How to raise cherry radish potted plants
Cherry radish potted plants are very popular among urban gardeners for their exquisitely carved shapes and tender and delicious roots. This mini radish, which can be viewed and eaten, can be planted on the balcony to not only experience the fun of farming, but also harvest healthy ingredients. By mastering the following six maintenance points, you can easily cultivate plump and juicy cherry radishes. 1. Light control skills Daily light requirements Cherry radish is a typical long-day crop. It is recommended to ensure 6-8 hours of scattered light every day. In spring and autumn, you can place potted plants on the south-facing window sill and use rotating flowerpots to allow the plants to receive even light. Summer shading strategy When the temperature exceeds 28 ° C, a 50% sunshade net needs to be used to filter strong light. At noon, the potted plants can be moved indoors 1 meter away from the window to avoid leaf burns and affecting the expansion of fleshy roots. 2. Key points for pot soil selection. Flower pot configuration specifications Select a pottery pot or gallon pot with a depth of more than 25cm. The bottom of the pot must have 3-5 drainage holes. It is recommended to use wide-mouth pots with a diameter of 30cm, and plant 8-10 seeds in each pot with reasonable spacing. It is recommended to use a mixed substrate with peat soil: perlite: decomposed compost =5:3:2, and add 100g/m³ of bone meal to supplement phosphorus before sowing. Maintaining soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is most conducive to root development. 3. Water and fertilizer management plan Scientific watering cycle Keep the top 2 cm soil moist during the germination period, and use the "see dry and see wet" method during the fleshy root expansion period. Water once in the morning and evening in summer, and the watering amount each time is controlled at 200-300ml to avoid stagnant water and rotten roots. Guidelines for Precision Fertilization Two weeks after planting, apply organic liquid fertilizer diluted 1000 times, and apply additional potassium fertilizer during the fleshy root formation period. It is recommended to use banana peel soak solution (1:10 mixed with water) to spray it every week to promote sugar accumulation. 4. Environmental control tips Temperature control skills Maintaining the temperature difference between day and night at 8-10℃ is conducive to sugar conversion, with 18-22℃ during the day/10-15℃ at night being the best. In winter, a combination of double-layer insulation shed + fill light is used to maintain the minimum requirement of 5℃ for root growth. Humidity management plan The air humidity is controlled at 60-70%, which can be adjusted by laying wet pebbles on trays. Pay attention to strengthening ventilation in the rainy season to prevent downy mildew. 5. Physical control measures for pest control and pest control regularly remove old leaves to improve ventilation, and hang yellow sticky insect boards to trap leaf miners. When blue worms are found, they are immediately caught manually, and in severe cases, a 500-fold liquid spray of Bacillus thuringiensis is used. Biological control strategies intercropping insect repellent plants such as peppermint and rosemary, and introducing ladybugs to control aphids. Weekly spraying onion extract (200g/L) can effectively prevent powdery mildew.
Through systematic and refined management, cherry radish potted plants only take 25-35 days from sowing to harvesting. Mastering key technologies such as light control, substrate ratio, and water and fertilizer management, even novice gardeners can harvest plump and ruddy cherry radishes on a square balcony. It is recommended to rotate different varieties every season to not only maintain soil vitality, but also experience diverse planting joys.