Radish is a hardy root vegetable, which you can easily grow. You can plant it several times during its growing season. What is even better about radish is that you can harvest it in just three weeks after you have planted it. When planning to grow this root vegetable, take note that you can plant its seeds during the fall and spring.
However, it would be better to suspend growing it during the height of summer, specifically during the time when the temperature is not too hot. The reason is that extremely hot temperatures trigger radishes to bolt, which might make them useless.
It is also crucial to learn about the fertilizer recommendations for radishes, so you can use the best one for their proper and healthy growth.
Choosing the Best Fertilizer for Radishes
One important thing about radish that you should know is that it does not need heavy fertilization in order for it to grow and produce well. As a matter of fact, it is usually enough to add nutrients to the soil prior to the actual planting if you wish to feed these vegetables known for their rapid growth and development. When choosing the best fertilizer for radish, though, it is crucial to assess its NPK ratio first.
NPK Ratio for Radish Fertilizers
Since radishes grow fast, their fertilizer requirements are only minimal. In case you decide to apply commercial-based fertilizers, ensure that you choose one that has low nitrogen content. Note that standard garden fertilizers often hold a set of three numbers – each one representing or indicating how much nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium it has based on percentage.
If you are looking for a radish fertilizer, then ensure that you pick one that is low in nitrogen. Check whether the first number in the commercial fertilizer is low as it means that its nitrogen content is also low. If the numbers indicated are 20-10-5, then avoid this fertilizer as much as possible as it means that the nitrogen percentage is higher than what the radish can safely handle.
Best Time to Fertilize the Radish
Before buying a fertilizer, it is also crucial to get an idea about the perfect time for you to apply the fertilizer. Basically, you can fertilize this root vegetable in three stages, namely:
- During the preparation of the garden bed – You can apply fertilizer in the garden beds where you intend to plant your radishes. By properly fertilizing the garden beds beneath the radishes during spring or fall, specifically during the preparation and prior to sowing the seeds, there will be no need to apply fertilizer again. At this specific stage, you can use organic matter as fertilizer. You may also use those that originated from minerals.
- During the start of their growth – You may also fertilize the radish once it starts growing. You can do top dressing once the first seedlings appear but only if you have not applied any fertilizers to the soil before. It would be best to use complex fertilizer instead of simple mineral when you plan to apply one during this stage.
- During the actual growth – You may also apply the appropriate fertilizer directly once the growing season comes. By doing that, you can easily make adjustments to the plant’s development in case you were able to detect some problems.
Conclusion
Radishes tend to grow at a fast pace provided they receive proper care. When fertilizing them, remember that they only have modest requirements as far as nutrients are concerned. That said, be extra careful not to overfeed the radishes to ensure that they will grow as desired.