The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Watermelon Radish
The outer skin of the watermelon radish is light green, but the inner flesh is purplish-red, which is why it is also called the red-hearted radish. The watermelon radish has various effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, strengthening the stomach and aiding digestion, and has extremely high nutritional value. It can be served as a cold dish dressed with sauce, or used in soups and stir-fries. At present, the main growing area for watermelon radish in China is the Northeast region, so how should watermelon radish be grown? Let's take a look together below!
1. Choosing the planting site
The watermelon radish is suited to growing in a cool environment and has a relatively high demand for light, so when choosing a planting site we must pay attention to basic conditions such as temperature and light. Choose slightly acidic sandy soil with deep, loose soil layers, rich humus, normal drainage and irrigation, and strong water and fertilizer retention. The choice of planting site is very important and will directly affect the growth of the watermelon radish, so we must never be careless when choosing the planting site. Otherwise, it will reduce the yield and quality of the watermelon radish and affect the benefits of cultivation.
2. Land preparation and sowing
After choosing the planting site, do a good job of land preparation, plowing it deeply, with the deep plowing depth kept at about 30 cm, then sun-expose it and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Control the amount of fertilizer according to the planting area, with the fertilizer mainly being decomposed farmyard manure. During growth, the watermelon radish has a relatively large demand for potassium fertilizer, followed by nitrogen fertilizer, and finally phosphorus fertilizer, so attention should also be paid to the application of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. The watermelon radish is usually sown by the hole-sowing method. Control the sowing density well and dig the sowing holes properly, place about 3 seeds in each sowing hole, then pour in enough manure water and carry out sowing. After sowing, press and compact the soil, water thoroughly, improve the soil's moisture-retention capacity, spray an appropriate amount of herbicide to control weeds, and finally cover with a layer of rice straw to retain moisture and prevent the soil from crusting.
3. Field management
When the seedlings break through the soil and grow true leaves, begin thinning, then thin again when 3 true leaves have grown, pull out weak and dead seedlings, and provide enough growing space for healthy strong seedlings. When the seedlings have grown 4 true leaves, final thinning can begin. After final thinning, do a good job of cultivating and weeding to prevent weeds from robbing the seedlings of nutrients for growth and affecting their normal growth. When using herbicides, pay attention to the dosage to prevent herbicide damage to the seedlings. Then pay attention to doing a good job of pest and disease control, understand the common pests and diseases of the watermelon radish, and do a good job of preventing various pests and diseases.
4. Water and fertilizer management
The watermelon radish has a relatively large demand for water and is not very drought-tolerant, so during the cultivation period of the watermelon radish the soil should be kept moist. In particular, after sowing, ensure sufficient water, but after the seedlings emerge, control the amount of watering to promote the growth of the fleshy root. When the fleshy root is growing, water appropriately as well to prevent excessive vegetative growth. During the seedling stage, apply less fertilizer. Usually topdressing is carried out only after final thinning, and when topdressing it is best to do it together with weeding and hilling. During the growth period of the watermelon radish, topdressing must be applied at least 3 times.
The above is a brief introduction to the cultivation techniques for watermelon radish. When growing watermelon radish, special attention should also be paid to pest and disease control. Pests and diseases cause devastating harm to watermelon radish, reducing yield in mild cases and leading to total crop failure in severe cases. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Friends who want to learn more related information, please continue to follow us!