All about growing daikon radish outdoors

When to plant

The timing of planting depends directly on your climate zone and the length of daylight. It's important to ensure that daylight hours don't exceed 15 hours during root formation. If this rule isn't followed, daikon grown outdoors is susceptible to early bolting. If you're planting pre-grown seedlings, the air temperature shouldn't drop below 10°C.

How to choose soil

This type of radish can grow in almost any garden – the crop is not particularly capricious. However, it's still better if the soil is light, neutral, and has deep soil moisture. The bed for spring planting is traditionally prepared in the fall. The soil is dug over and fertilized with humus, potassium sulfate, and superphosphate. A bountiful harvest will be achieved if grown in a spot previously occupied by cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, beets, or carrots.

Step-by-step instructions

Daikon is grown outdoors using the following planting pattern: keep the distance between holes within a row at 30 cm, and between rows at 60 cm. The seedlings are planted in moist soil, lightly compacted, and a layer of protective mulch can be added. If the threat of light frosts has not completely passed, be sure to cover the radish beds with a protective layer.

Seeds

It's best to start growing daikon from seed in July – this is the optimal time for daylight hours to promote root development rather than foliage growth. In the Moscow region, you can sow elephant tusk radish even in August – the harvest will be delayed, but the seedlings will need to be regularly covered when temperatures drop below 10°C. Earlier sowing is advisable if you plan to grow the crop for seed.

Seedlings

To ensure better establishment and rapid growth, try sowing the seeds in individual peat pots rather than in a common container. Place the seeds 1–2 cm into the soil and moisten them well. Cover the pots with plastic and place them in a warm, dark place. The first shoots will appear in about a week; at this point, move the seedlings to a bright location. About two weeks before planting, harden off the seedlings by placing them outdoors for short periods. The seedlings can be transplanted into the garden bed once they have two pairs of true leaves.

Planting before winter

Daikon is conveniently sown before winter – then the crop can be grown in the same beds from which the harvest has already been collected, and care will only consist of covering the seedlings.

Another advantage of this option is the shorter daylight hours, which minimizes the risk of the crop becoming overfed. However, there is a drawback: the roots may not have enough time to fully grow. Seeds are sown in a standard 30x60 cm pattern, placing several seeds in each moistened hole. After the seedlings emerge, they need to be thinned out to ensure the roots are not crowded.

Care

The crop requires minimal care: radish grows well in open ground, requiring minimal attention from the gardener.

Watering

The soil in the bed containing the plant should be kept slightly moist throughout the growing season. If there's not enough water, the root crop won't develop, and the green foliage may sprout. The roots themselves will be limp, deformed, and bitter. The optimal watering frequency is every 5 days.

Fertilizer

The seedlings should be fed for the first time immediately after thinning, using a weak solution of mullein and urea. After 15 days, a low-nitrogen complex nutrient solution can be used.

Treatment against diseases and pests

The same diseases and insects that affect other cruciferous crops are dangerous for plants. Overwatering can lead to bacterial slime or blackleg.

To ensure healthy seedlings, you need to follow the general growing rules:

• observe crop rotation;
• treat seeds before planting;
• remove weeds.

If signs of disease do appear, you can treat the beds with products such as Planriz or Binoram. Pest control is also helpful: wood ash will help against cabbage flea beetles, hot pepper infusion will get rid of other small bugs, and nearby marigolds will repel flies.

Gardener's Tips

Experienced gardeners advise against using fresh manure as fertilizer for this crop, as this will negatively affect the taste and appearance of the root crop.

Video “Daikon radish”

In this video you will hear useful tips on growing daikon radish.