Contents of the article:
The radish vegetation period has a short duration, so he is a favorite of many summer residents. And when to plant radishes in the open ground in spring remains a controversial issue, because each region has individual climatic features.
Regions favorable for the cultivation of vegetable
Radish is an unpretentious plant that can ripen in different regions and on any soil. But compliance with the temperature regime and the necessary care will allow you to gather a rich harvest of tasty root crops.
High cold resistance allows you to grow a culture when the night temperatures drop to - 5 ° C, and the day time should not be below 9 ° C heat. Only under such conditions, germination will be bad and the quality of vegetables is low.
In the suburbs, planting radishes in open ground begins in mid-April - early May, when the sun begins to warm the earth. The optimum temperature for growing a vegetable is + 20 ° C, but at 15 ° C the radish will also grow, only the seedlings will appear a little later. So that the process of sprout appearance goes faster, the bed is covered with a film or the crop is planted in a greenhouse. And in the southern regions, sowing begins at the end of March, when favorable weather was established for planting radish in the ground, for example, in the Rostov region and the threat of frost was passed.
No need to wait when the thermometer rises above 20 degrees. This not only does not improve the quantitative and qualitative indicators of culture, but, on the contrary, will reduce them. The hot sun enhances the growth of foliage, but not the root.
Rules for planting in open ground
After you have decided to sow radishes in your area, you need to carefully consider the choice of seeds:
- Buy goods only in specialized stores.
- Carefully look at the production date and give preference to more recent samples.
- Choose a variety that fits your conditions and planting period.
Soil preparation is one of the most important stages of planting radishes in spring in open ground.
In a pre-selected area that is well illuminated by sunlight and protected from strong winds, it is necessary to dig up the earth to a depth of 25 - 35 cm. A loose soil with a neutral PH is suitable for radish. If you are not sure that the soil meets these requirements, you can use the “old-fashioned” method and check the acidity of the soil.
To do this:
- pour 5 - 7 leaves of black currant with a glass of hot water;
- insist 8 - 10 minutes and strain;Put the
- into the water tank with a bit of ground from the intended landing site;
- wait for the staining fluid.
Red or light burgundy color means that the soil is acidic, if it is blue, then the soil is neutral. A green tint indicates that the earth has average acidity.
After diagnosis, if there is a slight swampiness, it is necessary to add a little lime to the soil.
Plant radishes better at the place where vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes grew last year, or at the site where tomatoes are planned to be grown.
Mineral fertilizers need to be added to loamy and depleted soil, taking into account the cultivated area.
When the preparation of the seat is finished, you need to make grooves on the bed at a distance of 10 - 15 cm from each other. You can sow the seeds immediately from the packaging bag, and if you want to get strong and large fruits you need to pre-process the seeds.
Before planting radishes in open ground, place the seeds in a soft cloth moistened with warm water for 24 hours. Before sowing, immerse them in hot water for 15 minutes, which will avoid rotting. Experienced gardeners process radishes with a 1% iodine solution for a few minutes and roll them in crushed chalk so that the seeds are visible on dark soil and you can control the distance between them.
Radish seeds are laid out in a moist furrow of 1 cm depth with an interval of 10 cm so that each root crop has enough space for development.
If you sow in a quick way, then when you pick a plant, nearby sprouts can be damaged and do not develop any further.
Spring planting of radish in open ground ends with the seeds being covered with earth and a small amount of ash above.
Caring for Vegetables
Planting and caring for radish in the open field does not have complex nuances, but requires the implementation of certain rules that help grow juicy and large vegetables. This includes:
- watering;
- loosening;
- mineral fertilizer mixtures;
- mulching;
- weeding.
Radish is a moisture-loving plant, therefore the size and taste of the root crop will depend on the amount of watering. If the humidity is low, the radish will be bitter and tough.
It is necessary to irrigate radish only from a watering can, so that a strong jet of a hose does not damage the grown stems and does not wash away the roots.
To keep moisture better on the garden bed, apply mulch to the top layer of soil using humus, plain paper or special film for garden crops.
In the intervals between watering, carefully loosen the ground around the plant so that the main part does not rot and the soil is filled with oxygen. Weed the garden bed with radish should be regularly, because weeds can slow down the growth of the sprout and take the necessary trace elements from the soil.
It is better to apply mineral fertilizers to a garden bed when the radish is planted in spring in open ground. But in order to accelerate the growth and development of root crops, they use urea and mullein, which are bred in a ratio of 1 tsp to 200 ml of water, respectively. This solution is treated with grown sprouts. If you use a combined dressing, it is better to give preference to potash fertilizers.
Never use fresh manure!
When the radish is planted in open ground under the film, the plant care algorithm is preserved, only the duty is added every day to open and close the film until good weather conditions are established.
