A Detailed Guide to Radish Planting Methods and Timing

SummaryPlanting time: spring is February to March, summer is July to August. Select good seed: choose the Hongyu Five-Inch variety, which is heat-tolerant, has stable high yield and good quality. Land selection and fertilization: sandy loam and loose river silt soil are suitable; apply 3000kg of organic fertilizer and 10kg of potassium sulfate per mu. Seed soaking and sowing: soak the seeds in warm water for 12 hours, then sow along the furrows, and tread along the furrows after sowing. Post-planting management: cultivate and loosen the soil in time, and remove weeds.

I. Planting Time

1. Radishes are generally sown in summer, in July to August, and then harvested in November.

2. With market demand, there are now also varieties sown in spring, mainly earlier, in February to March. If the open-field temperature is too low at this time, sowing can be chosen from mid-to-late March to early April, because sowing too early will advance bolting, while sowing too late is prone to waterlogging.

II. Selecting Good Seed

Choose the Hongyu Five-Inch variety, which is heat-tolerant, has stable high yield and good quality. When planted in Dali Shayuan, this variety does not bolt and develops normally, with a seeding rate of 150-200g per mu.

III. Land Selection and Fertilization

1. The suitable planting land for off-season radishes is the same as for autumn-winter radishes, generally sandy loam and loose river silt soil. When planting, the amount of fertilizer should be determined according to soil fertility. Generally, field plots rely mainly on base fertilizer, applying 3000kg of organic fertilizer and 10kg of potassium sulfate per mu.

2. When there are underground pests, before plowing, apply 2kg of 3% carbofuran granules per mu. To prevent weeds, apply 80ml of 48% trifluralin per mu, mix with water and spray on the ground, then plow the soil to a depth of 25cm, trying to make the soil loose and fine.

3. Build beds 120cm wide and 30-50cm long. If the soil lacks moisture, water first to build up moisture and then prepare the land.

IV. Seed Soaking and Sowing

1. Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water for 12 hours, then take them out and mix with sand at a seed-to-sand ratio of 1:6. To sow evenly, sand can also be mixed in. Use a furrowing rake (with 3 bamboo strips mounted on a wooden beam, strip spacing 20cm, strip thickness 0.8-1cm, length 20cm, upper width 3cm, lower width 2cm) to open furrows 0.5cm deep.

2. Then sow along the furrows, tread along the furrows after sowing, and then push and pull once with a nail rake to level the ground. Ridge sowing with dibbling and film mulching can also be used: build ridges 5-8cm high, with a lower width of 40cm, an upper width of 25cm, and a center-to-center distance of 50cm between ridges; dibble 2 rows on the ridge, with a row spacing of 18cm and a plant spacing of 10cm.

3. Then cover with film (using plastic film), film width 40cm. After emergence, punch holes in time to release the seedlings, and ensure sufficient bottom moisture is irrigated.

V. Post-Planting Management

Thin the seedlings in time around the 4-leaf stage. For drill sowing, the plant spacing is 12-15cm, leaving about 22,000 plants per mu. After entering May, temperatures rise; in case of drought, water in time. After watering, cultivate and loosen the soil in time and remove weeds, so as to keep the ground always loose and free of crusting.

VI. Harvest and Market

Off-season radishes can be marketed starting in July, and the harvest period can last more than 20 days.