Oil radish / Fodder radish

Plant family

Crucifers (Brassicaceae)

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Dry

Soil

Heavy (clay)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Plant distance

5 cm

Row spacing

30 cm

Seeding depth

3 cm

Instructions

Description

Oil radish or melioration radish is a variety, rarely a subspecies of garden radish, which belongs to the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae). Oil radish grows rapidly (up to 1 m tall), produces strong leaf growth in a short time, and forms deep (up to 1.5 m) taproots. Its seeds are very oleaginous. Susceptibility to cabbage hernia is not as severe as in other cabbage crops. Heavy shading of the soil is to be expected even at the young plant stage. Not hardy. Now grown for green manure rather than oil. Insect friendly.

Growing tips

Can be used as a green manure, to loosen the soil, to control nematodes and to suppress weeds. Good ground cover. The seeds germinate at 2-3°C. For seed production, sow from March to May. For green manure until mid-September. Broad-cast or in rows. Approx. 3 g per m^2. Germination at over 2°C after 2 weeks. Drought-resistant as soon as the taproot has formed. If sown early, cut off flowers to prevent self-seeding. Used in rotation with sugar beet.