Tillage Cover Crop Radish

RADISH - for fresh market

CULTURE: Early crops of Champion, Scarlet Globe Forcing and Cherry Belle may be sown in the spring as soon as the soil is workable. Spring frosts or heavy snowfalls after plants have emerged do not usually injure the crop seriously. Sow seed in rows 6-8 in/15-20 cm apart, 0.5 in/13 mm deep @ 2 seeds per in/25 mm. Thin to 1.5 in/4 cm apart. Seed requires 5 days @ 40-70°F/4-21°C to germinate.

MACHINE HARVESTING: Space large plantings in 4-6 in/10-15 cm rows. Using sized seed, space plants @ 12 or 15 plants per ft/31 cm of row. Use larger sized seed (7/64 or 8/64 - 3 mm and up) for early and late plants; 5/64, 6/64 and 7/64 - 2-3 mm for main sowings. Make succession sowings every week through most of the summer (except during the hot dry periods from July 15th - Aug. 15th) Radish is a cool season crop which is adversely affected by hot, dry weather.

HARVEST: Radishes are in prime condition for only a few days harvest. To be mild they must be grown rapidly with plenty of moisture. If growth is checked in any way (through drought etc.) they become hot, tough and pithy. During medium to short day length (spring, early summer and fall), roots are normally well shaped and tops are fairly small. During long days (15 hours - mid summer) roots become misshapen, tops grow longer and usually produce seed stalks. Use short to medium top varieties on black muck soils and medium top types for sandy loam. Cultivate as shallow as possible. Fertilize @ approx. 275 lbs/125 kg of 15-15-15 per acre. Avoid using raw manure or too much fertilizer: it encourages attacks of root maggots. Long rooted types such as White Icicle must be grown in deeply roto-tilled sandy land just like carrots.