Daikon radish growing (Best soil for daikon radishes) – How to grow Japanese white radish
Growing daikon radish in home garden. This is the first time I’m growing daikon radishes, so I’m preparing the soil. The variety of daikon radish I’m growing this season is called 'Aokubi Daikon’. Aokubi Daikon is similar to Minowase Japanese daikon radish.
Daikon radishes (Japanese daikon radish) are available year-round, but if you want to grow daikon in a home garden, I recommend daikon radishes planted in the fall.
Daikon radishes planted in the fall are sown around August to September, and the harvest time is typically around October to December.
This daikon radish is grown towards the cold winter period, so there is less risk of pests, and the chances of cultivation failure are low.
The bed size for growing daikon radishes is about 60cm x 60cm (2 feet x 2 feet). Here, we mix compost and fertilizer to create suitable soil for cultivation.
How to build a daikon radish bed (Best soil for growing daikon radishes)
The basic fertilizer is 1 liter (1 qt) of cattle manure and 100cc (3.5 oz) of canola cake.
I grow daikon radishes organically without pesticides, and I use organic fertilizers for all of them. If you put too much fertilizer, it can lead to aphid infestations and disrupt the growth balance of daikon radishes. Make sure to use the right amount of fertilizer.
Cattle manure compost and canola cake are spread and mixed into the soil for daikon radish. (Lift the mulch and set it aside.)
If the soil preparation is inadequate, daikon radishes can develop forked roots, so it’s important to thoroughly mix fertilizer and soil. (If fertilizer remains in clumps, daikon radish roots are more likely to fork.)
If possible, it’s good to plow up to about 30cm (1 ft) deep underground. If there are obstacles like large stones that could hinder daikon radish roots, it’s also a good idea to remove them.
After fertilizing, the next step is to create the daikon radish bed. Shape the bed with a trowel and wooden boards.
As a tip for making the daikon radish bed, use a trowel to press the edges of the bed and make it slightly compacted. If you press the edges of the bed, you can maintain the shape of the bed.
Afterward, cover the daikon radish bed with transparent mulch. The soil preparation for daikon radishes (Japanese daikon radish) is complete.
Switch from transparent mulch to black mulch about a week before planting the daikon seeds. (The planting of daikon radishes begins in early September, so around the end of August or the beginning of September is the right time to switch the mulch.)
Following is the video for how-to. English subtitles are available.