One of the most frequent problems that gardeners face when growing radishes is the bitterness of its roots. Read about the reasons for this phenomenon, about ways to avoid it and get rid of bitterness later in the article.
Causes of radish bitterness
Possible causes of a bitter radish taste:
- Lack of moisture. Watering occasionally is a direct route to getting a bitter crop.
- Overriding. Having missed the harvest time, in the expectation that the root crops will become larger and tastier, you will receive an unusable vegetable.
- Little light. The culture grows poorly and develops in low light. Having organized a bed in the shade, be prepared to get small, tasteless radishes.
- Crop density and lack of weeding and cultivation. Instead of growing, densely planted and overgrown root crops compete for nutrients, light and moisture. It also negatively affects their taste.
How to grow radishes without bitterness? Correct care
The plant needs care and attention from the gardener, even a couple of misses will reduce all efforts to nothing. Let's consider each agrotechnical technique aimed at achieving the result - growing radish without bitterness.
Thinning
Radish seeds are small, and it is not always possible to plant them at a sufficient distance from each other. Often, after planting, gardeners leave all the seedlings without caring about thinning, but it is a mandatory procedure in the cultivation of radishes.
Follow certain rules:
- Remove the first seedlings 5-6 days after the first germination, leaving an interval of 2 cm between the plants.
- After a month, repeat the procedure. Remove weak plants, keep a distance of 1 cm between root crops.
- Third decimation - this is the beginning of the harvest. Choose large, ripe radishes, allowing the lagging plants to gain strength. Maintain a distance of 3 cm between plants.
In order not to damage the young growth:
- thin out crops after moistening the soil;
- hold the ground around the plant with your fingers;
- after the procedure, loosen and water the beds.
Pinch the sprouted plants if you cannot remove them without damaging the root system of the neighboring ones.
Watering
Spring weather is changeable, but radishes love consistency. If the plant is "thirsty", mustard oil accumulates in it. With abundant watering, it gives the root vegetable a piquant taste, and when moisture comes from time to time, the vegetable will not be able to eat.
When watering the beds with radishes, follow certain rules:
- Moisturize the soil abundantly at all stages of growth plants from sowing to harvest.
- Avoid surface wateringTaking into account the suction capacity of the roots, moisten the soil 30 cm deep.
- Sprinkle with sprinkler, so as not to erode the ground and not expose the roots.
- Moisturize in 2-3 stepsso that moisture is better absorbed and reaches a sufficient depth.
- Use settled water room temperature.
Water the beds with root crops, based on weather conditions:
- in heat and drought - twice a day;
- in a cool season - 2-3 times a week;
- in rainy weather - as needed and the soil dries out.
Moisten the crops abundantly in the morning and evening hours when evaporation is not so active.
Weeding and cultivation
It takes very little time from sowing to harvesting radish, so the weeds do not have time to quickly fill the beds. Remove them as they grow so that the weeds do not take away moisture and nutrients, and the vegetable does not gain bitterness.
Loosening is an obligatory agrotechnical method for obtaining tasty root crops. Do it right:
- start the first processing of the surface layer of the earth before the emergence of shoots, so you will help to sprout shoots together;
- carry out the procedure with caution, to a depth of not more than 3 cm, until the plants have gained strength;
- loosen the soil after each watering to avoid the formation of a soil crust;
- provide air access to the roots to a depth of 5-6 cm after the plants are strong.
Fertilizers
Top dressing indirectly affects the prevention of radish bitterness, as it helps to regulate its growth and proper development. This leads to the formation of large root crops and harvesting in accordance with the declared varietal terms.
If the soil on the site is fertile, or you took care of fertilizing it when planting, do not apply top dressing. It is easy to determine if a radish has enough nutrients by its appearance:
- the powerful development of the leaf part of the plant indicates an excess of nitrogen in the soil;
- pale tops indicate a lack of mineral compounds Na.
To correct the excess nitrogen, apply potash and phosphorus fertilizers within 4-5 days in any of the following ways:
- dilute 40-50 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water, and water the beds;
- Dissolve 1-2 glasses of ash in a bucket of water and apply fertilizer.
In the opposite situation, when nitrogen is in short supply, fertilize the soil with urea at the rate of 1 tsp. on 10 l of water. One feeding is enough for the proper formation of the plant.
Timely harvest
Radish ripens unevenly in the garden. Choose root vegetables that reach technical ripeness, even if they are smaller than stated on the seed package. They will no longer grow, but they will accumulate bitterness.
Ways to remove bitterness from radish
Even if the radish has grown bitter - this is not a reason to throw away the crop. Try one of these tips for removing bitterness from root vegetables:
- Soaking in water with salt. Dissolve in 1 liter of water 1 tbsp. salt and put the peeled, chopped radish there for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
- Scalding with boiling water. Pour over chopped root vegetables with boiling water, and soak for 10 minutes with strong bitterness.
- Using sugar and lemon. If you plan to add radishes to your salad, cut them into cubes, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with a little sugar.
- Salad dressing with sour cream. It masks and partially neutralizes the bitter taste of root vegetables.
Reviews of gardeners
Oleg, 49 years old, gardener, Belarus, Gomel. I noticed that the most important thing in growing radishes without bitterness is watering. On dry days, it is only 4-5 hours to leave the bed without water, as the root crops acquire an unpleasant taste.
Olga, 52 years old, summer resident, Kursk. Radish loves moisture, but too much water is also harmful, then the roots crack. It is very important to thin out the radish in time, otherwise it will be shallow and bitter.
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It will be possible to grow a vitamin-rich, juicy and crunchy vegetable without bitterness by analyzing your mistakes and following agrotechnical recommendations. If the radish has grown bitter, it's okay. Use methods to eliminate bitterness.