Radish is often associated with spring, but autumn is just as suitable a season to grow it. More rustic and varied than spring radishes, autumn radishes offer powerful flavors, original colors and good storage. Their cultivation, however, requires special attention: soil preparation, precise sowing, protection against pests and regular watering.

Preparing the bed: the essential step

Before sowing, soil preparation is essential to ensure even emergence and well-developed roots.

  1. Fertilization: apply well-composted chicken manure to enrich the soil. Radishes appreciate well-fed soil but without excess nitrogen, in order to favor the root rather than the foliage.
  2. Soil work: pass the rotary harrow to aerate and refine the soil.
  3. Stale seedbed: cover the bed with a blackout tarp for 15 days. This technique allows weeds to germinate and be destroyed before sowing the radishes, limiting weed competition.

Sowing: precision and regularity

Once the bed is ready, time to sow.

  1. Refining: pass a light rake to level the surface.
  2. Row marking: make straight, parallel lines to optimize space, using old drip irrigation tubes and a market gardener's rake.
  3. Using the JP1 seeder: this tool allows for regular and rapid sowing. Each variety requires specific adjustments to ensure proper seed spacing.

Protecting radishes from insects

Flea beetles and other pests love young radish leaves. To avoid damage, it is essential to install a fine-mesh insect net. Unlike other crops, this is laid flat directly on the bed, without hoops. This direct contact limits insect entry, effectively protects your seedlings and facilitates weeding.

Irrigation: sprinkling rather than drip

Radishes need regular moisture to develop properly. Sprinkling is the preferred method, as it ensures even water distribution over the entire bed. Drip irrigation, on the other hand, is not suitable: it does not cover enough surface area, can cause malformed roots and hinder weeding.

Weeding: keeping control of the soil

Despite the stale seedbed, some weeds will always appear. Mechanical weeding is therefore necessary:

  • Oscillating hoe for the first emergences of unwanted weeds.
  • Bio-discs to maintain inter-rows when the radishes grow.
  • Walking hoe with arm hoe for more precise and ergonomic work.

This regularity in weeding allows the radishes to develop without competition and limits water stress.

The method in video

Discover the market gardener’s rake at Spidplant