How to fertilize radishes? Master these key fertilization techniques

Radishes and carrots are both root vegetables. They are grown for their swollen fleshy roots, which people eat. For every 1000 kg of radishes produced, the plants need to absorb 2.1-3.1 kg of nitrogen (N), 0.8-0.9 kg of phosphorus (P2O5), and 3.8-5.6 kg of potassium (K2O) from the soil. The ratio of the three is 1:0.2:0.8, which shows that radishes are a potassium-loving crop.

Radishes differ greatly in their uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium across different growth stages. Generally, nitrogen uptake is relatively high during the seedling stage, while phosphorus and potassium uptake is relatively low; entering the early stage of fleshy root enlargement, the plant's potassium uptake increases significantly, followed by nitrogen and phosphorus; by the peak stage of fleshy root enlargement, nutrient uptake reaches its peak, with nitrogen absorbed during this period accounting for 77.3% of total nitrogen uptake over the whole growth period, phosphorus uptake accounting for 82.9% of total phosphorus uptake, and potassium uptake accounting for 76.6% of total potassium uptake. Therefore, ensuring adequate nutrition during this period is the key to a high radish yield.

Key fertilization techniques:

(1) Base fertilizer: generally apply more than 2000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu, combined with phosphate and potassium fertilizers.

(2) Topdressing: on the basis of appropriate topdressing in the early stage, when the radish begins to "break its belly" (the root begins to swell), apply 8-10 kg of urea per mu along with irrigation. Nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied too much or too late, and should be applied as much as possible before the peak stage of radish enlargement; if applied too much or too late, it easily causes the fleshy root to crack or develop a bitter taste, affecting radish quality. During the peak stage of radish enlargement, additional potassium fertilizer is also needed. In addition, attention should be paid to nutrient balance. According to reports, applying a three-element compound fertilizer rather than urea alone can increase radish yield and improve its quality.