Radishes are easy to care for and can usually be harvested after 5 to 10 weeks, and you can harvest the roots or leaves. Start by selecting seeds and plan to plant turnips in the spring or fall for those of you who live in a country with 4 seasons.
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Method 1 of 3: Part One: Growing Radishes
Step 1. Plant radishes in spring or fall
Turnips should be planted in a cool area, so you should plant them when the soil temperature is dropping. For radishes in spring, sow seeds in the yard for 3 weeks before winter ends. For fall radishes, sow seeds in midsummer about two months before winter arrives.
- The soil used must be at least 4°C for the seeds to germinate, but temperatures between 10-21°C can promote very fast turnip growth.
- Autumn radishes are usually sweeter than spring radishes, and are less likely to attract maggots.
Step 2. Choose a good location
Radishes thrive in direct sunlight, so the area you choose should be exposed to the sun for at least 6 hours each day, or longer.
- Ideally, you should also choose a place with loose soil and good drainage. You can improve soil conditions if needed, but starting with good soil conditions will make your job easier.
- Also keep in mind that turnips are best grown in soil with an acidity (pH) of 6.5. Most soils will not be too acidic or too alkaline, so testing the acidity level is not necessary. If you're having trouble growing turnips, consider testing your soil's pH by taking a sample to your nearest university or by purchasing a pH test kit to do at home from a florist or home improvement store.
Step 3. Improve soil conditions
Loosen the soil with a garden fork or shovel to a depth of about 30-38 cm, then mix in a 5-10 cm thick layer of compost.
Additionally, consider mixing a few handfuls of rotting manure with compost
Step 4. Sow the seeds
Sprinkle the seeds over the prepared soil as evenly as possible. Cover the seeds with 6 mm of soil for spring radishes, or 1.25 cm (1.25 cm) for fall radishes.
- Alternatively, you can plant the seeds in rows 30-45 cm apart.
- Keep in mind that germination usually occurs in 7-14 days.
- After planting the seeds, make sure each seed is well watered. You should not water the seeds too much as this will cause them to float away. Water until the soil surface feels moist to the touch.
Step 5. Prune the seedlings
When the seedlings are 10 cm tall, remove the weakest seedlings so that the strong seedlings have sufficient space and resources. The “early” varieties should be pruned to a distance of 5-10 cm, while the “main” varieties should be about 15 cm apart.
- However, if you only want to plant radishes because you want to harvest the leaves, you should not prune the radishes.
- Usually, the leaves from the plucked plant are large enough to work with.
Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Caring for Radishes
Step 1. Water the radish sufficiently
Radishes need 2.5 cm of water per week. Less than that will cause the radish roots to become tough and bitter, but too much water can cause the radishes to rot.
Keep an eye on rainfall in your area. In the rainy season, you don't need to water the radishes anymore. While in the dry season, you have to water the radishes regularly
Step 2. Add plenty of mulch (a mixture of rotting leaves, grass and stems)
When the radishes have grown to a height of 12.7 cm, add a 5 cm layer of mulch around the radish leaves.
- Mulch holds moisture, and moisture can promote the growth and flavor of radishes.
- In addition, mulch can help control and limit the amount of weeds in your garden.
Step 3. Consider fertilizing turnips
Although not so important, the use of organic fertilizer for once a month can help strengthen the radish roots. Choose fertilizers with high potassium and phosphorus levels over fertilizers with high nitrogen levels.
- Nitrogen fertilizer will cause the radish leaves to grow thickly, but the roots will suffer.
- Look for a fertilizer that also contains boron or use a separate boron spray for 4-6 weeks after sowing.
- Make sure the fertilizer you use is food safe.
- In addition to fertilizer, you can use a little compost tea about once a month.
Step 4. Get rid of weeds
Any grass that emerges from the mulch should be removed immediately. Avoid using herbicides because the chemicals contained in these substances can hit and damage the radishes, and make the radishes unfit for human consumption.
Step 5. Check for pests and fungi
Root maggots and beetles are examples of common pests and you should pay attention to them. While powdery mildew and downy mildew are types of fungi that often attack turnips.
- Root maggots are a common problem when you plant turnips in soil that has been planted with turnips or rutabaga in the previous year. To prevent attack by root maggots, reposition your plants and apply a special insecticidal soil to kill food-safe root maggots.
- Keeping the soil pH above 6.0 can prevent most powdery mildew, downy mildew, or other fungal problems, such as club root disease. Check soil pH periodically with a pH measuring device or by taking a soil sample to the nearest university.
- Generally, when radishes are attacked by pests or fungi, there is nothing you can do to save them. Your best option is to remove infected plants and treat the soil as needed to get rid of as many pests and fungi as possible. You may or may not be able to recover the rest of your radish crop.
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Harvesting Radishes
Step 1. Harvest the radish leaves first
As a rule, you can harvest the radish leaves as soon as the radish leaves are large enough to be picked. Generally, when the radish leaves reach a height of between 10-15 cm.
- As long as the growing points or nodes are not removed, the leaves will grow back after you harvest them.
- If you want to harvest leaves and bulbs from the same plant, pick two or three leaves per plant. If you remove all the leaves, the radish roots will die.
Step 2. Harvest the radishes when they are fully grown
You can harvest mature, ripe radishes after 5-10 weeks. “Early” varieties take only 5 weeks, while “main” varieties take 6-10 weeks.
- You can harvest small radishes by simply pulling them with your bare hands. To harvest large radish tubers, use a garden fork to loosen the soil around the radishes before pulling them out.
- You can harvest turnips in a variety of sizes. Small radishes are tender and sweeter than large radishes, so most people prefer to harvest radishes when the tubers are about 2.5-7.5 cm in diameter.
- You can check the size of the tubers by slightly digging the soil over one of the turnips to reveal the tubers underneath. If the plant looks ready to harvest, most other radishes will be ready for harvest too.
- Make sure all your radishes are harvested before winter arrives. Don't let the radishes grow too big as they have a woody taste and texture.
Step 3. Store the radishes in a cool temperature
When radishes are stored in a cool place, harvested radishes will usually last for 3-4 months. Consider storing turnips in a cellar or shed and protect the radish storage area with hay.
- Twist the tops until the stems are 1.25 cm high before storing the radishes. Do not wash off the soil residue on the surface of the radish as it will protect the tubers when stored in storage.
- You can leave fall radishes in the ground until early winter by covering them with thick mulch, but you should harvest them before the soil freezes and hardens.
- Radishes can also be stored in the refrigerator.
