How to grow radishes in open ground? To answer this question, you need to know more about the features of planting and growing crops, about the timing of its ripening. You will learn about this, as well as about ways to help prevent the appearance of pests and diseases, the correct collection and storage of the resulting crop, in this article.
Popular varieties of radish
There are many varieties of crops that can be planted outdoors. Below are the most common ones. For convenience, varieties are divided into categories, depending on the maturity.
Ultra early
This includes:
Early ripe
What varieties to pay attention to:
Mid-season
Most often planted:
- Alba It takes up to 36 days to ripen. Vegetables are distinguished by an unusual white color of the skin, have a rounded shape, slightly flattened in the center. From 1 sq. m collect up to 2 kg
- Sachs. Rounded fruits of a reddish color with a raspberry hue are sung for 1 month. The yield is about 2 kg per 1 sq. m.
- Zlata. Variety with a very unusual yellowish skin color. After the emergence of seedlings, it takes another 1 month for the vegetables to fully ripen. m receive up to 2 kg of radish.
Later
These include:
Optimal landing times
It is recommended to sow radishes with the onset of warmth, when the snow melts and the soil warms up a little. With regard to binding to the time of year, this is discussed further.
In the spring
You need to focus on the region of residence:
- South. Ideally, you can start planting in early March, but if the ground is still covered with snow, you should wait a little.
- The middle lane. Sowing begins in late March-early April. The same conditions for residents of the Moscow region.
- Siberia and the Urals. We'll have to wait until May.
To increase the volume of the crop, you can sow ultra or early ripe radishes every 2-3 weeks with the advent of spring and before the onset of summer.
Summer
Usually, planting is suspended for this period, as the radish grows worse due to increased daylight hours. You must wait until August.
In autumn
Sowing is recommended from the beginning of September until the onset of cold weather. The last planting of seeds is done in mid-November. It can only be harvested at the end of winter, but the radish will ripen 2-3 weeks earlier than any variety of spring planting.
Presowing work
Preliminary preparation is of great importance for obtaining a good harvest. Be sure to follow the guidelines below.
Seat selection
What to look for:
- The soil. It should be loose, light, with neutral acidity. The ideal option is sandy loam or loamy.
- A place. In spring and autumn, vegetables need good natural light. In summer, it is better to choose a shaded area, where the sun's rays fall only before lunch.
- Crop rotation. It should be planted in those beds where potatoes, garlic, and legumes previously grew. Ground is not suitable after cabbage, horseradish, mustard. You should also avoid planting after radishes, as this is fraught with infection with one of the main diseases of the crop.
- Neighbors. Radishes are often sown next to the beds of parsnips, onions, and carrots.
Seed treatment
Seeds will grow better if properly prepared:
- Sorting. Remove small and empty specimens. To do this, sift them through a sieve, with holes with a diameter of about 2 mm, remove fallen seeds. It is better to use material obtained from the last harvest.
- Soak. Moisten gauze in plain water or liquid with a growth stimulant. Wrap the seeds in it and leave for 12 hours.
- Warming up. Pour water at a temperature of about 50 degrees into the tank. Place the seeds in it for 20 minutes, then remove and dry on a clean cloth.
- Oxygen saturation. This is an optional procedure, but it helps to achieve better growth. Place the aquarium compressor in a container with a volume of 1 liter and lower the seeds there so that the air stream constantly contacts them. You can use a funnel for this.
Soil preparation
There are several recommendations for the proper processing of the plot intended for sowing. Be sure to focus on the time of year.
Fall
Start work in advance.
What to do:
- Cleaning the garden. Collect any remnants of the predecessor crop. Burn them to avoid the spread of possible diseases and parasites.
- Digging. This is necessary to make the soil looser and to saturate it with oxygen.
- Fertilizer application. Use peat or humus at the rate of 1/2 bucket per 1 sq. m. With increased soil acidity, add lime, but it should not be combined with organic additives.
In the spring
Preparation begins 2-3 weeks before disembarkation.
How does this happen:
- Cleaning the beds. Remove all weeds and accumulated debris. Dig up the soil.
- Fertilizer application. You will need 1 bucket of compost and 300 g of ash per square meter. m.
- Warming up. Align the area well and cover with a layer of black polyethylene. It must be removed immediately before using the garden.
Planting radishes
There are several ways to plant vegetables.
Classic technology
The instruction is as follows:
- Creation of grooves. Use a shovel or hoe to make them from east to west. The depth does not exceed 2 cm, for heavier soil - 1 cm. Observe the distance between the grooves of 10 cm.
- Watering. Moisten each groove well with water. Add some wood ash to improve growth.
- Sowing. Place the seeds at a distance of about 5 cm from each other. This will help save material and reduce the need for seedling thinning. However, if you are used to planting vegetables in a heap method, this will not be a big mistake.
- Ground coverage. Sprinkle on top with a thin layer of dry soil to avoid hardening. Mulch with peat.
Sowing with a marker
Not much different from the standard method, but a special board with teeth attached to it is used for this. It allows you to leave holes 1 cm deep on the ground at a distance of 5 cm from each other, into which the seeds are then laid out. The marker is placed on the flat surface of the plot, pressed into the soil with force, and then lifted and carried further.
This method allows you to increase the volume of the crop and avoid planting accuracy.
Using egg trays
Another way to divide and protect crops.
What do we have to do:
- Prepare containers. Conventional cardboard trays are used. They need to be collected in large quantities to cover the entire site.
- Disinfect containers. To do this, heat them up in the oven at 70 degrees or wipe them with alcohol.
- Make holes. Cut the bottoms using a regular clerical knife.
- Laying of cells. Put the trays on the plowed area with the holes down, deepening a little into the soil. Secure with wire.
- Plant the seeds. Arrange them in cells and sprinkle with peat.
Features of summer landing
If there is no opportunity or desire to wait until the daylight hours are reduced, you can use the advice of experienced gardeners.
To create a shadow for plants:
- Use cover material. After 6 pm, cover the seedlings with a black film to artificially recreate the dark. You need to remove it after 8 in the morning.
- Land in the aisle. The ideal options would be strawberry or lettuce beds, whose leaves will shade the culture.
How to plant radishes in the fall?
This is a good time for late varieties, which can be stored in a cool place for 2-3 months.
What are the tips:
- Apply fertilizer. After multiple predecessors, the soil may be depleted, so it should be re-saturated with useful substances. Use 2 kg of humus per square meter. Add to it 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and potassium, 1 tsp of urea and 100 g of ash.
- Change the scheme. Late varieties are usually larger and require more space. Therefore, observe a distance between rows of 20 cm, and between seeds - 10 cm.
Planting radishes before winter
This can be done after the first frost or with the onset of winter in frozen ground.
What to look for:
- choose an area protected from flooding during the snowmelt period;
- use only dry seeds;
- mulch the soil with peat and compact well;
- if there is snow, sprinkle the bed with a middle layer.
Outdoor care for radishes
Proper care of plants will help improve their growth and increase yield.
Watering
What are the recommendations:
- Frequency. Repeat the procedure once every 2-3 days to prevent the soil from drying out. This should be done more frequently in summer.
- Uniformity. If for some reason you missed watering, you do not need to pour double the amount of liquid on the plant.
- Temperature. Use heated or settled water.
- The way. Produced by the drip method.
- Times of Day. Should be done in the evening.
Loosening
It is carried out immediately after adding the liquid so that the soil does not harden. At an early stage, it is necessary to plow the soil at a depth of 3 cm, then 5-6 cm.
Weeding
It is required to carry out as the weeds appear. If the bed was previously mulled with sawdust, the need to repeat the procedure is much lower.
Thinning
With heap planting, there is a need to remove weaker shoots. Do this very carefully so as not to damage nearby vegetables.
Hilling
This is necessary to protect the crop from the formation of arrows and to give the fruit the correct shape. Produced in conjunction with the loosening procedure.
Top dressing
It is usually carried out immediately before landing. Then the feeding of the radish is repeated as there is a lack of nutrients.
For example:
- Small fruits. Add phosphorus and potassium.
- Faded vegetables. Add nitrogen.
Useful growing tips
You need to pay special attention to the advice of experienced gardeners, which will help to avoid the following mistakes:
- The bitterness of the fruit. It is necessary to increase the volume of water during irrigation.
- The structure of the pulp is hard, woody. This indicates an incorrect temperature regime.
- Shooting The reason is too dense plantings. For the same reason, the radish turns out to be underdeveloped. Plants lack nutrients and grow poorly.
- Cracks. Late harvest, in which the fruits have been in the ground for too long.
- Little vegetables. Lack of lighting.
- Empty fruits. This is due to the use of fresh manure. Only rotted organics should be added.
- Large tops, but small vegetables. Excess nitrogen fertilizers.
Diseases and Pests
Among the parasites that can harm crops:
- Cruciferous flea. These are small, dark colored insects. They gnaw holes in the leaves, disrupting the normal process of photosynthesis. Because of this, the plant stops growing and dies. Timely loosening of the soil will help prevent the appearance. The way to get rid of is by spraying powdered red pepper on the area.
- Cabbage fly. Insect larvae do irreparable harm by gnawing furrows in the leaves. They wither and fall. A mixture of powdered mustard and ground pepper, which should be sprinkled around the plants, will help get rid of the pest.
- Slugs. They eat plant leaves. There are many traps against them. For example, mulching the soil with crushed eggshells.
Diseases affecting radish are:
- Keela. Pathology is fungal in nature. The leaves turn yellow and wither, the surface of the roots is covered with ugly growths. Prevention consists in planting vegetables exclusively in soil with neutral acidity. If an infection occurs, you need to burn the plant and dig up the ground with the addition of lime. Do not use the site for the next 4 years.
- Powdery mildew. A light coating forms on the surface of the leaves, which darkens over time. The plant withers, an unpleasant smell of mushrooms comes from it. For emergency treatment, fungicide spraying is used.
- Bacteriosis. Plants become covered with sticky mucus, and a persistent rotten smell is felt from them. Treatment consists of spraying with Bordeaux liquid.
- Blackleg. The leaves turn brown and curl, the base of the fruit becomes dark and unpleasant to the touch. Once infected copies are found, they should be burned. The soil is treated with a solution of copper sulfate.
- Mosaic. The main symptom is the appearance of multi-colored spots on the surface of the leaves. As a result of the defeat of the disease, the plant dies. As a preventive measure, spraying with insecticides is carried out. This protects crops from insects - vectors of pathology.
Use mainly natural products as a treatment. Chemical solutions may render the fruit unsuitable for consumption.
Harvesting and storage
Cleaning is as follows:
- Maturity check. Ripe fruits usually reach a size of 2.5 cm or more.
- Watering. In the evening before harvesting, you need to water the garden well with water. This will make it easier to extract the radish from the soil.
- Time. It is better to perform the procedure in the morning when the sun is shining.
- Selectivity. If several varieties of radish are planted on the site, it is necessary to harvest, focusing on the ripening dates for each.
- Accuracy. Perform extraction, taking care not to damage the spine. Due to it, the vegetable receives nutrition and is stored longer.
To keep the fruits fresh for a long time, you should adhere to the following rules:
- Cleansing. Remove tops and soil residues from the vegetable, rinse under running water.
- Capacity preparation. Take a large vacuum bag and cover the bottom with a layer of paper towels.
- Stacking radishes. The fruits do not need to be dried, they can be folded slightly damp. Cover the top with 1 more layer of towels.
- Closing the package. Remove air beforehand. Put in the refrigerator.
For owners of a basement or cellar, the instructions are as follows:
- remove the tops;
- fold vegetables into wooden crates;
- sprinkle with sand;
- if during storage the fruits have lost their juiciness, place them in ice water for 2 hours.
Vegetables remain fresh for 1 to 3 months, depending on the variety and storage method.
Throwing out the tops is not worth it. It can be used as a salad additive or as a fertilizer. In the latter case, it must be mixed with manure and applied to the garden bed. Store the tops in an airtight bag in the freezer.
Growing radishes in open ground does not create unnecessary difficulties. It is enough to choose the right time and method of planting, follow the instructions and do not forget about the timely care of the plants. This is the only way to get a rich and high-quality harvest.
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Russia. City: Dimitrovgrad
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