Why radishes go into color and how to grow them to prevent the problem

Radish is an unpretentious crop. But like all garden plants, it has its own growing characteristics. Radishes may be bitter or not grow. Sometimes, instead of forming root crops, it goes into flower, leaving the summer resident without a harvest.

Why the root crop does not form and how to deal with radish bloom will be discussed in detail in this article.

Why do radishes fade into color, into the tops or shoots?

Radishes are considered a long-day crop. To form a root crop, they need at least 13 hours of daylight., if there is less light, the growth of the ground mass begins to accelerate, and the plant begins to bloom.

Although radishes are considered an easy crop to grow, if you sow seeds in unfavorable conditions, it will not produce a harvest. The culture does not like too cold and too hot temperatures, the optimal temperature for planting is +5...+10°C, for growing +15...+18°C.

Why doesn't the fruit set?

There are several reasons why radishes go into arrows and fruit formation does not occur or slows down:

1. Poor choice of sowing dates. Radishes are sown in late March - early April, when daylight is still short and the temperature does not exceed +20°C.
2. Wrong soil or growing area. Radishes grow well in loose sandy loam soils. Does not like heavy soils.
3. Insufficient watering during the growing process. The culture is considered moisture-loving. It is recommended to water radishes every 2 days.
4. Sowing seeds too thick. To ensure that the root crops have enough nutrients during the growing process, the seeds are sown at a distance of 5 cm from each other.

Possible causes of problems

Optimal conditions for growing radishes – neutral sandy loam, moderately moist soils, temperature +15...+18°C, sufficient level of oxygen and minerals in the soil. The reasons that root crops do not form are violations of the agricultural technology for growing radishes and errors made during sowing.

It can be useful:

Choosing the best fertilizer for radishes

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Review of the best radish varieties

Lack of moisture

The plant is moisture-loving. When sowing, the seeds are placed in moist soil and lightly compacted to increase the area of ​​contact between the seeds and the moist soil.

After sowing, water once every 1-2 days, then once every 2-3 days.. It's better to do this in the evening. The roots grow up to 30 cm deep, so you need to water not only often, but also abundantly so that the soil is moistened to the required depth. If there is not enough water, the root crops do not receive the moisture they need for growth, and the plant devotes all its strength to growing tops and goes into the shoot.

Important! Radishes are grown in sunny areas, well protected from the wind.

Lack of light

Radishes are sensitive to light. In case of insufficient light, instead of a round root vegetable an elongated one grows and soon an arrow forms. Excess light also makes it difficult for root crops to form. Therefore, it is recommended to sow radishes in early spring - early autumn, when daylight hours last no more than 10 hours.

Helpful advice! When growing root crops in summer, the beds are shaded.

Late sowing

Late sowing of radishes leads to an excess of heat and light for the culture, due to which the root crop will not form and will release the arrow. The best sowing dates are late March - early April and late July - August. Under such conditions, daylight hours are still short, and the air temperature does not exceed +20°C.

Fertilizer Error

On soils poor in nutrients, root crops will not set. But an excess of nutrients also harms the formation of radishes.

Excess nitrogen fertilizers provokes a massive increase in green mass, while root crops do not develop. It is recommended to apply organic fertilizers a year before sowing the crop. Foliar feeding with complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizers is also allowed.

Important! The soil should be fertilized, but without excess nitrogen.

Dense planting

Another reason for poor radish yield is planting density. In order for the root crop to grow to varietal size, the seedlings must have enough space to develop. To do this, at the sowing stage, the seeds should be placed at a distance of 5 cm from each other.

If the variety is chosen incorrectly, the crop does not adapt to the growing conditions and produces an arrow.

A poor quality harvest depends on the planting material. Carefully read the production date on the package; do not plant seeds that have expired. Pay attention to the size of the seeds - try to select only large and even ones.

Reference. Plants are more likely to bolt if old and small seeds were used during sowing.

What to do

To prevent radishes from going to waste, follow the rules:

1. Site selection and soil preparation. Choose a well-lit area with loose, nutrient-rich soil. It is advisable to prepare the soil in the fall and apply fertilizer at the same time.
2. Variety selection. Select and prepare seeds for sowing in advance. When choosing a variety, pay attention to the regionalization and shelf life of the seeds. When sowing, remove all small and diseased seeds.
3. Sowing and care. When sowing, follow the established deadlines. The bed can be covered with film to prevent hypothermia. After the first shoots appear, regularly water and loosen the plants.
4. When growing radishes in a greenhouse Constantly ventilate the room. Do not allow the temperature to exceed 22°C, regulate the duration of daylight hours.

Read also:

What is good about the Cherriet radish hybrid?

Early maturing and popular Sora radish

How to grow radishes so they don't fade

The agricultural technology for growing radishes is as follows:

1. Predecessor selection. Radishes belong to the cabbage family, so any crop not from this family is suitable as a predecessor.
2. Site preparation. They begin to prepare the soil for sowing radishes in the fall. Apply organic fertilizers at the rate of 3-5 kg ​​per 1 m². In spring, superphosphate and potash fertilizers are applied. If the site is dominated by heavy clay soils, add sand and dig again in the spring.
3. Preparing seeds for sowing. It is important to calibrate the seeds before sowing. Use seeds with a diameter of at least 2.5 mm.
4. Sowing is carried out in a row manner. The distance between seeds is at least 5 cm. You can use the belt sowing method. To do this, glue is applied to a 5 cm wide tape and the seeds are placed on it at the recommended distance, then the tape is laid in a row and lightly sprinkled with earth. Sow in moist soil in early spring.
5. Crop care. Includes regular watering, especially in hot weather. If the seedlings have sprouted densely, thin them out.Feeding is not advisable. As daylight hours increase, radishes are shaded with film. Regularly weed and loosen the soil.
6. The harvest is being collected 18-45 days after sowing. Harvesting time depends on the variety.

How to prevent the abundance of tops

To prevent an abundance of green mass growth radish, recommended:

• choose the right predecessor;
• plant crops in loose soils;
• do not grow radishes from small seeds;
• do not sow radishes too thickly;
• water in a timely manner;
• regulate the amount of light and heat.

Why are radishes bitter?

Radish has a bitter taste in the following situations:

• lack of moisture - root vegetables begin to taste bitter if watering is uneven and irregular;
• overripening of fruits - if root crops are not removed in time, they become coarse, crack, dry out from the inside and acquire a bitter taste;
• overgrowing of beds with weeds;
• dense plantings;
• lack of oxygen.

What to do

To obtain juicy root vegetables with a pleasant pungency in taste that does not turn into bitterness, it is necessary to provide plants with high-quality and regular care:

1. Thin out. Be sure to thin out the seedlings, leaving 3-5 cm between seedlings, otherwise the harvest will be bitter, fibrous, dry and inedible.
2. Water. The root crop requires regular watering, especially in hot weather. Without watering, it cracks and begins to taste bitter.
3. Weed. Weeds deprive seedlings of water, light and nutrition.
4. Loosen. After each rain and watering, loosen the rows, otherwise the soil will become crusty and the roots will not receive enough oxygen for normal development.
5. Avoid overripening. Harvest the ripe crop in several stages, without leaving mature roots in the ground.

Advice from experienced farmers

So that when growing radishes do not go to the arrow, experienced farmers recommend:

• choose varieties that are resistant to flowering;
• use purchased seeds from trusted manufacturers;
• plant radishes in soil with a neutral reaction, loose and moisture-absorbing;
• do not plant densely, thin out crops;
• do not sow radishes deeper than 2 cm;
• water moderately;
• mulch the plantings with dry peat or humus.

Many summer residents prefer radish varieties Zhara, Zarya, Soro, choosing according to photos and characteristics of the fruits on the packages.

The main pest of radishes is the cruciferous flea beetle.. To combat it, it is recommended to cover the crops with the thinnest covering material and keep it there until 2-4 rough leaves appear. The covering material does not interfere with the development of the plant, but flea beetles cannot reach it.

Conclusion

When growing, radishes most often go into color due to a combination of factors, and not for one specific reason. To prevent this from happening, pay attention to the growing conditions of the crop, proper care of the plants, and experiment with seed material. By creating optimal conditions for the plant, you will get a rich harvest.