When and how to plant black radish

When to plant

When to plant radish in open ground, every gardener decides, paying attention to the variety, climatic conditions and the purpose of the crop. Usually, radish seeds are sown directly on the garden bed, the seedling method is rarely used, because this vegetable does not like transplants and picks at all. If the gardener still wants to get the harvest as early as possible, then the seedlings should be grown in peat cups, which are then placed in the ground without disturbing the plant.

To get root crops, which they plan to eat fresh directly from the garden, seeds are sown in late spring, depending on the climate, sowing can be done from the last decade of April to mid-May. It is not worth planting winter varieties at this time - the root crops will crack or the plant will begin to bloom, then the root crop will not form at all. Spring is the time of sowing early and early ripening varieties. Black radish is considered a frost-resistant crop, it is not afraid of short-term drops in temperature, even up to -5 degrees.

If it is supposed not only to use fresh radish, but also to lay it for long-term storage in cellars and cellars, then choose late varieties, their seeds need to be sown later so that vegetables grow in the second half of summer, usually this is done from the last decade of June to mid-July ... In the south, they sow even later, if they know for sure that winter will not begin in October. Late radish roots reach technical maturity 3 - 4 months after germination. Knowing the ripening time for each variety and the expected arrival of cold weather, you can fairly accurately determine the best time for sowing.

Video "When and how to plant a radish"

This video will show you how and when to plant a radish.

Plot processing

In order for the black radish to grow well, planting should be carried out not only at the correct time, but also in the prepared soil. She loves open spaces with maximum access to sunlight and fresh air, non-acidic fertile soils. The most convenient soil for growing it is fertile loam, it must be loose enough, for which the earth is prepared in advance.

Radish should not be planted after its relatives from the cabbage family (cruciferous), tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins or beans are considered the best predecessors. And the late varieties are best sown in the beds that have been freed up after onions, lettuce, dill or potatoes.

Heavy soil needs to be made looser, more breathable; for this, peat or river sand can be added to it. It is advisable to prepare the site for the radish in the fall, it must be thoroughly dug to a depth of at least 30 cm, cleaned of weeds, their roots, stones, large lumps.

After cleaning the beds (or during digging), compost and humus are introduced into the ground. If the soil is acidic, then 2 to 3 weeks before that lime or dolomite flour must be added to it.

In the spring, the site is dug up again, wood ash, mineral fertilizers are added, you can also add humus and peat, if necessary. In no case should fresh manure be used, it will not benefit root crops, and it will certainly attract pests. Of the mineral fertilizers, superphosphate, urea and potassium chloride are usually applied. The best option is when the soil has been well saturated with organic fertilizers for the previous culture, then it will be quite enough for the radish, it will be well absorbed by this plant.

Seed preparation

Every gardener knows that a small root crop will grow from small seeds, so he tries to choose the largest seeds for sowing. They can be laid in the ground unprepared, completely dry, but then they will sprout almost twice as slowly, and the percentage of germination will drop.

The calibrated seeds are left in the light for two days, laying them on a clean gauze, constantly moistening it. They should swell, absorb moisture and start the awakening process. Before sowing, they can be left for another day in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. It is good if already slightly hatched seeds fall into the ground. The best ones begin to germinate on the third day, all seedlings should appear in a week.

Sowing procedure

Radish black planting: planted in rows or nests. On the prepared bed, rows are marked with a depth of 1.2 - 2 cm, 30 - 40 cm are left between them. The soil must be moist. When sowing in rows, the entire recess is evenly filled, and between the nests (a group of seeds of 3 to 4 pieces is placed) leave at least 15 cm.The seeds are covered with earth, lightly tamped, carefully moisten the crops themselves using a frequent strainer (or a watering can with a fine spray). Then it is desirable to mulch them with peat or sawdust. Sometimes the crops are covered with a non-woven cloth, and they are removed when shoots appear.

When 3 - 4 leaves appear on the sprouts, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving at least 5 cm between them in a row, and the weakest plant is removed from the nest, it is simply pinched off so as not to disturb the neighboring roots. The second thinning is done at the stage of the beginning of the formation of the root crop - 10 cm is left between the plants in a row, and one plant is removed from the nest again. The third time this is done, when the roots have already grown to 1 cm, then the smallest ones are removed, at least 15 cm are left in the row between the vegetables, and one strongest plant remains in the nest. The radish will not be accepted in a new place if it is not transferred with a clod of earth (and then there is no guarantee), so those who are sorry to lose so many plants when thinning out plant nests. And in a row, they often do not throw seed uncontrollably, but evenly spread one seed at a time. Thickening of the plantings should not be allowed, because there is a danger of unplanned flowering, and if the radish turns into color, the root crop will no longer grow, such a plant can be thrown away.

Watering

The radish needs regular watering. Crops are watered little by little every day, after the emergence of seedlings it is time to switch to weekly watering, which should last almost until harvest, they differ only in the amount of water used - small plants require less, and adult plants with ripening root crops - more moisture.

Watering can be skipped only if the rain has wetted the soil enough, then the aisles and the ground around the radish must be carefully loosened so that it does not crust over. You can loosen it as often as possible, at least every week after watering.

If the soil is allowed to dry, then the radish will become dry and tough, the root crop will lose its juiciness and crunchiness, it may acquire more bitterness, which will obviously spoil the taste of an already not too sweet radish. When, after a drought, the radish receives a large amount of water, its root crop will crack. To avoid all these troubles, you need to water regularly and constantly.

Top dressing

The radish does not need to be fed too much organic matter. Humus and compost in the fall and a little in the spring before sowing is enough to get a good harvest. But with mineral fertilizers, you can feed the plants once or twice during the entire growing season. To do this, potassium chloride, urea and superphosphate are diluted in water and simply watered with this solution. Moreover, one large bucket, in which about 16 g of potassium chloride, 20 g of urea and not more than 60 g of superphosphate were dissolved, should be enough for 15 m of one row. You can use ready-made fertilizers "Agricola-4" or "Darina-6", guided by the instructions.

The first feeding is carried out after the appearance of the 4th leaf, and the second (if needed) - a month after that. If the owners think that they still need organic feeding, then you can use herbal mash (fermented infusion of herbs), compost or humus, but experts warn that the abundance of organic fertilizers shortens the shelf life of black radish, and also reduces its consumer qualities. Usually gardeners believe that it is better to underfeed the radish than to overfeed, the lack of nutrients will affect the quality of the greens and the growth rate of the root crop, so if you notice this, then you can add additional feeding to the usual watering.

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