How to properly grow radishes on a windowsill

Varieties for growing at home

If we are going to grow radishes on the windowsill at home, we need to choose the right variety for this variety. It is best to take early ripening ones, but the most important thing is not even the ripening rate, but resistance to shooting and lack of reaction to a lack of lighting. As a rule, not only those who do not have a vegetable garden at all undertake to grow vegetables at home, but also those who want to continue the season of vitamins even in winter, and here a short daylight hours and central heating can become a hindrance. Therefore, it is better to choose varieties of radish that grow quickly and do not require ideal conditions.

Perhaps the fastest ripening of all is the 16 days radish. Round, bright red root vegetables can be harvested 16-18 days after sowing, later they become tough. It is very convenient that they are in no hurry to shoot and do not crack, which means that they can be perfectly grown at home.

From 18 to 25 days the varieties "Diego" (a hybrid with roots up to 5 cm in diameter) and "Dabel" (perfectly tolerates a drop in temperature) ripen, their roots do not dry out from the inside and remain crispy for a long time.

In 20-30 days after germination, a radish of the Deka variety is harvested, whose raspberry roots grow more than 3 cm. This variety is also good because it is not in a hurry to shoot even with a long daylight hours.

"Champion" is ready for consumption 25-28 days after planting, its roots do not become flabby or hollow.

And the variety "French breakfast", in addition to early ripening, is famous for the fact that it does not require hasty harvesting - its pink roots after ripening remain crispy for a long time, and the pink skin remains tender and juicy.

You can choose one or more of these varieties so that the radish on the windowsill at home will only bring pleasure without disappointment.

The subtleties of growing radishes on the windowsill

Growing radishes on a windowsill at home may fail for two reasons: too high an air temperature and inappropriate daylight hours.

Radish is considered a cold-resistant crop, it can easily survive even small frosts, but excessive heat forces it to throw all its strength into shooting, flowering, and not on growing root crops.

If there is an unheated room at home where you can provide an air temperature of 18–20 degrees, then it is there that you will be able to grow radishes on the windowsill. Ideal daylight hours should be 10-12 hours. A window sill, near which there are no heaters, is a wonderful place for this culture. If such conditions can be created, then the radish at home will delight the owners even all year round. You need to sow it every 2 weeks in small batches, then the crop will constantly ripen and your family will not lack a vitamin-mineral complex with excellent assimilation.

In the summer after 18-oo, the seedlings should be covered from the sun with an opaque covering material.And in winter, accordingly, supplement the illumination with fluorescent lamps so that the plantings receive light for at least 10 hours daily.

The soil is suitable for the most common that is sold for growing vegetables. If you have the opportunity and desire, you can cook it yourself - mix an equal amount of garden soil (preferably black soil), sand and humus (or compost). You can add some wood ash. Only for use at home, it certainly needs to be disinfected, this is done by exposure to low or high temperatures - by freezing it on the street or balcony, heating it on a stove or stove. If this is not possible, then before sowing you need to spill it with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

Any dishes that are usually used for seedlings will do - wooden boxes, plastic glasses, clay pots. The main thing is that the depth is at least 15 cm (even more is better) and there are drainage holes. It is very convenient to use special cassettes for seedlings: one plant grows in the cells, and the common pan collects excess water. It is important that each plant has its own place with a diameter of at least 5 cm, and if the description of the variety promises large roots, then even more.

Whatever dish you choose, you need to arrange a drainage layer of expanded clay or any other suitable material, pour soil on top so that a few centimeters remain to the top of the dish, tamp it. Seeds are also disinfected before sowing with potassium permanganate, they are left in warmth and moisture overnight - just wrap them in several layers of wet gauze.

Sowing is carried out to a depth of 1 cm, then covered with film or glass for several days, periodically moistening with a spray bottle. After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed, and the plants are hardened by lowering the air temperature to + 6-8 degrees for several days. When growing radishes on the windowsill at home, not everyone adheres to this procedure; it is difficult to say exactly how it or its absence affects the harvest.

If vegetables grow at the same temperature, if they are not threatened by freezing, as on the street, then the hardening procedure loses its meaning.

Care

The radishes on the windowsill need to be watered regularly with water at room temperature, it is not worth overmoistening too much, but you cannot overdry it either. It is advisable to turn the dishes so that the plants do not stretch in one direction towards the light source.

If the soil is not fertile enough, then a week after germination, and then during the formation of root crops, the plants are fed. A solution of ash is perfect for the first time and mineral fertilizers for the second. But usually the radishes on the windowsill have enough nutrients that are in a properly prepared soil, and it is impossible to sow in the same soil a second time.

After watering, the soil around the plants must be loosened, if there was a dense planting, then thin it out, it is impossible to prevent the appearance of weeds. That's all the care for this culture on the windowsill. The crop should be harvested in a timely manner, so that it does not happen that the perfectly grown roots are cracked or become tough.

Video "Homemade radish in winter"

This video is about how you can grow radishes on a windowsill under LED lamps in winter.