How to plant and grow radishes correctly: we harvest an excellent harvest up to five times a year

Radishes are one of the earliest vegetables, so from year to year they are sown in almost every country house.
They grow everything, but not every gardener succeeds. Many people no longer want to deal with “bad root vegetables”, preferring to buy them at the market. In fact, every gardener can grow tasty radishes, the main thing is to follow simple rules. How to grow large, juicy radishes

We already know that the taste of fruits depends not only on the variety: weather conditions, the period and frequency of watering, the timing and composition of fertilizing, and even the type of soil are important. Surely many summer residents, having reached this point, will give up on their cherished dream - to grow their own delicious radishes: somehow it’s all complicated, troublesome, and the result is still unpredictable... In fact, everything is simple, see for yourself.

More than once I have heard from familiar gardeners that it is impossible to find a successful variety of radish: they water and fertilize, but there is no taste - grass is grass. Seeds have already been sent abroad and collected from neighbors who have repeatedly treated them to delicious radishes - the result is the same. Stop! If one condition changes, but the result remains the same, perhaps it is something else? Let's figure it out.

What does soil type have to do with it?

If you are not growing radishes hydroponically, you need to know your soil type!
Why? It’s impossible to explain in two words - the topic of land for a summer resident is serious and very important. If you are interested, take a look at the publication How to find out the type of soil and why you need it, it contains a lot of useful information. We will touch on the land issue only in the context of growing radishes. Give radishes loose, fertile soil, then they will show real varietal qualities

On what soils does it work best? So, radishes like:

• loose, well-drained loams are the best option. Clay soils will have to be loosened with sand or rotted sawdust: dense soil warms up more slowly, which will delay the tasting of the first root vegetable from your garden. In addition, in compacted soil, radishes can grow crooked and unattractive. And the sandy soil will have to be compacted with clay, sapropel, black soil (what if?!), otherwise the series of watering and fertilizing will be almost continuous, because, alas, juicy, tasty root crops will not grow on scanty dry soil;
• soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction (pH 5.6-6.0), a slight shift in one direction or another is acceptable;
• so that the predecessors are green crops or potatoes, but in no case plants of the Cruciferous family;
• fertile soil (Captain Obvious!).

Give me light and water!

It is better to place the garden bed in the sun: radishes should not be shaded by other plants.
Surely in early spring, when the garden is still empty, it will not be difficult to find such a place. And the area needed is small (unless you grow radishes for sale, of course). Another prerequisite is that the soil in the garden bed should not dry out. I foresee the incredulous chuckles of skeptics: before they didn’t water at all - and nothing, the radishes were normal. I won’t argue, everyone’s standards are different. For my neighbor, for example, it costs nothing to cut off the flower stalks and eat the dry, hard semblance of a radish with gusto.

Radishes definitely need regular watering!

I will name several important watering conditions that I managed to find out. Have you ever grown oblong root vegetables with a long “neck” from an ordinary round-fruited variety? When such an incident happened to me, I blamed the seed producers: they put the wrong variety in the bag. It turns out that the reason is completely different. The formation of the root crop begins at the moment the true leaves appear - on the 3-5th day after germination. It should form at the top of the taproot, just below the leaves.

Watering is important during any period of radish growth, especially during the formation of the root crop.

It will be there if the soil moisture is normal. And if the top layer of soil is dry, the plant will begin to form roots lower down, where it is more humid. As a result, the harvest will be more meager, the root crops will be smaller, and the “neck” will be unsuitable for food—hard and fibrous.

Another very important condition is regularity. If the garden bed has not been watered for several days and the soil is completely dry, do not try to make up for lost time in one fell swoop; with a high degree of probability, the root crops will crack. Get into a regular watering rhythm gradually.

Dinner is served!

Popular wisdom: first you feed the radish properly, and then it will feed you.
Of course, it would be a stretch to classify it among the main vegetable crops, but still the quality of the harvest is very important, because we chop both root vegetables and young leaves into spring salads. Of course, after winter we are happy with any greenery, but we would still like a real radish taste and aroma. And one of the main conditions for obtaining just such root crops is adequate nutrition of the plant at all stages of growth. Give radishes proper nutrition and they will grow large and tasty.

Radishes are not included in the group of “gluttonous” vegetables, but you can’t call them an ascetic either. The peculiarity of growing radishes is that they have an undeveloped root system and a short lifespan: in about 20-30 days they need to sprout and form a full-fledged root crop, so there should be plenty of nutrition.

I'll share two ways to feed him enough so you can choose the one that suits you best. And take note of a couple of care nuances.

• To ensure that one root crop has enough nutrition, 5 cm is left between plants in the row. Between rows - 12 cm.

Radishes will not grow large in cramped spaces.

• Dense shoots need to be thinned out as early as possible, otherwise the plants will compete for food and light - as a result, they will either throw away flower stalks or “delight” with small, hard root vegetables, the taste of which will only vaguely resemble classic radishes.

How to choose a variety

Radish is a unique crop. Thanks to its frost resistance and early ripening, the crop can be harvested up to five times per season. Vegetable connoisseurs plant it even in winter - in a greenhouse or in a container on a windowsill.

Breeders have developed varieties for different growing conditions. I will list some of them:

• for indoor conditions - Richard, Hussar, Carmen, Liman, Kamelot;
• for the greenhouse - Varta, Saksa, 18 days, Heat, Deca;
• ultra-early and early for spring and autumn sowing - Pervonets F1, Rondar F1, Mila, Rova, French Breakfast;
• mid-season with resistance to short frosts and heat - Alba, Wützburg 59, Autumn Giant;
• late ones for long-term storage - Red Giant, Ice Icicle, Dungansky 12/8.

Depending on the variety, root vegetables are round or oblong in shape, weighing from 20 to 200 g, with a slightly spicy or neutral-sweet taste. The color can be white, red, yellow, purple or green. The article on radish varieties provides detailed descriptions of the most popular of them.

Assortment of planting material

To date, the Russian State Register of Breeding Achievements has registered more than two hundred varieties and hybrids of radishes, recommended for horticultural cultivation throughout the country.

Let's look at the main characteristics of some of them in the table:

In the photo - seeds of different varieties of crops offered by well-known domestic agricultural companies producing planting material

In addition to the assortment of officially recognized varieties, interesting new products of domestic and foreign selection are constantly appearing on sale. Seed material is produced by many well-known agricultural companies, “SeDeK”, “Gavrish”, “Aelita”, “Siberian Garden” and others). Responsible producers carry out high-quality sorting and processing of seeds. According to reviews from most gardeners, their germination rates are high and misgrading is practically never encountered.

When to sow radishes

Radishes can withstand frosts down to -4 degrees Celsius, an adult plant - up to -8. The most delicious fruits are obtained when it grows at a temperature of +16... +20. If the thermometer rises higher, the tops begin to stretch and the fruits do not receive enough nutrients. Below +11 growth stops.

Thus, the best time to grow radishes is in the spring or August-September. This is the optimal time both in terms of temperature and daylight hours. The classic date for the first planting is the second half of April. In the south it moves towards the end of March, in the north – towards the beginning of May. Early varieties ripen on average in three weeks, so you can harvest twice in the spring.

If you do not plan to grow radishes in the summer-autumn period, after harvesting the spring harvest, plant tomatoes or eggplants in the same bed. They have no common pests with radishes, so they will grow comfortably in such soil.

At the end of May and June, radishes are not planted - due to the heat and long daylight hours, they go into the arrow. Summer plantings begin at the end of July. Preference is given to mid-season and late varieties - they will begin to set fruit just when the heat subsides. The harvest will be ripe by the end of summer or beginning of autumn. The next batch can be planted at this time, weather permitting.

Radishes are planted before winter at the junction of October and November, when the air temperature is stable and ranges from 0 to +5. Select varieties that are resistant to frost, low light and flowering. The bed must be protected from the abundance of melt water. Pre-winter sowing allows you to get a spring harvest three weeks earlier than usual.

Pest Control

When growing radishes, the biggest problems for gardeners are caused by cruciferous flea beetles, which destroy foliage and significantly weaken the plantings. You can cope with this pest by dusting the plants with black or red ground pepper and dry mustard. You can also spray the leaves with garlic infusion and tobacco dust. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to plant fragrant herbs between the rows, but this is only possible if radishes are grown in mid-May or June.

How to prepare radishes for planting

To make radishes tasty and juicy, be sure to take into account the rules of crop rotation and the soil requirements of the crop. It is also important to properly prepare the seeds. The plant is not capricious, so there will not be any special difficulties.

Crop rotation rules

The main rule of crop rotation is not to plant related crops one after another. Otherwise, pests and diseases will be inherited. Radishes are a type of radish and together they belong to the Cruciferous family. This also includes cabbage, rutabaga, turnips, watercress and mustard. All these crops are re-sown in their original place no earlier than after 3-4 years.

Radishes grow well after cucumbers, pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini and peas. For neighbors, choose garlic, onions, spinach, legumes, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers. The video describes in detail which crops radishes feel comfortable next to.

Preparing the soil for the garden bed

Radishes love loose loam with a neutral reaction of 7-7.4 pH. It’s easy to determine the acidity of the soil - just pour a spoonful of soda diluted with water into a handful of soil. Bubbles and hissing indicate a normal alkaline reaction. If they are not there, the soil needs to be deoxidized with dolomite flour or ground limestone. The first is suitable for sandy soil, the second for clayey soil.

On acidic soils, radishes are often affected by clubroot, a fungus that causes the fruit to become covered with ugly growths and rot.

If the soil requires fertilizing, add rotted compost or humus while digging. It's better to do this in the fall. Fresh organic matter is unacceptable - radishes do not tolerate it, they go into the feather and form fruits with voids.

After the snow melts, the area is dug up again 15-30 days before planting. It is very convenient to use a miracle shovel or a fork for digging the earth for this. Then the soil is fertilized with wood ash and compost and the bed is covered with polyethylene before sowing. During this time, the soil will have time to warm up well.

Radishes need sun in spring and autumn, and shade in summer. How to arrange this? The easiest way is to make beds in a lighted place, and when daylight hours lengthen, cover them with dark geofabric from 19 to 8 hours. Do not use film material - it will be too hot for the plant under it.

Preparing seeds for planting

Preparation of planting material includes the following steps:

• the seeds are sorted, removing all small and stunted grains;
• add 10 g of salt to a glass of water and pour it over the planting material, discard the floating grains;
• after washing, the seeds are soaked in clean water or a wet cloth for 24 hours, adding Zircon or another biostimulant if desired;
• dried and planted in open ground.

Some gardeners germinate grains before spring planting. But keep in mind that in this case the seeds’ frost resistance decreases.

The importance of making the right choice

The quality of the crop depends on the correct choice of soil. If radishes are planted in unsuitable conditions, they may grow small, bitter, or not grow at all.

When choosing a site for planting a vegetable, consider the following factors:

• What plant crops were planted previously.
• Prepared soil for sowing.
• Acidity.
• Fertility.

You should not plant radishes in a place where plants such as cabbage, horseradish and lettuce were previously planted. These vegetables have already absorbed the necessary elements from the soil.

Schemes and methods of planting in open ground

There are two ways to plant radishes with seeds in open ground. The classic method is with grooves, the second is using egg cassettes.

Planting in furrows

This is the traditional planting of plants in rows. It is done according to the following scheme:

• on a loosened and leveled bed, furrows are made at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other;
• water the garden bed thoroughly - radishes will sprout better in moist soil;
• after the water is absorbed, the seeds are planted in the furrows every 5 cm;
• cover the top with soil and carefully compact the soil;
• Cover with film until the first shoots.

At what depth should radishes be planted? On average - 1-2 cm, but no more than 3 cm. Planting too deep will not allow healthy root crops to form.

Planting with egg cassettes

This method will speed up the planting process, and the plants themselves will be planted in an even, symmetrical pattern. The method is very simple:

• do the standard preparation of the bed - loosening, removing weeds, leveling the surface and watering;
• press the egg cassette into the ground so that clear indentations from the cells appear;
• one seed is planted in the formed holes;
• sprinkle with earth, compact and cover with film.

What to do if damage occurs

Damage to root crops can have various causes. Most often, radishes suffer from pests - fleas, wireworms, onion flies, white butterfly larvae, and cutworms. Pests can be effectively controlled using biological and chemical agents.

The biological agent “Bazudin” is used to prevent the appearance of pests in the soil. It is mixed with dry sand and added to the beds before sowing the seeds.

Spraying radish leaves with Aktara solution is carried out before the start of the mass flight of bees, because this product destroys all insects that fall within its area of ​​action.

A solution in 10 liters of water, 2 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp. mustard powder, 1 tsp. hot pepper is sprayed on radish leaves to repel butterflies and destroy their larvae.

How to grow radishes in a greenhouse

If you plan to grow radishes in a greenhouse only in early spring, a film structure will be sufficient. For winter growing you need a polycarbonate greenhouse with heating. Be sure to provide a ventilation system.

They are planted in a film greenhouse already in March, when the air temperature inside reaches +12… +15 °C. You can sprinkle a thin layer of snow, and sow seeds on top and sprinkle with soil. Under the influence of greenhouse temperatures, the snow will melt and saturate the soil with moisture.

Don't forget to fertilize the soil in early spring. To do this, you need to dig it up to a depth of 10-12 cm and add humus. Otherwise, care for greenhouse radishes is standard. The main thing is to regularly ventilate the room.

Harvesting

Suitability for use in early ripening varieties occurs after 20-30 days. Later varieties after 35-40 days. Radishes are harvested selectively as they grow and ripen. Try planting radishes in the spaces between the rows along with early potatoes and covering them with spunbond. This is the easiest and fastest way to get fresh radishes to the table by May 1, grown in your own garden bed. Moreover, one crop does not interfere with the other, and the radish serves as a seal for the main crop.

Also check out these articles

Yulia Minyaeva: growing peppers

Watering seedlings with hydrogen peroxide

How to revive a dried orchid

How to build a greenhouse with your own hands from polycarbonate video

How to grow radishes at home on a windowsill

With the right technology, radishes grow quite successfully in indoor conditions. Caring for a vegetable garden on a windowsill is a little more difficult, but if you follow the rules, you can enjoy fresh fruits all year round.

What to pay attention to.

1. We remember that radishes do not like heat. Warm air from central heating can ruin all your hard work, resulting in tasteless and limp fruit. If your radiator does not have temperature control, it is better to move the radish boxes to a cool place and install a lighting system.
2. For artificial lighting, use fluorescent lamps. Radishes are sown on a windowsill in natural light at the end of January if the windows are on the south side. If they face east or west - after February 10th.
3. Don't forget to water and loosen the plant regularly.

Photo

Below are some photos that show how radishes grow, starting from the first days of emergence.

Radish care

As I already said, radishes are an unpretentious crop. Basically it only requires moist and loose soil. Feeding is done as needed, sometimes they are not needed at all.

Watering rules

The optimal level of humidity is the key to the formation of tasty and juicy root vegetables. Excess water will cause the development of diseases and the appearance of cracks. Lack of liquid will make the radishes bitter and tough. To prevent this, follow simple rules:

• in normal weather conditions, water the beds once every three days, during drought - twice a day;
• watering time - early morning or late evening;
• water volume – 10 l per 1 sq. m, penetration depth into the soil is about 20 cm;
• at the stage of setting root crops, watering is especially important;
• Humidity changes are unacceptable.

Loosening, weeding and fertilizing

Radishes need light, weed-free soil. Therefore, after watering or rain, do not forget to loosen the soil and get rid of pest plants. This not only makes life easier for root crops, but also helps maintain moisture.

Ultra-ripe and early-ripening varieties do not need fertilizing. The fertilizers added to the soil at the digging stage will be enough for them. Mid-season and late radishes can be fed 1-2 times:

• at the stage of fruit formation - Agricola 4;
• after the appearance of 2-3 leaves - potassium fertilizer;
• Only overripe organic matter is allowed;
• It is better not to add nitrogen and phosphorus.

Prevention of diseases and pests

In the spring, diseases and pests rarely threaten radishes - it’s not the season. But as summer approaches, the risk of infection increases. Most often, the plant suffers from clubroot, an infection that deforms the fruit. Of the insects, the most harmful are aphids, slugs and cruciferous fleas.

How to protect your crop:

• follow the rules of crop rotation;
• at the seed preparation stage, disinfect them in a solution of potassium permanganate;
• buy varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests;
• do not allow the soil to become waterlogged.

Common Mistakes

Why do radishes disappear into the tops and shoots, and the fruits turn out tasteless, empty or small? Errors in cultivation lead to this result. Here are the most common ones:

1. Dense landing. Sometimes gardeners sow seeds too close together. You can’t do this - the plant will start to bolt and go green. If you planted it too densely, thin it out, but do it very carefully. The best time for the procedure is a cloudy day after rain.
2. Uneven and irregular watering. I talked about the rules of watering above. It is imperative to follow them - radishes are sensitive to humidity levels.
3. Incorrect fertilization. If you overfeed radishes, the tops will suck all the juices out of the fruits and leave them small and empty. This is especially true for nitrogen and organic matter.
4. Late collection. Radishes should be eaten young. Overripe fruits become hard and bitter.

Agrotechnical recommendations

The yield, marketability and taste of the resulting vegetables are influenced by various factors: climatic and weather conditions, the mechanical and chemical composition of the soil, the tendency of the selected varieties to bloom, the intensity of the agricultural technology used. In terms of care, radishes are unpretentious - the main measures are reduced to the standard ones used when growing table root crops: weeding, loosening or mulching between rows, as well as timely watering, fertilizing, preventing diseases and pest damage.

You can learn in detail about environmentally friendly (folk) remedies that help protect plants from cruciferous flea beetles from the article “Planting turnips” on our website.

True gourmets prefer small radish heads, round in shape and dull in color, with minimal bitterness.

The timing of harvest depends on the characteristics of the cultivated varieties, the time and purpose of sowing. Young vegetables for personal consumption are collected selectively, in several stages, without allowing them to overgrow, usually when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter. Radishes are traditionally used fresh for food, as well as pickled, fried, and added to salads, appetizers, and cold summer soups such as okroshka. The shelf life of root vegetables in the refrigerator is about 10 days. Empty beds are often used for planting seedlings of cucumbers or tomatoes.