How to Grow High-Quality Radishes? A Detailed Guide to the Planting Method
High-quality radishes are grown this way. These days, Zhang Yiming of Jianguo Village, Qiancao Subdistrict, Jiangyang District, Luzhou City, is beaming every day. Last winter he planted more than 1 mu of a high-quality long white radish variety from South Korea. In just two months, he now sells several hundred jin every day, sometimes over a thousand jin. By his rough calculation...
High-quality radishes are grown this way
These days, Zhang Yiming of Jianguo Village, Qiancao Subdistrict, Jiangyang District, Luzhou City, is beaming every day. Last winter he planted more than 1 mu of a high-quality long white radish variety from South Korea. In just two months, he now sells several hundred jin every day, sometimes over a thousand jin. By his rough calculation, his more than 1 mu of radishes can yield 5000 kg, bringing in sales revenue of more than 12000 yuan, with each one averaging about 2 kg in weight, which has let Zhang Yiming once again taste the sweetness of growing high-quality radishes.
On January 7, Zhang Yiming told reporters that the reason his high-quality large white radishes achieved such a good harvest was that he strictly followed the cultivation techniques for autumn-winter radishes in his planting management.
Choosing suitable soil
When planting radishes, you should choose as the previous crop one that consumes little fertilizer, leaves behind plenty of organic matter, and has no shared pests or diseases. Cruciferous vegetables must be avoided as the previous crop, otherwise diseases are likely to occur. Radishes are fairly adaptable to sandy loam, but to obtain high-yield, high-quality produce, soil that is deep, loose, well-drained and relatively fertile sandy loam is still best. Only when grown in suitable soil can the fleshy root expand fully, take on a proper shape, have a smooth, clean skin and an attractive color, and thus be marketable.
The plot requires deep plowing
Leveling and even fertilization are needed so as to promote an increase in available nutrients and beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and to make it loose and airy, which helps the absorbing roots take up nutrients and water, thereby rapidly expanding leaf area and accelerating the expansion of the fleshy root. Apply 75 kg of NPK compound fertilizer per mu as a base fertilizer. Then carry out soil disinfection and sterilization and control of underground pests. For the fungicide, use a 600-fold solution of 50% carbendazim or an 800-1000-fold solution of 70% thiophanate-methyl for spraying; for the insecticide, use an 800-1000-fold solution of 48% chlorpyrifos emulsifiable concentrate for spraying.
Sowing
The quality of radish seeds has a great influence on the growth and yield of the radish plants. To achieve uniform, complete and strong emergence, seeds should be carefully selected, using only plump, sound seeds and discarding shriveled, broken or moldy ones. The sowing rate depends on seed quality, soil, climate and sowing method. Autumn-winter radishes are mostly sown by dibbling or drilling. The amount of seed used is determined by how sparse or dense the seedlings are to be left; for dibbling, the hole spacing is 25-30 cm, with 4-5 seeds per hole, and the seeds should be spread out within the hole so that they do not crowd each other after emergence and affect seedling quality.
Field management must keep up in a timely manner
After the seedlings emerge, they grow quickly, so thinning must be done in time to prevent crowding, shading and spindly growth. Seedlings should be set early, thinned in stages, and set at the right time to ensure uniform and strong seedlings. Generally, thinning is done 2-3 times, removing thin, weak, deformed and pest- or disease-damaged seedlings.
Reasonable watering
Watering is mainly determined by the growth characteristics of radishes, the water requirements at each growth stage, and the climate and soil conditions. After sowing, if the weather is dry, water immediately once; water again when emergence begins, keeping the ground moist to ensure uniform emergence and to reduce the occurrence of viral disease. If it is rainy, drain promptly to prevent seedling death.
Scientific topdressing
Winter radishes are medium-to-large varieties with a relatively long growth period, so on the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer before sowing, topdressing should be done appropriately; especially on plots with low soil fertility and insufficient base fertilizer, topdressing can significantly increase yield. Fertilization should use nitrogen fertilizer diluted with water or clear manure water. After the radish "breaks its belly," it enters the peak leaf growth stage, that is, the rosette stage; to promote leaf area expansion, a quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer should also be applied once. When it enters the peak stage of fleshy root expansion, apply a compound fertilizer once as topdressing to help the fleshy root expand. And 20 days before harvest, spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate once a week for 2 consecutive times as foliar topdressing, which has a good effect on increasing yield and improving fleshy root quality.
Scientific cultivation, weeding and pest control
Radishes need repeated cultivation and loosening of the soil during the growing period, especially at the seedling stage, when temperatures are relatively higher, rain is frequent and weeds grow quickly, so cultivation and weeding must be done often. In high-ridge cultivation, the soil on the ridges is easily washed away by rain, so hilling should be combined with cultivation. For long varieties with exposed upper parts, because the root neck is long, thin and weak, it is often prone to bending and lodging; in the early growth stage, soil should be hilled up to expand the root and prevent lodging that would later form crooked radishes. By the late rosette stage, the leaves have already closed over the rows, so cultivation stops and weeding is done only by pulling by hand.
The main pests and diseases of radishes are aphids and soft rot. Per mu, use 10 million units of 12% agricultural streptomycin sulfate wettable powder plus 50-75 kg of water, or spray a 1000-1200-fold solution of 57.6% chlorothalonil dry granules, combined with root drenching. To control aphids, spray with imidacloprid-type products diluted in water.
Timely harvest
The harvest of winter radishes depends on the variety and the marketing period. Harvesting too early gives low yield and a hard, tasteless root; harvesting too late exposes the fleshy root to freezing or causes hollowing, worsening quality. It is more suitable to harvest when the root diameter has expanded to 8-10 cm and the length is 25-30 cm.
Commentary
He really has mastered the key points
Zhang Hengji, a technician in the vegetable office of the Jiangyang District Agricultural Bureau, said that Zhang Yiming's large white radishes achieved a good harvest indeed because he mastered the basic key points of radish cultivation: namely, keeping the seedling-raising temperature above 10 degrees; choosing fertile soil and carrying out deep plowing so that the soil has good air permeability; and keeping suitable plant and row spacing. The radish seeds sown per hole were standardized, and temperature and moisture preservation at emergence were done properly. In particular, thinning was carried out in time after complete emergence; and leaving 5000 strong seedlings per mu was also a key to the bumper harvest.
If farmer friends want to sell radishes at a good price during the Spring Festival, it is best to sow radishes in mid-to-late September; if they want to market them after the Spring Festival, it is best to sow in mid-to-late October.