Description
Tillage radish – are one of the varieties of the radish family, with a massive, rather long root (about 45-60 cm long, up to 6 cm thick). Some varieties are quite tasty and can be used for food or animal feed, but in our region it is often grown as a catch crop, sowing in August. If the sowing is early, or the autumn weather is very warm, these radishes can release inflorescences, which is not desirable, because at that time the plants do not grow such a large root. In the fall, the foliage that has grown overshadows the weeds, and the roots store nutrients. Root radishes that freeze over the winter leave readily available nutrients in the arable layer. Their decaying roots leave a loose soil rich in organic matter.
Use: as catch crops left over the winter, the roots can be used for human consumption, and the foliage and roots can be used for animal feed as needed.
Cultivation features: radishes are undemanding to the soil, they grow well in loamy, loamy soil, even in weakly acidic sands. When growing seeds or fodder, more fertile fields should be selected. Sown as in summer, at the beginning of May. It is not afraid of frost, so it can be sown early and already in the second half of July it can be used for green fodder or as green manure, in time to sow winter crops after them. When grown as a catch crop or as a cover crop, radish is sown after the main plant has been removed. Its mass can be inserted in autumn (before flowering) and left until spring to protect the soil from erosion and leaching of nutrients. Suitable soils are loam, clay and sand, their pH can be slightly acidic, around 5.5-6.8. It is recommended not to sow too early, so that the radishes do not bloom. The most suitable air temperature for germination and root growth is between 10 and 18 degrees average air temperature.
