Content
Planting radishes in egg cells is a new method of growing crops that has many advantages over the standard method. This early root vegetable is a favorite vegetable for many gardeners, but not everyone decides to grow it, arguing that it is difficult to prepare the soil after the radish for planting other plants. However, a solution has been found: the procedure can be simplified by growing a culture in egg cells.
Advantages of growing radish in egg cassettes
Growing radishes in egg trays has many benefits:
- saving planting material;
- convenience of sowing small radish seeds in separate cells;
- no weeds;
- seedlings do not need thinning;
- it is not necessary to mulch and loosen the soil later.
Preparing the beds
Radishes should not be placed in areas with high groundwater levels; excess moisture can cause root crops to crack. The soil for radishes should be fertile, sandy loam or loamy, neutral or slightly acidic. The soil must also contain at least 3% humus.
The place for the beds must be dug to the depth of the bayonet of the shovel, and then level the ground with a rake. During digging, the soil should be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. For 1 sq. m will require:
- 5 - 6 kg of humus;
- 30 g double granular superphosphate;
- 30 g of potassium sulfate.
Planting radishes in egg cells
Even a beginner can handle planting radishes in egg trays. However, in order to get an early and rich harvest, you need to familiarize yourself with some rules.
Preparing seeds and egg trays
First of all, you need to start preparing the egg cassettes. They need special treatment, because in some cases, chickens can be carriers of salmonellosis: the causative agents of this dangerous disease for humans, along with bird droppings, fall on the eggshell. In order not to infect the land for planting radishes through contact with egg cassettes, they are wiped with alcohol or heated in an oven at a temperature of 70 degrees.
After processing from the underside of each cassette, it is necessary to cut off the tops of the cells using a sharp office knife or scissors. The result should be through holes, with which the cassettes should be directed downward when placed on the ground.
In the case when using personally collected radish seeds, it is recommended to treat them with "Tiram" before planting. Treatment with this preparation will further protect the radish planted in egg cells from the formation of root rot. Store-bought seeds usually do not require processing, since it has already been done by the producers. If desired, the seeds can be germinated before sowing by soaking in warm water for 12-16 hours.
How to sow radishes in egg cells
The best time for planting is the spring season. The beginning of spring is more preferable, but, first of all, it is necessary to build on the climatic conditions.Seeds begin to germinate in temperatures from 3 degrees Celsius.
The main rule of sowing radish seeds in egg cassettes is that each seed must be lowered into a separate cell. Radish seeds have almost 100% germination, therefore, if you plant several pieces in one cell, then the seedlings will have to be thinned out, thereby harming the root system.
Algorithm for sowing radish into egg cells:
- Lay out the prepared egg cells in the selected area, pressing them into the ground so that the earth begins to protrude slightly from the holes. This avoids a gap between the soil and the cassettes, into which the seeds can fall.
- Secure the cassettes with ordinary wire staples so that they are not blown away by the wind.
- Sort the seeds by removing all debris. Choose the largest ones. Put one seed in each cell, sprinkle with river sand.
- Water abundantly.
Egg cells are sprinkled with sand, not earth, since sand has several advantages: it does not form a crust after drying, and during harvesting it is enough to simply shake it off, and the roots will become clean.
You can plant radishes in egg cells in another way:
- Dig up and then loosen the earth by adding crushed eggshells and ash while digging.
- Place prepared egg cells on the bed.
- Pour water over the cells until they are soaked.
- Pour a little humus on the bottom of the cells.
- Arrange seeds and sprinkle with a small layer of soil.
- Drizzle.
- Sprinkle again with soil mixed with humus, then water again.
After sowing the seeds, the bed must be covered with foil until the first shoots appear, remembering to regularly ventilate. Typically, seeds begin to germinate and actively sprout after about a week.
How to grow radishes in egg trays
The subsequent care of radishes in egg cassettes is quite simple. The optimum air temperature for this culture is from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. Young plants will be able to withstand short-term cold snaps up to 3 degrees of frost, but with prolonged frosts, they will die.
It is important to remember that, like all root crops, radishes prefer moist soil (the recommended soil moisture level is 60 - 70%) and do not tolerate drought. If the soil is not sufficiently moistened, the roots will grow small, and their skin will become dense and rough. In case of waterlogging, the foliage will begin to turn yellow, and cracks will form on the root crops.
Radishes growing in egg cassettes are best watered daily, in small portions of water. Otherwise, the surface layer of the soil mixture may dry out. The optimal time for watering is in the evening after sunset. When watering, you should always be guided by the air temperature and the amount of precipitation. In case of cold snaps, the frequency of watering should be reduced to three times a week.
Radish in egg trays can be watered in another way:
- 2 - 3 times a week - during drought and heat;
- Once a week - in rainy weather.
The water consumption in this case, on average, should be about 10 liters per 1 sq. m.
If the soil has been well fertilized before planting, then additional fertilizing is not required, they can provoke the accumulation of nitrates in root crops. Root crops planted in sand do not need to be loosened, since after watering, a crust does not form on it.The earthen soil is periodically loosened, it should also be mulched with a layer of peat or humus to prevent excessive evaporation of moisture.
The ripening period for root crops is about 30 days.
Pests and diseases
Of the pests, radishes are mainly threatened by cruciferous fleas. You can get rid of them with the help of ash, infusion of tansy, a solution of soapy water or dusting with tobacco dust.
In addition to cruciferous flea beetles, root vegetables can be attacked by various beetles, butterflies and slugs. As folk remedies for repelling pests, fertilizer from slurry and spraying plants with tincture of datura or henbane are used.
Conclusion
Planting radishes in egg cells greatly facilitates the process of growing a crop, thanks to which this method is gaining more and more popularity. The technology contributes to obtaining a rich, high-quality crop, which, during growth, nothing can hinder or harm. At the same time, it only becomes easier to harvest, it is just enough to easily pull the tops - and the root crops will leave the egg cells without much effort.
