Radish planting technology and management

Radish is a very common crop in rural areas. There are many users who grow it, and the varieties of radish planted in different seasons will also be different. The following is an article on radish planting techniques and management.

1. Preparation before sowing

1. Site selection

Choose a plot of land suitable for growing radishes, which should be sandy loam that is rich in organic matter, loose and fertile, well-drained, and has been grown with non-cruciferous vegetables from the previous crop. The pH value should be between 5 and 8, with 6.5 being the best. Quicklime should be added to neutralize overly acidic soil to prevent poor root enlargement and clubroot caused by boron deficiency.

2. Land preparation and ridge making

The width of the bed is generally 1~1.2 meters, the ditch width is 40~50 centimeters, and the ditch depth is 20~25 centimeters. Land preparation requires careful and thorough work, with a depth of 25 to 30 cm being appropriate.

3. Apply basal fertilizer

Apply 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of decomposed human manure or soil fertilizer per 667 square meters, plus 25 kilograms of superphosphate and 15 kilograms of potash fertilizer. Pay attention to whether the organic fertilizer is well decomposed, especially in summer, undecomposed organic fertilizer may cause fleshy roots to fork or black roots.

2. Sowing and Planting

1. Choose good varieties and sow at the right time

The sowing period needs to be flexibly determined based on factors such as market demand, cultivation conditions, region, altitude, season and variety.

The suitable temperature for the expansion of fleshy roots in autumn and winter radishes is 18~20℃. All regions should arrange sowing when the average day and night temperature is 25℃. In the southern region, sowing is generally carried out after August and September. For early sowing, early and mid-maturing varieties can be selected, such as Qiuyue radish; for late sowing, mid-to-late maturing varieties can be selected, such as Nanpanzhou radish and Zhejiang Changda radish.

Winter and spring radishes are generally sown from October to December, and care should be taken to prevent premature bolting. Choose varieties with strong winter resistance, such as Baiyuchun Radish, Chunbulao, and Greenhouse Big Root. It can also be combined with protected cultivation.

Spring and summer radishes are generally sown from February to April, and care should be taken to prevent premature bolting problems. You can choose varieties such as Shinong YR1010, Chunlei, and Chunyong.

Summer and autumn radishes are generally sown from May to August. Note that early sowing should be carried out after May. In warm areas such as southern Fujian and Guangdong, sowing can be advanced to mid-to-late April, but sowing too early or taking insulation measures should be avoided. Choose early-maturing and heat-resistant varieties, such as Hefeng, Xiakang 40, Short Leaf 13, and Dongfang Huimei.

2. Planting

The sowing methods, sowing amounts and plant spacing vary in different seasons and varieties, and need to be mastered flexibly. Small varieties are mostly broadcasted, medium-sized varieties can be sown in rows or holes, and large varieties are mostly sown in holes. In the low temperature seasons of winter and spring, row sowing or hole sowing is mostly used, while in the high temperature seasons of summer and autumn, row sowing is mostly used.

Autumn and winter radishes can be sown in holes or in rows. For hole sowing, 2 to 3 seeds are sown in each hole, and the sowing rate is 0.25 to 0.5 kg/667 square meters; for row sowing, the sowing rate is 0.5 to 0.75 kg/667 square meters. Winter and spring radishes and spring and summer radishes are mostly sown in holes; summer and autumn radishes are mostly sown in rows, with the row spacing being 18 to 22 cm and the sowing rate being 0.6 to 0.75 kg per 667 square meters. The sowing rate should be larger to prevent serious plant shortages due to pests and diseases.

The spacing between rows and plants for sowing needs to be determined flexibly according to the variety. The spacing between rows and plants for hole sowing is generally (15~25) cm × (25~30) cm. Keep the seeds even when sowing and prevent them from gathering in the holes when sowing in holes. When row sowing, pay attention to the width of the furrow bottom and sow the seeds evenly into the furrow bottom.

Water in time before or after sowing to meet the water needs of seeds when they germinate. After sowing, cover with fertile, loose fine soil with a thickness of 1.5 to 2 cm. Choose covering materials according to different seasons. Shade nets or straw can be used when the temperature is high, and film can be used when the temperature is low. Be sure to remove the covering material in time after the seedlings emerge from the soil.

3. Field Management

1. Intertillage and weeding

Usually 2 to 3 inter-row cultivation and weeding are carried out before row closing, and attention should be paid to carrying out inter-row cultivation in time after rain.

2. Thinning

Thinning out the seedlings needs to be done 2 to 3 times, and it must be done in time to avoid crowding and excessive growth of the seedlings. Especially during the period of rooting, crowding can easily cause the fleshy roots to grow distorted, affecting their expansion. The principles of thinning are early thinning, multiple thinnings, and late transplanting. The first thinning is carried out after the seedlings are all grown, with a distance of 3 to 4 cm between seedlings; the second thinning is carried out when they have 2 to 3 true leaves, with a distance of 10 to 12 cm between seedlings; the final thinning is carried out when they have 5 to 6 true leaves (the period of belly breaking). The spacing between seedlings for large varieties is 20~30 cm, and the spacing between seedlings for medium-sized varieties is 15~25 cm.

3. Water management

Mainly keep it moist and supply it evenly. More water is required during the germination stage; water should be controlled appropriately during the seedling stage to encourage deep rooting (watering is required during the belly-breaking stage); appropriate water supply should be provided during the peak leaf growth period to prevent excessive water from causing excessive growth; more water is required during the fleshy root growth period, but water should be supplied evenly to prevent root cracking.

4. Fertilizer management

In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, top dressing is required 3 to 4 times during the cultivation process to meet the fertilizer needs of radish growth. The principle of top dressing is to apply light fertilizer before the plant bursts, apply heavy fertilizer after the plant bursts, and observe the growth in the later stage. Before the seedlings burst, the soil is light. Starting from the first thinning, you can use dilute fertilizer and water, such as 15%~25% human feces and urine; when the seedlings burst, apply a potassium-centered fertilizer once, such as 1% K2SO4; after the seedlings burst, increase the amount of fertilizer, such as 1000~1500 kg/667 m2 of decomposed human feces and urine without water, and pay attention to the maturity of the fertilizer; in the late growth stage, mainly observe the leaf color and fertilize, usually apply K2SO4 15 kg~20 kg/667 m2 during the shoulder-exposing period. Note that this fertilizer must be applied before the end of the shoulder-exposing period, otherwise it will be ineffective if applied too late.

Precautions for fertilizing radishes in summer and autumn: First, increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Because the root system grows poorly under high temperatures, more phosphorus fertilizers need to be applied to facilitate the expansion of the fleshy roots. Apply 40 kg/667 m2 of phosphorus fertilizer in the base fertilizer; increasing the application of potassium fertilizer is mainly to promote the good expansion of the fleshy roots during the high temperature period. Second, when applying fertilizer, be careful not to use uncomposted human feces or other organic fertilizers to prevent the fleshy roots from producing black roots or forked roots. In addition to soil topdressing, foliar fertilization is also required. Generally, 0.2% KH2PO4 + 0.1%~0.2% boric acid or borax can be used.

The above is an introduction to the key points of radish cultivation techniques. If you want to grow high yield and high quality radish, the above links are very important.