Growing daikon in open ground in the suburbs: when to plant

Growing daikon in open ground in the Moscow region requires compliance with certain recommendations on the timing of planting, site selection, soil preparation, agricultural practices and other nuances. The climate near Moscow is not quite suitable for daikon cultivation, so you need to be prepared for some difficulties associated with weather changes.

The vegetable culture of the cruciferous family appealed to many gardeners due to its tender, bitterness-free, pulp with a high content of nutrients.

The timing of sowing daikon in the suburbs

One of the first questions when growing daikon on household plots near Moscow is the question: when should I plant? Spring sowing takes place in March or the first decade of April. It will be possible to enjoy vitamin salad in May. When the temperature drops below -10 degrees, you will need to organize a shelter for this variety of radish using a spunbond or film. The disadvantage of early planting is the lack of keeping quality.

Fruits are not suitable for storage and are consumed immediately after harvest. If the goal is to collect seeds, you need to sow the daikon in April-May.

The optimal time for planting a vegetable in the middle lane is July-beginning of August. This is due to the reduction of daylight hours, which leads to the rapid growth of the root crop and the minimum possibility of ejection of flower arrows. Summer daikon keeps up to five months.

Selection and preparation of a site for sowing

Daikon is grown in a well-lit, draft-free area. July sowing is carried out on the ridges where early vegetables or greens grew before, avoiding predecessors and cruciferous neighbors. It is better to pay attention to the areas freed from onions, garlic, peas, dill, potatoes, cucumbers, lettuce.

The yield of Japanese radish increases when it is cultivated on sandy loam or loam with neutral acidity and increased friability.

The earth is dug deep in autumn or early spring, with the simultaneous application of compost or humus at the rate of one kilogram per square meter, ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfide: 20 grams per square meter and superphosphate - 40 grams. In no case should you use unrotted manure, which slows down the growth of root crops and worsens the taste. The acidity of the soil is reduced with the help of chalk, lime, wood ash, dolomite flour, scattered on the site 14 days before the application of the above fertilizers.

Seed Selection

Cool climate dictates turning to daikon varieties with a short growing season. For example:

Minowase. Drought resistance, resistance to temperature extremes. Harvest is ready for harvest two months after emergence. The fruits reach a length of 40-50 cm.
Big bull. It matures in 60 days, grows well in conditions of high humidity and cool weather.
Nerima. Consumer maturity occurs 65 days after sowing. Distinctive feature: pickled variety.
Ninengo. Ideal for cultivation in the Moscow region: it is not afraid of short-term cold snaps and fungal diseases.
Russian size. The period of ripening of large root crops: 50 days. Does not lose sharpness and juiciness during long-term storage, has a rich harvest.
Miyashige. Vegetation period - 70 days. The formation of even root crops is facilitated by deep digging of the ridge before planting.
Minowase Summercross. A hybrid variety that grows up to 4 kg in 40 days. Drought tolerant, grown for personal use and commercial use.

Planting a daikon in open ground

Preparation of seed material for sowing includes several stages:

putting seeds in a cloth bag;
exposure in water with a temperature of 50-60 degrees above zero for 15 minutes, followed by placement in cold water for the same time, and then for a day in the refrigerator.

There are two methods for planting Japanese radish in open ground:

Into moist furrows with 50-60cm row spacing and 20cm spacing between plants, 3-4cm deep seed.
In the holes with the addition of compost, according to the scheme 25x25 cm. Several seeds are laid to a depth of 4-5 cm.

Decomposed daikon seeds are sprinkled with soil, wood ash, beds are mulched.

Rules for caring for daikon

The radish is unpretentious in care, but you need to follow the recommendations on agricultural technology, which includes watering, weeding, fertilizer, pest and disease prevention.

Irrigation

Daikon loves water, but excessive moisture leads to gray rot or mucous bacteriosis. Water the plants every five days, making sure that the water does not stagnate.In rainy weather, additional soil moisture is not required. In the heat, the amount of watering should be increased and the soil should be mulched. The lack of moisture responds with cracking of root crops, a decrease in taste, and coarsening of the skin.

Weeding

In order to increase the air permeability of the soil, after each watering of the daikon, the row spacing is loosened. Weeds are removed in a timely manner, because they can cause pests and diseases. Regular hilling of the radish will not allow the pulp of the vegetable to become bitter.

Fertilizers

The degree of soil fertility determines the amount of top dressing. Rich soils can not be fertilized, this will not affect the yield of the crop. For scarce soil, a special feeding scheme has been developed:

at the beginning - urea in the amount of 25 g per bucket of water;
in the middle - complex mineral fertilizer;
at the end - a fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus.

Diseases

Japanese radish diseases occur as a result of improper care, violation of sowing dates, insufficient or excessive watering. Neglect of agrotechnical measures cause keel, mosaic, black leg, gray rot, which destroy most of the crop. The first signs of illness serve as a signal for the use of specialized drugs.

Pests

Of the pests, the garden cutworm can cause significant damage to the daikon, damaging the roots and leaves of the plant. This leads to a slowdown in the development of fruits and a deterioration in appearance. An insect is repelled by a tincture of red pepper, which is watered over plants: insist six pods in a liter of hot water for 12 hours and combine with 10 liters of water.

Hot weather provokes cruciferous flea attack. A long growing season allows not only to sprinkle the plantings with ash, but also to carry out the treatment with insecticidal preparations. The onset of cool, rainy weather causes the insect to disappear.

Harvest and storage of crops

Daikon ripening dates when grown outdoors in the Moscow region vary depending on the crop variety and the prevailing weather. On average, they start harvesting 40-70 days after sowing, pulling out the roots by the leaves or digging them out with a pitchfork or a shovel.

When storing daikon radish, the temperature should not be higher than +4 degrees. In this case, the presentation and taste remain unchanged for five months. Sand is poured between the vegetable layers.

Eating daikon is no different from regular radish. It is eaten fresh, prepared in salads, stewed, added to canning.