If pumpkin is called “the most autumnal vegetable”, then radish can be considered “the most spring-like”.
It is this root crop that is one of the first to appear on a summer resident’s table, even when planted relatively late.
The vegetable produces its first harvest in 25-40 days, and some varieties are harvested in 18-20 days, i.e. less than three weeks.
Therefore, summer residents manage to get up to three radish harvests per season. The root crop can be sown as early as mid-spring, but the soil should be prepared in the fall.
Subtleties of planting
In autumn, raised beds are made (15-18 cm) and the soil is fertilized by adding humus. It is important to use organic matter in autumn, not in spring.
And you need to add a little. If you overdo it, the radish will grow powerful greenery, but the fruits will be small and crooked. Excess nitrogen is always not good for the underground part of the plant.
When the last snow melts, you can add mineral fertilizers - azofoska or nitrophoska. With moisture, the nutrients will be drawn into the soil, in which the radish will soon grow.
There is no point in applying potassium fertilizers. The radishes will start to bolt, and you won't get any quality fruit.
Similar rules should be followed when sowing for the second and third harvest. Of course, the trick with snow is relevant only for early spring. Otherwise, the rules work for June and August.
How to speed up germination
Radishes will sprout faster if you soak the seeds in salt water. The furrows are watered with a strong solution of manganese.
The root crop will grow better if it is slightly shaded. The plant requires less light than many other crops.
Varieties
The following early varieties have proven themselves to be quite good:
- "Ruby";
- "Early Red";
- "French Breakfast";
- "Corundum".
For late plantings, you can choose from these varieties:
- "Icicle";
- "Confetti";
- "The Red Giant".
