Brassicas

Description
Radishes establish very quickly, providing good ground cover, smothering weeds and preventing erosion. The taproot drives deep into the soil, pulling up nutrients otherwise unavailable to shallower-rooted crops. These taproots provide a way for air, water and crop roots to penetrate deeply into the soil. Fall-planted radishes are great for sequestering residual nutrients from the previous crop. Radishes work as a biofumigant, especially if incorporated in the vegetative stage.

Management
Radishes can be planted into existing crops at the beginning of leaf wilt, either by aerial application or by a high boy rigged with a broadcast system. They work well in mixes or can be seeded alone. In mixes, 2 or 3 lbs. is all that’s needed. Radishes winter-kill when temperatures reach 23°F.

Establishment
Seed 8-10 lbs./A straight or 2-4 lbs./A in mixes. Drill in rows 6-8 inches apart, ¼ to ½ inch deep. Radishes can be broadcast and rolled with a cultipacker or aerial-seeded into drying corn. Use  higher rates for broadcasting and aerial seeding. Radishes can be no-tilled into grass if the grass has been grazed or mowed very close.