Latest Radish Seed Prices and Planting Methods

The radish is one of the world's ancient cultivated crops, a biennial or annual herbaceous plant of the genus Raphanus in the Brassicaceae family. The original species originated from wild radish on the warm coasts of Europe and Asia. It is now grown all over the world and can be planted in all four seasons in regions with suitable climate conditions. In most areas, autumn cultivation is the main practice. Let's take a look below at radish seed prices and planting methods!

How much does a packet of radish seeds cost?

Note: There are very many cultivated varieties of radish, and their seed prices differ depending on the variety. When purchasing, be sure to look at the variety first (mainly its characteristics, yield, etc.) and then the price. Therefore, the above prices are for reference only, and the actual prices shall prevail!

What varieties of radish are there?

1. Autumn-winter radish: A commonly cultivated type in China, sown in late summer and early autumn, harvested in late autumn and early winter, with a growing period of 60-100 days. Representative varieties include Xuecheng Long Red, Jinan Green Round Crisp, Shijiazhuang White Radish, Beijing Xinlimei and Chenghai Baisha Huochetou.

2. Winter-spring radish: Grown in areas south of the Yangtze River and in Sichuan Province where winters are not too cold. It is cold-resistant, strongly winter-hardy, and not prone to pithiness. Representative varieties include Chengdu Chunbulao Radish, Hangzhou Jianqiao Big Red Tassel Radish and Chenghai Nanpanzhou Late Radish.

3. Spring-summer radish: Commonly grown in China, relatively cold-resistant, strongly winter-hardy, with a relatively short growing period, generally 45-60 days. Improper sowing time or cultivation management can easily cause premature bolting. Representative varieties include Beijing Paozhutong, Penglai Spring Radish and Nanjing May Red.

4. Summer-autumn radish: More commonly cultivated south of the Yellow River basin in China, often used as an off-season summer and autumn vegetable. It is relatively moisture-tolerant and heat-tolerant, with a growing period of 50-70 days. Representative varieties include Hangzhou Small Hook White and Guangzhou Lazhu Dun.

5. Four-season radish: Grown in small quantities in China. The leaves are small, the petioles are thin, and there is much fuzz. The fleshy root is relatively small and extremely early-maturing, suitable for eating raw and for pickling. Representative varieties include Nanjing Yanghua Radish, Shanghai Small Red Radish and Yantai Hongding.

Growing conditions for radish

1. Temperature: Radish is a semi-cold-tolerant vegetable. The seeds can germinate at 2-3°C, with an optimum temperature of 20-25°C. The seedling stage can tolerate 25°C and also lows of minus 3°C. The optimum temperature for stem and leaf growth is 15-20°C, and for fleshy root growth 18-20°C.

2. Water: The suitable available soil water content for fleshy root growth in radish is 65-80%, and the air humidity is 80-90%. High air humidity can improve quality, but soil moisture must not be excessive either; uneven water supply tends to cause the fleshy root to split.

3. Soil: Radish is not strict about soil requirements, but deep, loose sandy loam with good water retention and fertilizer retention is best. The suitable soil pH is 5.3-7.

4. Nutrition: In terms of nutrient uptake, radish absorbs the most potassium, followed by nitrogen, and then phosphorus. For every 1000 kg of radish produced, it absorbs about 5.55 kg of nitrogen, 2.6 kg of phosphorus and 6.37 kg of potassium. The ratio of the three elements is 2.1:1:2.5.

5. Light: Radish growth requires sufficient sunlight. With ample sunlight, the plants are robust, photosynthesis is strong, more materials accumulate, the fleshy root expands quickly and yields are high. Plants that have completed vernalization differentiate flower buds and send out flowering shoots relatively quickly under long-day conditions and higher temperatures.

Planting methods for radish

1. Land preparation and fertilization: Radish should not be planted in continuous cropping with other Brassicaceae vegetables. Deep plowing and repeated turning are needed, along with sufficient basal fertilizer. Apply 37,000-45,000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 1200 kg of plant ash, 375-450 kg of superphosphate and 750 kg of diammonium phosphate per hectare.

2. Timely sowing: The sowing time for radish depends on variety characteristics and market demand. The suitable sowing time for autumn-winter radish is late July to early August, and spring radish can be sown from late February to early April. The sowing rate varies with planting density, generally 3-6 kg/hectare.

3. Timely thinning: In radish cultivation, the first thinning is generally carried out when the first true leaf unfolds. By the time of the large root-splitting stage, select and keep one robust seedling with the characteristics of the variety, and the other weak plants can be thinned out.

4. Reasonable watering: During the germination stage of radish, the soil water content should be above 90%. In the seedling stage, a soil water content of 60% is suitable. The leaf growth stage requires a lot of water. During the root growth stage, maintain soil moisture at 70-80%. In the late root growth stage, watering should still be done appropriately to prevent hollowing.

5. Topdressing in stages: The principle of fertilizing radish is mainly basal fertilizer, with topdressing as a supplement. Generally, topdress 2-3 times after thinning. Be sure to avoid excessive concentration. The ratio of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus is roughly 2:1:2.5.

6. Cultivation, weeding and hilling: When planting radish, pay attention to cultivation, weeding, hilling and other tasks. Especially for autumn-sown radish, warm temperatures and frequent rain make weeds grow easily, so timely cultivation and weeding are necessary.

7. Pest and disease control: The main pests of radish include aphids, diamondback moths, cabbage caterpillars and striped flea beetles. The main diseases include viral disease, downy mildew and soft rot. Field management should be strengthened and preventive measures taken.

8. Timely harvest: Harvest time for radish varies with sowing time. Spring radish should be harvested about 50-60 days after sowing. Summer radish and radish sown in early autumn are harvested 40-60 days after sowing. Among autumn-winter radishes, varieties whose fleshy roots mostly expose above the ground should be harvested before frost.