Celeste radish - the best cultivar for growing in a greenhouse

The Celeste F1 radish is a well-known early maturing hybrid developed by Dutch breeders for early production. These beautiful bright scarlet roots can be found on sale all year round, since the variety grows well not only in summer cottages, but also in greenhouses, where it is often grown for sale. Due to its excellent taste characteristics, it has become very popular in private gardening and farms. The cultivation technique and description of the "Celeste" radish variety will be presented below in the article.

Content

1 Features of the variety
2 Advantages and disadvantages
3 Sowing terms and technology
4 Care
5 Video "How to Grow Celeste Radish"

Features of the variety

Radish of this variety is considered one of the best among the Dutch selection. It is recommended by experts for growing a very early product in the open field, as well as for year-round harvesting in greenhouses. When breeding a hybrid, breeders made sure that, along with a very early ripening period, it combines all the necessary qualities and characteristics: high yield, good adaptation to growing conditions and diseases, beautiful presentation and excellent soft taste.

With proper care, the variety gives high yields, both in greenhouses and in the open field. Radish has a beautiful appearance: it has a rounded shape, a smooth, even surface, completely painted in an intense scarlet color. The pulp of root vegetables is white, very juicy, crispy, dense, slightly spicy in taste. The size of the root crops is 3–5 cm in diameter with a weight of 25–35 g. Despite its juiciness, radishes can be stored for a long time without losing their taste and are well transported.

Advantages and disadvantages

Describing the "Celeste" radish variety, it can be noted that it has practically no drawbacks, but there is a whole list of advantages:

has a short growing season (the first crop can be harvested 3 weeks after sowing);
it is distinguished by high germination and amicable ripening of root crops;
grows equally well in open ground and greenhouses;
easily adapts to changing conditions;
does not need a long day of light - it grows well in greenhouses in winter;
resistant to disease, does not form arrows and peduncles;
has excellent taste and appearance characteristics;
root crops are stored for a long time and are well transported.

Sowing terms and technology

In a heated greenhouse, you can grow radishes all year round. However, the biological characteristics of the culture are such that the seeds germinate best in early spring, in March - April. Root crops of this variety ripen in 25–35 days, but depending on the planting time and growing conditions, the timing may be different. If the seeds are sown at the beginning of February, then it will take about 1.5 months to ripen, if in March, the period will be reduced to 1 month, and the radish sown in April, under greenhouse conditions, ripens in 21-25 days.

If the purpose of growing radishes is autumn or winter consumption of vegetables, then it must be borne in mind that from September to January root crops grow less intensively than in spring - it may take 1.5–2 months to ripen one crop.

To keep fresh vegetables on your table regularly throughout the winter, seeds should be planted every 2 weeks.

Sowing radishes in a greenhouse should start with soil preparation. Celeste radish prefers loose and fertile soil, it is better if it is a light sandy loam substrate with neutral acidity.If the soil in your greenhouse is far from these characteristics, it is necessary to correct its composition: river sand will help to make the soil looser, and lime or dolomite flour should be added to equalize the acidity. Then you need to dig up the bed, add mineral fertilizers, level it, and leave it for a while to warm up.

The area where the radishes will be grown should be naturally well lit, even if your greenhouse includes plant lighting. Before planting seeds, the bed must be warmed up. You should also observe the crop rotation - you should not plant radishes after cruciferous crops (all types of cabbage, radish, turnip). It is not recommended to sow seeds for 2 years in one place - this can affect the yield.

Seeds must also be prepared before sowing. First of all, you need to calibrate them (choose the largest ones). The larger the seeds, the better and faster they will develop. After sampling, the seed must be soaked in water. Heavy, which means, high-quality seeds will settle to the bottom, and empty ones will float up. For sowing, we take only those that have sunk to the bottom and disinfect them in a solution of potassium permanganate for about 1 hour. For early germination, the material can be soaked in warm water for a day, or wrapped in a wet cloth.

When the soil and seed are prepared, you can start sowing. Along the entire length of the bed, furrows should be made 3-4 cm deep at a distance of 6-10 cm, well watered. Then place the seeds in the holes at a distance of 4–5 cm, preferably in a checkerboard pattern. You can, of course, sow thicker and in one row, but then the seedlings will have to be thinned out. The seeding depth should not exceed 1.5 cm. After sowing, the furrows are carefully covered with earth and leveled. The first shoots usually appear in 2-3 days.

Care

The main care of the Celeste radish in greenhouse conditions is regular watering and maintaining the required temperature. The garden should be watered with a little warm water 2-3 times a week. It is necessary to ensure that the moisture content of the ground at a depth of 7–8 cm is always at the same level (approximately 80%). Radish loves moist soil, but does not tolerate stagnant moisture. If the plants are poured, then the roots will crack. The same will happen with abundant watering of dry soil. So that the earth does not dry out, the bed can be mulched with a thin layer of peat.

Growing radish in a greenhouse requires temperature control. Radish grows well at low (+2 ° C) temperatures, but in a greenhouse, as a rule, the degree is much higher. Before emergence, a temperature of + 10-15 ° C is considered acceptable. Such conditions provide quick shoots. After the sprouts appear, the temperature must be reduced to + 8–10 ° C, since a higher degree will lead to stretching of the plants. After the formation of several true leaves, the temperature is raised again to + 16–20 ° C - this is necessary for the formation of root crops. In the future, you need to ensure that the temperature does not exceed + 20-22 ° C, and periodically ventilate the greenhouse.

If the root crops are quickly formed and have a good presentation, then fertilizers can be omitted, but if the radish is small and grows for a long time, then it needs to be fed.

In a small amount, you can add liquid mullein, ash solution to the soil. You should not apply mineral fertilizers at this stage, since radish quickly accumulates harmful substances, in particular nitrates.

Dig up this type of radish when the roots reach a size of 2-3 cm in diameter. The crop is harvested as it grows, every 7-10 days. Average yield of the variety from 1 sq. M. averages 2.5–3.5 kg. In the middle of the harvest, you can sow new seeds in the aisles - this saves the greenhouse area and speeds up the process of ripening a new crop.

Video "How to Grow Celeste Radish"

In this video, an expert of the partner agricultural firm tells how to grow a fast-growing hybrid Celeste F1.