Causes of woody, hot or cracked radish roots and how to get crisp mild market quality.
Why are my radish roots pithy, pungent or split, and how to grow tender ones?
BBalwinder Singh6mo ago · 245 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓6mo ago
Radish turns pithy (hollow and woody), overly pungent and prone to splitting mainly when harvest is delayed past the tender stage, when the weather is too hot, or when soil moisture swings between dry and wet. Sow the right variety for the season, since temperate types grow long and mild in cool weather while tropical types tolerate warmth, and harvest on time at the proper size rather than letting roots overgrow. Keep soil loose, well drained and evenly moist, and avoid excess nitrogen which encourages tops over root quality. Even watering as roots size up prevents the cracking and splitting that buyers reject. Confirm the variety and sowing window for your district with your KVK.
HHarpreet Singh6mo ago
In Ludhiana my radish went pithy and hot when I left it too long in warm weather. Harvesting on time at the right size and sowing the temperate type in the cool months fixed most of it.
MManjit Singh5mo ago
A point from me: even watering is everything for radish. Uneven moisture gave me split and woody roots, and too much urea grew big tops but poor quality roots.
GGurmeet Singh5mo ago
A caution on radish: do not over feed nitrogen. Heavy urea grew big leafy tops but the roots came out poor and pithy, balanced feeding gave crisp mild roots that sold well.
JJagtar Singh5mo ago
Harvesting on time at the right size is the simplest fix I found. The roots I left in the ground hoping they would grow bigger just turned hollow and woody, pulling them at the tender stage kept them crisp.