Variety Characteristics
White flowers, White root, Leaves are green with lobes and fine white hair.
Soil and Climate
Prefers sandy loam soil with good drainage, likes full sun. Best grown in the cool season starting November.
Planting Suggestions
Prepare bed in advance by mixing in compost or aged manure throughout the bed. Use a stick to make 2 furrows for seeding in the bed lengthwise. The furrows should be 15-20 cms from the edge of the beds. Plant seeds about 2 cm deep in the soil about 5-7 cms apart each other, then cover with soil, compost or aged manure. After being in moist soil for 3 days the seeds will sprout. When 5-7 days old, thin out seedling that are too close together and separate out to be evenly spaced . At 20 -25 days fertilize with compost. (After, observe root formation to see if enough fertility if not may fertilize again) When fertilizing loosen the soil and cover the forming root heads.
Ideal planting distance: 5-7 cm x 30-40 cm between plants and rows.
Care
Fertilization: 1st time while preparing the bed before seeding. 2nd time at 20-25 day. Use compost or aged manure. (observe the crop to see if enough fertility if not may fertilize again)
Weeding and loosening the soil: When needed, weed and also loosen the soil around the forming root heads.
Watering: Should water evenly in the right amount, not leaving them dry or over watering (observe the planting soil).
Pests and Diseases
Disease, some problems of root rot. In this case pull and discard these plants. Catepillars may attack young leaves. May remove manually or apply herbal pesticide every 5-7 days.
Harvesting
Can starts harvest the radishes from 90 days after seeding
Seed Saving
At 90 days, the roothead will be reaching maturity, keep caring for the plant at about 180 days after seeding flowering will begin. At about 200- 220 days seeds will start to be mature and dry. They can start to be harvested gradually stalk by stalk. Use a tok (bamboo strip) to tie the stalks as done with cruxifer seed stalks. Dry in a sack to prevent loss. Dry for 2-3 days (of sun). When dry shake each stalk and use your hand to help clear the seeds off their pods. After this use paper to fan off dust and bits of leaf and stalk. Then clean additional using a screen tray. Keep seeds in a paper bag writng seed name and date of harvest. Put this paper bag in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator to reduce seed respiration and keep the germination rate. Seeds can be keep for 2 years or more.
