Content
Radish is one of the suppliers of the first spring vitamins. Many gardeners are trying to choose seeds of early varieties and hybrids in order to harvest as soon as possible. It is to them that the Rudolph radish variety belongs, which many consider to be a hybrid.
Description
The Rudolph radish variety was created by the Dutch company Bejo Zaden, one of the leaders in the seed production market. Its ripening period is one of the earliest. The crop can be harvested already 16-20 days after germination. In cold weather, this period is slightly extended - up to 25 days. The rounded roots of the Rudolph variety, up to 4 cm in diameter, have a deep red color with shine. Their weight is average - 20-25 g. The taste is very good, rich, the pungency is poorly expressed. The snow-white pulp is juicy.
The bush of the Rudolph variety is low. The leaves do not grow higher than 15 cm. Its yield is high: from each square meter, you can collect up to 2.5 kg of tasty and healthy root crops. The purpose of the Rudolph radish is to obtain early bunch products.
The Rudolph radish variety was included in the State Register in 2002. It is suitable for growing in the spring in the open field and in stationary greenhouses all year round.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages and disadvantages of the Rudolph variety can be summarized in a table.
Dignity | disadvantages |
Early ripeness and friendly return of the harvest | Poorly tolerates lack of moisture |
Evenness of root crops | Does not like an excess of mineral and organic fertilizers, they must be strictly dosed |
Excellent taste |
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High yield |
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Long-term storage and good presentation |
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High immunity to diseases |
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Ability to tolerate low light and color tolerance |
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Seed preparation for sowing
Radish seeds from Bejo Zaden are completely ready for sowing. They are processed with thiram and do not require soaking. On sale there are seeds of the Rudolph variety of domestic producers.
They will have to be prepared as follows:
- calibrate - large seeds will sprout earlier and give a good harvest;
- place in hot water for 15 minutes, its temperature should be 45 degrees;
- wrap in a damp cloth for a day to swell.
Growing features
To place the Rudolph radish, you need to choose a sunny place. Warning! Cruciferous vegetables should not be its predecessors.
The acidity of the soil does not matter much. Radish Rudolph grows well in both slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soil. Soil with a high humus content is best suited for this crop.
In the open field
Sowing pattern 5x15 cm, where the first number is the distance between the seeds, and the second is between the rows.
It is better to cook the garden in the fall, and in the spring just loosen it: radishes can be sown very early. Mineral fertilizers are also introduced since autumn: 20 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate per sq. m.
Seeding Algorithm:
- we make grooves on a loosened bed - on fertile soil no deeper than 2 cm, on lean soil - 4 cm;
- sprinkle a layer of humus 2 cm high on the lean soil;
- sprinkle the grooves with ash and add a little nitrogen fertilizer. Radish of the Rudolph variety poorly tolerates excess nitrogen in the soil, from which the roots become flabby and lose their round shape.
- lay out the seeds at a distance of 5 cm and fill in the grooves;
- if the soil is dry, they should be well shed with water.
You can sow radishes in several times.
- In early spring. In open ground, Rudolph radishes can be sown immediately after the snow melts. To help the soil warm up better, it is covered with a film before sowing.
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Starting at the end of July. At this time, the day becomes shorter, so you can get marketable root crops. With a daylight of more than 12 hours, even the Rudolph radish variety, which is resistant to flowering, can partially produce flower arrows.
- Towards the winter. A bed for winter sowing is prepared in advance by making grooves in it. Sowing is started when the ground is already frozen. The grooves are covered with dry peat or humus. Before winter, the radish of the Rudolph variety is sown only with dry seeds, increasing the seeding rate by 2 times.
Further care consists in thinning, if the seedlings are very dense, loosening the soil and mandatory watering. With a lack of moisture, the root crops of the Rudolph variety will be woody and lose their juiciness.
In the greenhouse
The soil in the greenhouse is prepared in the same way as for open ground, but the sowing time is different. In an unheated greenhouse, you can sow as early as March. And if it is heated, then it is all year round.
To make the most of the limited greenhouse area, the row spacing can be reduced slightly. Caring for a root crop in a greenhouse has its own characteristics:
- crops must be watered regularly, preventing the soil from drying out;
- the air temperature should be regulated by ventilation - it should not be higher than 20 degrees Celsius.
Even in an unheated greenhouse, you can harvest at the end of April.
Growing problems
Despite the short growing season, gardeners often face a problem when growing the Rudolph radish. They can be summarized in a table.
Problem | Cause | What to do |
No shoots | Sowing too early in cold soil - seeds rotted | Warm up the soil before sowing |
There are tops, but no root crops | There is little potassium in the soil, the bed is poorly lit | Plant in a sunny place, add ash when sowing |
Hollow and fibrous roots | Too much nitrogen in the soil, unnecessarily deep planting, late harvest | Water on time, do not deepen crops, harvest root crops in a timely manner |
Plants are shooting | Late or thickened sowing, damage to the root system when loosening, old seeds | Use of fresh seeds, optimal sowing time, thin out, pinching off excess plants |
Diseases and pests
It so happens that even if all the necessary conditions are met, it is not possible to get a crop. And pests or diseases are to blame for this. The table will tell you what they are.
Disease or pest | How it manifests itself and when it hurts | How to fight | Prevention measures |
Blackleg | The root collar darkens and decays | Treatment with a solution of 2 tbsp. spoons of copper sulfate, dissolved in 10 liters of heated water | Pre-sowing heating of seeds |
Blackening of roots | Rot and bluish spots on the roots | Remove diseased plants, disinfect the soil in the greenhouse | Sowing only in light soil without stagnant water |
Powdery mildew false | White bloom on the leaves | Removing diseased plants | Disinfection of seeds |
Phomosis or dry rot | White spots with black dots on all parts of the plant | Proper care and timely weeding | Warming up the seeds |
Cruciferous flea | As soon as the soil warms up to 10 degrees | Fitoverm treatment, dusting with ashes of wet leaves | Spraying with a solution of anti-flea shampoo in dogs, dilute 3 tablespoons in a bucket of water |
Spring vegetable fly | When cherry blossoms | Treatment with Fitoverm or Karbofos | Salt watering - a glass on a bucket |
Caterpillars of Cabbage White | Harm crops in the second half of summer | Spark or Fitoverm treatment | Planting next to marigold radishes |
The leaves of the plant are damaged by a cruciferous flea.
Root rot.
Conclusion
The Rudolph variety is an excellent choice for those who want to get an early harvest of tasty and marketable root crops.
