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Often, when planting a crop such as radishes, gardeners are faced with a problem when, instead of forming a juicy, crunchy root crop, the plant throws out a long shoot - an arrow. In this case, there is no need to wait for a harvest; the hard, elongated root of such a radish is not suitable for eating. There may be several reasons why radishes go to the shoot, instead of planting a full-fledged root crop.
What radishes don't like
Radishes are a wonderful vegetable; they are one of the first to appear on gardeners’ tables in the new season. Many consider it extremely unpretentious and treat it according to the principle of “planted and ok”, hoping that the plant will produce a harvest without any care. However, it is not. Although the plant does not require care, you should not wait for a good harvest, relying only on the fertility of the soil and good weather.
Radishes do not like extremes. Both too cold and too hot weather are undesirable for him. Therefore, it is not grown in summer.You can plant radishes quite early. It is recommended to sow seeds when the soil warms up to + 3-5 °C, but for normal growth a temperature of at least + 8-10 °C is needed, and for the formation of root crops - at least + 18 °C. Deviations from these conditions negatively affect the growth and yield of radishes.
In addition to ambient temperature, radishes are sensitive to soil moisture. Moreover, both an excess of moisture and a lack of it can have a negative impact on crops. Too dense planting also negatively affects the quality of the crop.
Why radishes shoot and what to do
The reasons for radish bolting can be very different. Most often this happens due to the following violations of agricultural technology rules:
- Poor quality or inappropriate planting material for the climatic conditions of the region.
- Disturbances during landing.
- Incorrect care.
- Disease or appearance of pests on plantings.
Poor quality planting material
The likelihood that radishes will go into arrows directly depends on the quality of the planting material. It is advisable to select only the largest seeds for planting. Planting material that has expired should not be used.
Incorrect variety selected
When choosing seeds, you should pay attention to the region for which the radish variety is zoned. Often this discrepancy leads to the bush releasing an arrow. The plant simply cannot adapt to the conditions of a different climate that is not suitable for it, and in this case the biological defense mechanism is triggered. Radishes begin not to plant roots, but to spend all their energy on bolting, flowering and further growing and ripening seeds.
Violation of landing rules
Violation of planting rules is one of the most likely reasons why radishes go to the arrow. Most often this is due to non-compliance with the timing of planting seeds. If you sow radishes too late, for example, at the end of May or early June, then too long daylight hours will inevitably lead to the fact that the radishes will shoot out and begin to bloom. This culture loves open sunny areas, but excess sunlight affects it in the same way as its lack. When planted in the shade, radishes will grow poorly and are more likely to shoot arrows.
The composition of the soil on which this crop grows is also important. The soil should be loose, breathable and well moistened. Hard clay soil provokes bolting.
Planting density
Radishes often go into arrows when planted too tightly. This plant is usually sown in rows, but after germination it is necessary to calibrate and thin out the plantings, removing the weakest plants and ensuring normal spacing between neighboring bushes. Too frequent planting will inevitably lead to competition between neighboring plants, and this, in turn, can trigger the biological defense mechanism already mentioned above, which provokes bolting.
Violation of the watering schedule
Radish is a moisture-loving plant and responds very well to watering. With a lack of moisture, the likelihood of bolting increases significantly, and the quality of the root crops themselves deteriorates.A lack of water causes the internal structure of the root vegetable to become cotton-like, and the taste becomes harsh and bitter. Therefore, the beds must be moistened moderately but regularly. The normal frequency of watering radishes is 3-4 times a week. If the weather is dry, plants need to be watered daily, in the evening. It is necessary to strive to ensure that the soil is moistened to 15-20 cm; at this depth all the roots of the plant are located, helping to form the root crop.
Excess or deficiency of nutrients
A lack of nutrients in the soil or an excess of them can lead to bolting of radishes. In particular, an excess of nitrogen fertilizers can provoke uncontrolled growth of green mass, while the underground part of the plant remains undeveloped. For this reason, fresh manure, which greatly enriches the soil with nitrogen, is not applied to the radishes. This plant has a very short growing season, so all fertilizers must be either dissolved in water or applied in advance, optimally in the fall, along with digging up the site. Foliar feeding with complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizers is also allowed.
Pests and diseases
Pests and diseases appear on radishes infrequently. This is due to the short ripening period of this crop; by the time of harvest, many insects have not even appeared on the surface of the earth after hibernation. However, indirectly, diseases and pests can cause bolting of radishes. When the first signs of infection appear, diseased plants must be removed and the plantings and soil treated with fungicide solutions.
Why do radishes go into the tops?
Strong growth of radish tops instead of laying full-fledged root crops usually indicates an excess of nitrogen in the soil. For this reason, nitrogen-containing fertilizers must be applied with great care in the spring. When grown in a greenhouse, excessive temperature and humidity can cause excessive green growth or shoots. In such conditions, plants begin to “get fat”, increasing the above-ground part to the detriment of the underground part. The normal temperature for growing radishes is + 20-22 °C.
An additional factor that has a direct impact on the growth of green mass and increases the likelihood of flowering will be too long daylight hours. To avoid negative consequences, the period of illumination is artificially limited to 12 hours a day. This is quite enough for the plants to feel normal. You can shade radishes using black plastic film.
What to do to prevent radishes from going into the shoots or tops
Summarizing the above, we can say that in order to obtain a good harvest of radishes and avoid bolting, it is necessary to carry out a number of mandatory measures in advance. The complete algorithm may look like this:
- Seed selection and calibration. It is necessary to purchase in advance planting material suitable for cultivation in the specific conditions of a given region and suitable for ripening periods. You definitely need to pay attention to the shelf life of seeds; for radishes it is no more than 5 years. Seeds need to be rejected and calibrated, removing small ones that are affected by pests or diseases, as well as those with mechanical damage.
- Preparing the landing site.You need to choose a well-lit place where suitable predecessors grew before the radishes, with loose, fertile soil. It is advisable to dig up the area in the fall.
- Planting and care. Carry out the landing, observing the established deadlines. Before emergence, the beds can be covered with plastic film to prevent hypothermia. After emergence, it is necessary to thin out and calibrate the plants, removing weak shoots and ensuring normal spacing between adjacent shoots. During cultivation, it is necessary to regularly water the radishes moderately and loosen the soil. Fertilizers should be applied in moderation, especially those containing nitrogen.
- When grown in a greenhouse, the length of daylight should be artificially limited, and it is also advisable not to allow the temperature to rise above + 22 °C.
It should be noted that some radish varieties have a predisposition to bolting. Therefore, before purchasing seeds, you should pay attention to this quality. If a gardener cannot fully follow all the recommendations for caring for crops, then it is better to give preference to varieties that do not have such a tendency. Varieties that grow into arrows relatively rarely include, for example, Heat, Early Red, Ruby, Ice Icicle.
Conclusion
Radishes go to waste most often due to a combination of factors, and not for one specific reason. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze all possible options, check the conditions in which planting was carried out, determine the adequacy of plant care measures, select and experiment with seed material. This will help determine the optimal conditions and choose the appropriate radish variety for yourself so that cases of sprouting are rare.
