 days. You can first dilute the droppings in less water and prepare a stronger infusion. And then, before use, dilute it in clean water to obtain the desired proportions. Pour the infusion between the rows, avoiding contact of fertilizers with root crops and tops.
• Herbal infusion (from nettle, rapeseed, chamomile, tansy, comfrey, etc.) - cut a bucket of herbs and fill it to the top with water. Place in a warm place (in the sun) for fermentation and regularly.

Harvest

Most radish varieties are ready for harvest when the diameter of the part of the root visible on the soil surface reaches 2-2.5 cm.

You cannot keep radishes in the ground, as this will make them woody. When grown correctly, the radish pulp is juicy, without fibers or hollows.

If you do not plan to immediately put all the collected radishes into the salad, cut off the thin root tail and tops, wash and dry the root vegetables thoroughly. Store in plastic bags in the refrigerator. Radish greens can be stored separately for up to three days.

Radishes are always a welcome guest on the table

Problems when growing radishes: pests and diseases

Radishes are often attacked fungal and bacterial diseases:

• Kila – fungal disease, in which the radish tops wither and turn yellow, and ugly swellings and growths form on the roots. Clubroot attacks radishes in acidic soil. Therefore, if the soil has a pH below 6, it must be limed.
• Powdery mildew - a white powdery coating with a specific mushroom smell appears on the leaves. The leaves turn yellow and then dry out. Treatment: at the first signs of the disease, radishes and beds are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, Fitosporin, Planriz, Trichodermin or other fungicide.
• Downy mildew (downy mildew) - white, then yellow and brown spots appear on the leaves. A purple-gray coating is visible at the bottom of the leaves. Fungicides are used for control.
• Mucous bacteriosis (black rot) - manifested by rotting leaves and roots. Radishes are attacked in warm and humid weather. The causative agent of mucous bacteriosis overwinters in the beds in plant residues Insects, in particular cabbage fly larvae, can also spread the infection. For control, bactericidal drugs are used: Planriz, Binoram, etc.
• Black leg - the leaves turn yellow, their edges turn brown and curl upward, the base of the stem becomes dark brown and slimy. When radish becomes infected with blackleg, the diseased plants are destroyed and the soil is spilled with a solution of copper sulfate.

But not only fungi and bacteria can cause various ailments in radishes. Some insects Don't mind enjoying this tasty root vegetable. The most common of them are:

• Cruciferous flea beetles - eat many holes in radish leaves. To combat flea beetles, you should often loosen the soil in the radish bed - this will interrupt the life cycle of the insects. Also, the soil in the radish bed is dusted with red hot pepper or diatomaceous earth. Another option: grow radishes under garden non-woven material.
• Cabbage fly - its larvae eat tunnels and furrows in radish roots. The leaves of the plant become discolored and wither. And root crops, accordingly, lose all value. To get rid of cabbage fly larvae, you should sprinkle the soil in the garden bed with tobacco dust and ash. A mixture of mustard and ground hot pepper also works well.
• Sprout fly - its larvae also eat radish roots, forming cavities in them. They should be dealt with in the same way as cabbage fly larvae.
• Slugs and snails - feed on radishes, leaving holes in the tops and roots. There are many ways to control these pests, including beer traps, crushed eggshells and shells, and copper tape.

Radish leaves eaten by cruciferous flea beetles

Also, multiple problems with radishes cause errors in agricultural technology.

• The radish is too bitter - the plant received too little water during growth.
• Radishes are woody and fibrous - the reasons may be high soil temperatures and uneven watering.
• Radish bolts - when using varieties that are prone to flowering on long hot days of summer, thickened plantings.
• Cracks in radish roots - uneven watering, overexposure in the ground after ripening.
• Small, underdeveloped root crops - insufficient lighting, dense plantings.
• Radishes with voids - feeding with fresh organic matter (manure), insufficient watering, overexposure in the ground.
• Large tops and small root crops - excess nitrogen fertilizers(large amounts of compost, rotted manure).

In addition, they will tell you how to grow tasty and juicy radishes in a short video:

Radish planting and care in open ground: growing technology, video and photo

Growing radishes is one of the most popular gardening activities. With minimal effort, you can get tasty root vegetables in a short period of time. The technology for growing radishes is simple.

But there are certain tricks that will allow you to grow high-quality root crops in open ground. Equally important when growing cruciferous crops in open ground is proper care. The main pest of radishes is flea beetles, so timely care is important after planting in open ground.

This plant is one of the earliest; it contains a large amount of vitamins, which the human body so needs after winter, so many gardeners prefer to plant these vegetables on their plots.

Proper preparation soil

Caring for radishes in the ground

Agrotechnical techniques for growing radishes

Many novice gardeners are concerned about the timing of planting radishes. After planting seeds in open ground, the first shoots may appear at an air temperature of about 2 degrees, and in order for the sprouts to develop normally, the temperature must be stable and reach 15 degrees Celsius.

The air temperature should not be higher, since such conditions will be created (given the shortage natural light early spring), during which the tops will grow, and the fruits will form small and flabby. You need to plant on time.

You also need to remember that if care is carried out incorrectly, the plantings are not looked after, various radish diseases develop (the most common pest is flea beetles) when grown in open ground.

When the soil warms up as much as possible, a constant air temperature in the spring is established, you can begin to sow seeds in the country or in your garden. Often, gardeners prefer to plant cruciferous seeds in the spring, in April. If the climatic conditions are warm in the spring, you can plant the seeds in March (when planting in March, watering can be done less frequently, since the soil is saturated with moisture after the snow melts).

If the weather has not yet settled, it is better to cover the planted beds with covering material (for example, use black film or cover early radishes with agrofibre). If early boarding held in March, you can get a harvest at your dacha as early as May.

Proper soil preparation

Growing radishes in open ground involves preliminary preparation soil. Proper soil preparation is an important stage in planting a cruciferous crop; this is required by the technology of growing radishes.

The area in the country where you plan to plant cruciferous seeds should be well lit. Growing conditions are also important - the soil should be loose and slightly acidic.

If the soil indicator shows a high level of acid, such open soil should be limed before planting cruciferous seeds.

It is recommended to sow radishes in the spring in the place where in the future, when the radishes have finished bearing fruit, tomato seedlings will be planted. If the soil is too heavy, sandy loam, soil preparation consists of digging up and adding humus to the composition of the open ground.

Proper care in the future consists of weeding the weeds in the open ground; you also need to water regularly if the soil is dry.

If it rains, there is no need to water the plantings to prevent the seeds from overheating. It is not worth applying fertilizers such as fresh and undiluted mullein. It is also important to sow correctly, maintaining the correct distance between the beds.

In order to sow in spring, open ground should be prepared in autumn. Gardeners often forget about this. The soil is dug up and fertilizers such as compost or humus are added. Then in the spring you can only loosen the soil and add fertilizers that contain phosphorus and potassium.

How to sow planting material into the soil

Growing radishes in open ground conditions requires proper planting and further proper care (fertilizers, watering, prevention of radish disease, the influence of pests, for example, flea beetles). The seed planting depth is about two centimeters.

The distance between the rows should be at least 15 centimeters (this distance will allow the fruits to develop in spring and summer). After planting the seeds in open ground, the beds are covered with earth, but there is no need to immediately water the soil.

Immediately after planting the seeds, you should cover the beds with covering material, for example, using black film. Under such material and if weather conditions permit, seedlings will appear in a few days.

When the first leaves appear on the sprouts, the sprouts are thinned out. Planting density should not exceed 5 centimeters (distance between seedlings). Proper cultivation of radishes in open ground, proper care (watering, spraying against flea beetles) are the conditions that make it possible to grow a good harvest in the summer in a month and a half.

Caring for radishes in the ground

Many gardeners are concerned about the question of how care should be taken in open ground conditions and how often radishes need to be watered in order to grow a good harvest. Watering is carried out as the soil dries out. Radish is a moisture-loving plant; it requires soil moisture of at least 80%; such conditions will allow the fruits to develop well.

It will be necessary to water the plantings frequently, this will make it possible to prevent the appearance of bitterness in the fruits. Such care is important for the crop to get a good harvest.

Watering should be done frequently, since early or late radish is a crop that loves moisture. Watering is necessary in order to prevent the appearance of bitterness in radish fruits. When there is heavy rain in summer or spring, watering can be omitted to prevent the seeds from rotting in the soil.

When watering is insufficient, early radishes begin to bolt, and the fruits from the seeds do not develop properly. When it rains occasionally in spring, watering the soil should be done frequently - daily, in the morning or evening, this will allow you to grow high-quality fruits.

When in spring there is little moisture in the soil, it is necessary to moisten the open ground often - every day, in the morning and evening. Only when the soil is frequently watered will the early radishes be juicy and large.

Also, do not forget about the treatment and prevention of diseases and pests (the most common pest is cruciferous flea beetles). Such care for radishes is necessary both before sowing and after planting seeds or seedlings.

Fertilizer application

When the soil is poor, early radishes should be fed twice during the entire growing season. If the soil is saturated with nutrients, early radishes are fed only once.

You should not apply too much nitrogen fertilizers for open ground, as this can be fraught with abundant growth of tops and poor fruits in the future.

The correct fertilizers for radishes in open ground conditions are compost, humus, potassium fertilizers and superphosphate, saltpeter, and wood ash.

If the soil is distinguished by its fertility, it is possible to apply only mineral-based fertilizing to the soil (without the admixture of chemicals and nitrates) for open ground.

How to treat pests and diseases

Fleas pose a danger to the crop precisely in the early stages of development, since they can, within a short period of time, destroy all the green leaves and seedlings that are just sprouting.

It is better, after all, to cover the planted radishes with agrofibre or other covering material that will allow the soil and young seedlings to breathe, not burn under the scorching sun, and also harmful insects will not penetrate under such cover. If you protect your radishes well, you will definitely be able to grow a good harvest.

With proper planting of radish seeds and proper care after the sprouts appear, you can get tasty and juicy root vegetables. Just don’t forget to feed the crop on time.