Radish

Short description of the species

Botanical name

Radish

Latin name

Raphanus sativus sk. radicula

Family

Apiaceae

Plant height

flowering stem (2nd year): 1-1.5 m

Exposure

undemanding

Temperature requirement

cold-resistant (shortly to -4 °C)

Keeping

easy

Water requirement

medium; condition, regular irrigation

Soil

light to medium-heavy

Soil pH

6.5 – 7.0

Edible part

bulb

accessibility

Usage

direct consumption – salads, side dish

Growing technology and harvest

Propagation

• generative – direct sowing

Spacing

• 0.10-0.15 x 0.03-0.05 m

• sowing depth = 10-15 mm

Harvest

• 25-60 days from sowing – dependent on cultivar and sowing date

• manual harvest and formation of bunches (10-20 bulbs)

• large-scale producers specialized for radish growing = mechanized harvest

Important dates

Storage 

• temperature = 0-2 °C

• relative air humidity = 90-95%

• storage period in mentioned conditions = 4-7 days

Use 

• direct consumption – salads, side dish

Diseases and pests 

• damage in connection to un-suitable growing technology: cracking or sponginess of bulbs (irregular irrigation), woodening and higher pungency of bulbs (dryness)

• the most dangerous disease: clubroot (Plasmodiophora brasssicae) – incorrect crop rotation

• fungus diseases: Alternaria leaf spottiness (Alternaria brassicicola, A. brassicae), Phoma rottiness (Leptosphaeria maculans), white rust (Albugo candida), downy mildew (Hyaloperonospora parasitica)

• pests: cabbage root fly (Delia radicum), cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae), flea-beetles (Phyllotreta spp.), white butterfly (Pieris brassicae, Pieris rape)