Many gardeners doubt that growing radishes on the balcony is possible. In fact, experiments have been repeatedly carried out to prove the expediency of the experiment. To get a decent harvest, adhere to important agrotechnical requirements that differ from the rules for growing vegetables in the open field or greenhouse conditions.
Preparing for landing
You can grow radishes on a balcony or windowsill at any time of the year, but the second half of December - February and subsequent months is considered the best period.
Which varieties are suitable for growing on the balcony?
To get the harvest more often and faster, you need to choose the right variety. Radish is divided into types depending on the size of root crops, shape, color and ripening period. It is the last factor that should be fundamental when choosing a radish variety for growing at home.
Radish is early maturing, medium and late. The last two types are impractical to plant, but the early varieties are considered the best option. Usually early ripening plants grow in 20-30 days, so several crops can be harvested before summer.
Experts recommend giving preference to the following varieties:
- Diego - hybrid species, growing in diameter up to 5 cm. Ripens in 20-25 days, withstands low temperatures, remains crispy and juicy for a long time.
- 16 days - the earliest variety with large fruits. The maximum ripening period is 18 days, the color of the fruit is bright red. Feature - collect no later than the specified time. Otherwise, rigidity is formed.
- Champion - ripens about a month after sowing the seed. Feature - the absence of voids inside.
- Deck - You can harvest after 30 days. A characteristic difference is small fruits (3 cm) of a raspberry hue.
- French breakfast. The ripening period is 20-25 days, the color of the root crop is pink, the structure is tender, crispy.
- Carmen. The ripening period is identical to the previous one, the shade of the fruit is deep red, the taste is spicy.
- Double The average ripening period is 20 days, the color of the roots is red. Feature - no voids, resistance to cold.
- Queen of the market - early maturing (17-18 days) of red color.
The necessary conditions
When cultivating radishes on a balcony or windowsill, the most difficult procedure is maintaining the optimal temperature, especially in early spring when the weather changes dramatically. The following conditions are necessary for culture:
- Immediately after sowing, the air temperature should be about 20 degrees.
- After the formation of full sprouts with 3 leaves - from +12 to +16 degrees. It is undesirable to raise higher, since young seedlings will begin to stretch, curving.
- As the fruit forms, the temperature rises by 2 degrees.
- The night temperature regime can be at least +8 degrees.
- To make the seedlings easier to adapt to the balcony conditions, they are hardened after germination of seedlings by 2-3 cm. To do this, you need to open the film daily for several hours, after which you can leave without shelter for 3 days.
- With a short daylight hours (until the end of January), plants are provided with additional lighting - phyto- or fluorescent lamps are installed. If this is not done, root crops do not form or grow too small. Lighting time is 12-14 hours.
- In winter, the optimal location of the balcony is the south side, in the spring - east and west.
- It is forbidden to install artificial beds near heating devices that dry out the air. This negatively affects the growth and structure of the fruit.
- In spring and summer, if direct sunlight falls on the balcony, the radishes are shaded.
How to choose and prepare seeds?
If you purchase planting material in a specialized store, then special preparatory measures are not required. The only digression is seed germination if desired.
If the seeds are bought from hands or taken from your own garden, carry out the following manipulations:
- Carefully examine the grains for stains, mold, and plaque unusual for radish. To determine the level of germination and detect hollow elements, place the seeds in warm water for 3-4 hours. During this time, healthy grains will settle to the bottom, the rest will have to be thrown out.
- To accelerate the growth of plants, the planting material is heated and disinfected. Both procedures can be combined. To do this, prepare a hot solution of water (200 ml) and baking soda (1 tsp), place the selected grains in boiling water for half an hour.
- You can disinfect the seeds with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, holding the grain in it for 20 minutes.
- Before planting, the planting material is washed with running water and immediately planted.
To speed up germination, seeds can be placed in a damp cloth for pecking. The time of the procedure depends on the quality of the seed material - sometimes 12 hours is enough.
Which container is right?
Any container is suitable for growing radishes - flower pots, peat glasses, boxes, plastic containers. The main thing is that their height is at least 15 cm. If pots are used, then 1-2 radishes are grown in each. This option is not very convenient, as it takes up a lot of space on the balcony.
The best option is a special container with cells, which has a lot of advantages: it takes up little space, each root crop has a separate compartment, so that no infection occurs in case of plant disease.
A mandatory requirement is the holes on the sides and at the bottom, which provides oxygen access. Place trays under the containers to drain the liquid. Treat the container with an antiseptic solution before use.
Soil preparation
Radish, like any vegetable, loves fertile soil rich in nutrients. It can be purchased at the store - the substrate is called Universal. If this is not possible, prepare the mixture yourself. What you need:
- garden soil - 2 parts;
- peat - 1 part;
- coarse sand - 1 part;
- humus or compost - 3-4 parts.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and heat in the oven for 10-20 minutes, which will destroy the larvae of pests.
Planting seeds
Seed material is planted in the following sequence:
- At the bottom of the container, it is advisable to lay a small layer of expanded clay stones. Then pour the prepared substrate about half the height of the box. Sprinkle immediately with plenty of water, leave until completely absorbed for 1-2 hours.
- Add soil mixture to the top, moisten again, but not much.
- Make grooves or holes, the depth of which is 1.5-2 cm. The distance between plants should be at least 10-15 cm.
- Deepen the seeds by 2-3 units in one place, cover the containers with plastic wrap, glass, and a lid.
- After about 4-5 days, the shelter is removed, as sprouts appear.
Do not plant seeds too close to each other - root crops will lack nutrients and oxygen, which will cause them to grow small.
You can see how to select and plant seeds in egg trays for growing on the balcony in the following video:
Care
Agrotechnical requirements for growing radishes at home (on the balcony):
- Since the light in the balcony room is located only on one side, it is recommended to periodically turn the container with seedlings to the window with the other side, so that all vegetables will grow evenly.
- In the first 12-15 days after planting, loosen the soil for oxygen.
- If in winter the air temperature on the balcony drops below + 2-0 degrees, be sure to cover the culture with plastic wrap.
- After sprouting, carry out the thinning procedure, leaving 1 seed - the strongest and most viable. When tearing sprouts, proceed carefully so as not to damage a healthy seedling.
- Radish is very sensitive to light, so it should be illuminated for a maximum of 14 hours, but no more. Otherwise, arrowing and flowering will begin, due to which the growth of root crops will stop. To prevent this, vegetables with a long daylight hours in the evening are covered with dark material. When it gets dark, they take it off.
Watering
Radish loves moisture, so water it regularly. You cannot overdo it in this matter, as this will lead to rotting of the fruit.
The soil should be moist all the time, not oozing. During the period of seedling growth, water to a depth of 7-8 cm. When root crops appear, more water will be required, since the depth of moisture increases by 2 times.
Water should have room temperature, be settled. To do this, take the liquid from the tap in a container, leave it in the room for 3-4 days with the lid open, which will allow the harmful substances to evaporate.
Top dressing
Fertilizers are applied during the irrigation of radishes. The vegetable is considered unpretentious in terms of feeding, but to increase yields, it is recommended to fertilize in this way:
- After the formation of the sprouts, after about 7-8 days, add mineral-organic substances. 5 liters of water will require 2.5 liters of slurry, 2.5 g of potassium salt and 3.5 g of superphosphate.
- The second dressing of radishes is carried out a couple of weeks before the date of collection of root crops. Potassium salt diluted with water is used (for 5 l of liquid - 10 g of substance).
- Additionally, you can add wood ash by pouring it under the root.
- If the tops grow abundantly, and the fruits remain small, add a mixture of 5 liters of water, 100 g of wood ash, 10 g of potassium sulfate and 20 g of superphosphate.
- When the leaves turn pale, nitrogen is required: for 5 liters of water - 0.5 tsp. urea.
Thinning seedlings and hardening
Thinning is carried out after the formation of the first 2 leaves, which should be fully formed. And hardening is necessary to increase the immunity of plants in case there is a sudden cooling.
It is necessary to harden seedlings after the appearance of sprouts. To do this, reduce the air temperature to 8-10 degrees for 3-4 days (in the daytime).
Harvesting
Radish is harvested as it ripens (each variety has its own timing). To determine if the root crop is ready, you need to dig out the vegetable a little near the head to determine the size (depending on the variety, it can be different).
Timing
Harvesting is carried out in a period of maximum 5 days, otherwise the fruits will begin to crack and become stiff. It is important to harvest a ripe harvest on time determined by the variety value (some fruits ripen after 18 days, others require a month).
The best way to determine when to harvest is to take a close look at the roots. If they appeared above the surface of the earth, then it is already possible to collect them.
Collection rules
How to properly pull radish out of the ground:
- loosen the earth slightly;
- pull the tops;
- remove the root vegetable.
How to store radishes?
The shelf life of radishes depends on the variety - on average, it is a week. If you plant a lot of radish on the balcony, then it is unlikely to eat it for several days, so you can use the tricks of storing the vegetable.
At room temperature in the open air, roots wither, so a refrigerator or basement is used.
In the cellar:
- Prepare a wooden box - treat with an antiseptic (manganese solution).
- From the radish, tear off the tops so that there are 2-3 cm tails.
- Do not wash the vegetable, but simply dry it for 3 hours.
- At the bottom of the container, lay moistened river sand (can be replaced with sawdust) up to 3 cm high.
- Lay a layer of radish, still sand on top, but so that the root crops are completely covered.
- So proceed until the box is full. Shelf life - 1-3 months, depending on the type of vegetable.
In the refrigerator, radishes can be stored dry and wet:
- Prepare the fruit by cutting off the green mass. Be sure to leave the root. Take a thick plastic bag, moisten it from the inside and make a few holes. Place the radishes, tie a bag. Shelf life is 10 days.
- Pour boiled water into a glass jar, rinse the cut radishes. Put the vegetables in a container, cover with a lid. Shelf life - 1-2 months, change water every 5 days. The storage method is convenient, but there is a significant disadvantage - the level of nutrients decreases.
- Moisten the bag, lay the radish together with the tops, which should be located at the "entrance". The bag is not tied, the tops are periodically sprinkled with water. Shelf life is 6-7 days.
Growing radishes on your own balcony, you can feast on vegetables almost all year round. This is especially true in winter and spring, when there is a lack of vitamins in the body. Choose the right variety, care for the crop and surprise guests with a fresh vegetable.
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Russia. City: Zheleznogorsk
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