Instructions for growing radishes in a greenhouse in winter for sale and the profitability of this business

Radish - An excellent addition to any salad or appetizer. Vitamin-rich root vegetables are always in good demand, especially in winter, when the range of vegetables in stores is not as rich as in the summer.

Radishes are easy to grow and quick to ripen, so some gardeners also grow them in the cold season. In this article we will tell you how to organize the cultivation of radishes in a greenhouse in winter for sale and achieve success.

What varieties of radish are suitable?

For winter growing It is better to choose early ripening varieties, since in winter the growing season is slower. The ripening time for such varieties is 18-20 days, but in cold weather the growth of the vegetable can be delayed up to 30-35 days.

For greenhouse cultivation, varieties are selected that are resistant to bolting, air humidity and lack of light.

The best varieties are:

• 18 days – early variety, ripens in 18-20 days, resistant to cold, no arrows;
• Heat – resistant to bolting and temperature changes, ripening period – 18-27 days;
• French breakfast – frost-resistant, early ripening;
• Saxa – resistant to excessive moisture and shading;
• Presto is ultra-early, the harvest can be harvested already on the 16th day after landings, does not form an arrow.

Preparatory stage

Radishes should not be planted after cabbage, turnips or radishes to avoid infection with common diseases.It is better to plant radishes in the same place where cucumbers, carrots, onions or garlic grew.

Seed selection and treatment

Before landing check the seed material for germination: fill it with water for 5-10 minutes and remove the floating empty seeds from the surface. Suitable specimens are immersed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a day. This not only reduces the risk of radishes becoming infected with diseases and pests, but also stimulates plant growth.

Attention! If you purchased granulated or pelleted seeds, there is no need to process them.

Soil and greenhouse preparation

Prepare the soil in the fall after harvesting in the greenhouse:

1. Clear the soil of roots, branches and other debris.
2. They dig up and loosen the soil.
3. Fertilize with wood ash - 0.5 cups per 1 m².
4. Humus is added - 3 kg per 1 m².

In winter, it is not possible to grow radishes under a film; in cold weather, this is done in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

Vegetables may not have enough sun, so for additional lighting, blue or red spectrum lamps are hung in the greenhouse, otherwise instead of juicy root vegetables you will get flabby, tasteless roots or radishes will go to waste.

Heating methods

The heating system can be organized in several ways:

1. Electric. You will need a heating cable and protective grids. A protective net is placed at the bottom of the future bed, a cable is laid on top, which is covered with the net, it is covered with a layer of sand 5 cm thick and a layer of fertilized soil 20 cm thick.
2. Water. Heating is carried out using water pipes, which are laid under the beds and heated by a boiler or titanium.
3. Biological. Remove all the soil from the garden bed to the bottom, lay a layer of fresh manure on it to gradually release heat, and pour a 20 cm thick layer of nutritious soil on top.

To heat the greenhouse, you can purchase radiators or infrared heaters.

How to plant radishes

A few days before sowing, the soil is covered with plastic film to warm it up. After preparing the soil, furrows are made on its surface at a distance of 10 cm from each other, into which the seeds are planted to a depth of 1.5 cm at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. After planting, the furrows are watered.

Planting in autumn is carried out at a temperature not lower than +10...+12°C. For seedlings to appear, maintain a temperature of +16…+18°C. When the first leaves appear, the temperature is reduced to +8...+10°C for three days, after which it is raised again to +16...+20°C.

Caring for greenhouse radishes in winter

Radish is a moisture-loving crop. It is more convenient to organize automatic drip watering so as not to constantly water the vegetables. Manual watering is carried out 3-4 times a day as the soil dries out.

Do not overwater the plantings, otherwise the root crops will rot. Watering rate is 1 liter of water per 1 m². After this, the soil is loosened to provide oxygen access to the root crops and the room is ventilated for 10-15 minutes.

Important! With the emergence of seedlings, the frequency of watering is increased.

After sprouting, the radishes are thinned out, otherwise the root crops will be small and tasteless. Leave a distance of 3-4 cm between the sprouts.

Humus or peat is added as additional fertilizer.

If there is a sharp drop in temperature, the plantings are protected with arcs covered with polyethylene or non-woven material.

Diseases and pests

To prevent the appearance of diseases and pests, the soil is treated after germination: the plantings are watered with a solution of wood ash or it is poured into the rows.

Ventilation, moderate watering and loosening the soil will help prevent the appearance of fungal diseases and rotting of root crops.

The most dangerous for radishes are bacteriosis (small dark wet spots on the tops) and powdery mildew (yellow spots on the surface and gray “fluff” on the underside of the leaf). The drugs “Planriz”, “Fitosporin-M”, “Alirin-B” will help to cope with them.

If cruciferous flea beetles are found in the greenhouse (the surface of the leaf is eaten away), the plantings are treated with tobacco dust or crushed wood ash.

Harvesting

When harvesting, they are guided by the ripening period of the selected variety. It is not recommended to delay with it, as overgrown root vegetables risk becoming hard.

Radish harvesting is carried out as follows: vegetables are watered in the morning, and collected closer to lunch. Then the tops are cut off, but not at the root, but leaving tails 1 cm long. After cutting the tops, the radishes are washed from dirt and dried.

Storage

After drying the radishes, they are placed on storage.

There are two storage methods:

1. In plastic bags in the refrigerator for a month.
2. In the cellar. To do this, the crop is placed in boxes, the bottom of which is covered with polyethylene. Root vegetables are sprinkled on top with a mixture of peat and sand. This method prevents radish rotting and is more suitable for long-term storage than the first.

The profitability of such a business

The advantage of a radish business is that you grow the product on your own plot, and such products are not subject to tax. If things go well and you register as an individual entrepreneur, you will be able not only to trade on your own, but also to supply vegetables to stores.

Advice. When registering, indicate your field of activity – agricultural production. Such entrepreneurs enjoy government support.

Approximate calculation of profit from a plot of 100 m²:

1. A bunch of radishes contains from 15 to 25 roots (depending on size).
2. Two such bundles are approximately 1 kg.
3. Up to 125 vegetables can be placed per 1 m².
4. Approximately 12,500 root crops can be grown on the entire area (if we take into account that the germination rate is 90-95%, this results in 11,250 root crops).
5. The approximate number of bunches from the resulting number of root crops is 450.
6. The average price of a bunch of radishes is 45 rubles. The cost of potentially grown root crops is 20,250 rubles.
7. To calculate the net profit, it remains to subtract from the amount received the costs of seeds, fertilizers and gasoline, and the organization of a heating system for the greenhouse.

Recommendations for maximizing profits:

• increase the vegetable growing area;
• choose varieties with excellent taste;
• to attract new customers, add exotic varieties to the main varieties - for example, white or yellow radishes;
• sell radishes on the eve of the holidays.

Conclusion

Growing radishes for sale is not difficult, but not very profitable either. It makes sense to start doing this business in the south of the country, since in the central and northern regions the heating costs will be too high, and there will simply be no profit. Everything is in your hands: act and you will succeed!