What varieties of radishes are there?
Red on the outside and white on the inside – this is what most people imagine when they think of radishes. In fact, this is only one of numerous varieties of radishes. The main selection criteria are the color, shape, time of cultivation and taste of each variety. For example, yellow, white, purple and multicolored varieties are considered to be exceptional eye-catchers on the plate.

When choosing radishes, it should be noted that not all species thrive equally well at any time of year. For spring, the varieties Saxa, Neckarperle and Cyros prove to be particularly suitable. In summer, on the other hand, Parat, Sora and Raxe are popular. Among the most popular varieties are also:

• Viola
• Rudi
• Giant butter
• China Roser

Location and soil

In principle, it is possible to grow radishes both outdoors and in pots on the terrace or balcony. In any case, the vegetable feels most comfortable in a sunny to partial shade location. On hot summer days, partial shade is preferable to unprotected sun.

Radishes do not have any special requirements, so they can cope with almost any garden soil. A humus-rich loose soil is considered ideal. It is important that the soil is well-drained. In order for the roots to find a reliable foothold, it is not advisable to use soil that is too light.

Since radishes belong to the weak eaters, the substrate should not be too rich in nutrients. Otherwise, there is an increased susceptibility to diseases and pests. In addition, an oversupply of nutrients can promote increased leaf growth, which, however, reduces tuber growth. Peat-free soil is best suited for growing in pots.

If, on the other hand, the soil is heavy and heavily compacted, it is advisable to loosen it before sowing. This has the advantage that the roots can penetrate unhindered into the depths.

Note: Choose a location where no radishes or other cruciferous plants have been planted in the past three to four years. This measure will help keep the plants healthy.

Sowing radishes – this is what to pay attention to.

Planting radishes in the open ground
When sowing outdoors, proceed as follows:

• Soil preparation
• Prepare soil by loosening if necessary.
• Make seed furrows
• Make shallow seed furrows using the garden rake or a furrow opener.
• Sowing
• Sow seeds in a row about 1 cm deep. The minimum distance in a row should be about 3 to 4 cm. Keep a distance of 10 to 15 cm between individual rows.
• Cover seeds
• Carefully cover the seed grooves from the side so that the seed is lightly covered with soil. This is important to prevent the seed from being dispersed by rain or wind.
• Water
• At temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius, an adequate water supply is important. The germination period is usually only a few days.
• Caution: If the seed is sown too deep, elongated woody tubers will form in the course of growth, which will considerably impair the later taste.

Depending on the size of the bed, placing the seeds individually can be quite tedious. Alternatively, it is possible to scatter the seeds directly from the bag into the seed grooves. However, it can happen that the seeds are sown too densely. In this case, usually no typical round root tubers develop, but the radishes turn out small and elongated.

If, despite all caution, it happens that the planting distance is too small, it is necessary to separate the radishes, otherwise they tend to shoot prematurely. This is manifested in the fact that the vegetable forms flowers and grows tightly in height. However, this deprives the tuber of abundant water, making it inedible. As soon as the plant can be seen, it should be carefully pulled out of the ground with a pricking or wooden stick. Then gently separate the roots before returning the plant to the bed at a greater distance.

Planting radishes in a pot
To make it possible to maintain the recommended planting distances in the pot, it should be chosen in a sufficient size depending on the number of rows desired. It is important that the selected container has at least one drainage hole, so that excess water can drain away easily. For sowing, it is sufficient to fill the pot up to a height of about 15 cm.

Proper care for radishes

Water supply takes a central part in the care of radishes. To ensure optimal growth, you should always keep the substrate moist. This is because too much fluctuation will cause the tubers to feel furry or even burst open. When watering, use a watering attachment which finely distributes the water. Without a watering attachment, the seedlings may be damaged.

Fertilizing
Provided that the previous crop was fertilized abundantly, radishes do not need any further fertilizer. Otherwise, you can enrich the upper layers of soil with some compost.

Caution: Do not use fresh compost as fertilizer under any circumstances! This is because radishes are sensitive to the salts they contain.

Harvest and storage

Radishes are ideal as an intercrop because they are ready to harvest about four weeks after sowing. The right time to harvest is crucial so that the radishes do not develop a woody taste. If blossoms have already formed, the vegetable is already too old, as wood cells will then have already formed inside the tuber.

The harvest itself turns out to be quite simple. To do this, grasp the radish just above the tuber by the leaf stalks and pull the vegetable out of the ground.

Radishes are tastiest immediately after harvesting. However, it is not always possible to eat them directly. In this case, the vegetable can be easily stored in the refrigerator for several days. To do this, wrap the radishes in a damp cloth to create optimal conditions for their shelf life. Be sure to remove the cabbage before storage to prevent mold growth.

Diseases and pests

In ideal conditions, radishes rarely suffer from diseases. The main causes of disease or a pest infestation is usually due to improper care or an unfavorable location. The following disease patterns occur most frequently in radishes:

• Earth fleas: usually occur when the soil is too dry. Infestation is indicated by noticeable holes in the leaves. Garlic planted nearby can provide relief.
• Aphids: The herb turns yellow as the aphids eat the roots and leaves. Natural predators such as hoverflies, lacewings, pirate bugs or ladybugs can help.
• Radish aphid: Roots are affected by the infestation and turn black. The affected radishes should be removed from the bed immediately.
• Downy mildew: This is a fungal disease that is noticeable with black spots on the tubers. The leaves show yellowish to brown spots.

Professional tree stump removal
The easiest way, but also costly, is to have a professional remove a tree stump. This professional can be found in gardening and landscaping and has suitable equipment as well as experience in removing tree roots.

However, he will also charge for this: Here you have to expect costs between 90 and 110 euros per hour plus travel costs of about 50 euros. Depending on the root depth, length and setting, two or more working hours quickly add up. It may be quicker to use a mini-excavator, which can dig up the stump in half the time. Including disposal, this can cost between 150 and 200 euros.

Digging out the tree stump yourself
If you have suitable garden tools and are not afraid of the effort, a tree stump can also be dug out yourself.

You will need the following equipment:

• Sharp spade
• Saw or axe
• Winch or hoist (alternatively a jack can be used)
• Safety goggles and gloves
• A Cordless Leaf Blower to blow up fallen leaves.

How to remove the tree root:

• Cut the tree back to 1.5 meters or cut it down
• Expose the roots as far as possible with the spade
• Cut off fine roots with the spade
• Cut through overlong roots with an axe or saw
• Push the stump back and forth to loosen it
• Slide jack under the stump and push up or pull out the stump by winch or block and tackle
• Remove remaining stump and roots from the soil
• Then fill in the hole

Mill out tree root

In order to mill out a tree stump, you will need a so-called stump grinder, which you can rent at hardware stores, for example. This method saves you the power-consuming digging and laborious sawing. Here, the trunk is first deeply shortened and the cutter is placed directly on top of the stump. The machine then cuts as deep as possible into the root, crushing itself in the process.

With this method, the tree root usually remains in the ground. Either spread the mulch created in the process in beds and backfill the area above the root with soil, or spread the wood chips directly in place. Deep mulching with a rootstock grinder removes the “heart” of most tree species, which usually prevents resprouting of the remaining roots.

Rental costs for a stump grinder usually range from $50 to $200, depending on the rental period.

Let roots die
Dead roots are easier to remove from the soil. This saves time-consuming excavation with a spade and allows you to simply push the tree stump over after it has died. However, this method takes some time. Depending on the extent and depth of the roots, the dying process can take several months before the stump can be removed.

For this purpose, it is recommended to use a chainsaw. Likewise, you will need a drill with a wood drill bit, as well as bitter or rock salt and candle wax.

How it works:

• Saw off the tree trunk directly above the ground surface.
• Drill several holes as deep as possible into the roots
• The spacing of the drill holes should be between one and two centimeters
• Fill the holes about two-thirds full with the salt
• Seal the holes by letting the candle wax drip into them

Allow tree root to rot

Another way to remove a tree stump is to deliberately induce rotting. Instead of salt, however, this involves adding fresh compost to the root. First, saw off the tree stump with a chainsaw close above the ground. However, leave three to four inches of the lower “trunk plate.”

Then proceed as follows:

• Saw checkerboard patterns into the stump.
• Drill additional several deep and slightly wider holes with the wood drill (the more, the faster the composting)
• Put fresh, fine compost into the holes
• The compost will now attract fungal spores and microorganisms that will lead to composting of the stump
• Depending on weather and temperatures, it will take between one to two years for full composting to occur
• It usually happens faster if you add compost accelerator

Not recommended: Burn out
The option of burning to remove a tree stump is repeatedly mentioned on the Internet. For this, petroleum is mixed with nitric acid to form a mixture paste, filled into previously drilled holes or crevices and set on fire. This is supposed to ensure that the tree stump burns from the inside and the heat also burns the roots at the same time. We strongly advise against this method for several reasons:

• It creates a fire that can lead to a health risk for you, the neighbors, for animals as well as for nature and, in the worst case, can even cause life-threatening situations.
• For the first-mentioned reason, the ignition of open fires is forbidden in most cities and municipalities and is punished with heavy fines in case of disregard.
• If petroleum and nitric acid get into the soil and, if necessary, into the groundwater, it is a case of high-level environmental pollution, which can also be punished with fines of up to 50,000 euros.
• Charcoal is produced by the burning process. This decays extremely slowly and remains in the soil for many years. This in turn prevents the tree stump remains from rotting.
• Therefore: Do not be irritated by burn-out recommendations on the Internet and refrain from burning out in any case!
• Dispose of tree stump and root remains correctly
• Once you have removed a tree stump including roots from the ground, the question often arises as to how best to dispose of the tree stump. Again, there are several options available to you:

• Hire a specialized company to deliver a green waste container and properly dispose of the contents. The cost factor for this averages around 200 euros per three cubic meter container volume.
• Use a chainsaw to cut the tree stump into smaller pieces and process them in a shredder to make mulch to spread around the garden, or use an axe to split them into firewood.
• Place in a protected location as dead wood in the garden for winter shelter for various animals.
• Check with the forestry office to see if you can place the stump as deadwood in a forest.
• Ask wood sculptors if there is a need for the stump. Young artists in particular are often delighted to receive free wood stumps.
• Inquire on social media in gardening and decorating groups if anyone is interested in picking up free stumps. Often creative amateur gardeners are looking for them to make decorations from.
• Alternative: use tree stump as decoration

You can also save yourself the expense and hassle of root removal and disposal by simply using the tree stump for garden decoration. Of course, this only works if you don’t need the area for anything else or have enough space for the excavated root.

Otherwise, you can use the tree stump, for example, as a column for a flower pot or hollow out parts of it and put plants inside. A lamp can also be mounted on it or you can mount a table top on it and create a new seating area in your garden. An excavated tree stump, on the other hand, is perfect for decoration, for example in a rock garden or next to a garden pond. There are no limits to creativity and the possibilities.

Garden plants as weather prophets
Weather plants, often called weather prophets, are certain species that are particularly sensitive to changes in the weather – especially in the areas of humidity and heat. If these rise or fall, visual changes appear on the plants. These must be recognized in order to make a reliable forecast for sunshine or rain in the following hours. In most cases, it is sufficient to look at the flowers. In some cases, the weather can also be determined by the scent of the plant or flower.

Weather plants at a glance

Birches
Long before you notice a slight but continuous increase in humidity, birch trees (Betula) begin to notice an odor effect. They increasingly begin to give off a spicy odor. The more humid the air becomes, the more intense this becomes. If you notice this, there is a high probability that rain is coming.

Christmas roses
The Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) presents itself as a special weather plant. Already in grandma’s times the flower buds were used to determine the weather for the following month. To do this, a bud is cut off, placed in a glass of water and placed in a warm, bright location. If the bud opens, a sunny month is expected. If the bud remains closed, expect a lot of rain.

According to an old tradition, it should be possible to predict in this way how rainy or sunny each month will be for an entire year. To do this, twelve buds are placed in a glass of water on Christmas Day, each one representing a particular month.

Lady’s Mantle
If rain announces itself by increasing the humidity, lady’s mantle (Alchemilla) quickly begins to “sweat”. This can be seen by the formation of dew. Small drops of water make their way onto the stems and occasionally onto the leaves.

Daisies
One of the most weather-sensitive plants is the daisy (Bellis perennis). It prefers dry air and begins to raise its petals at the slightest increase in humidity. In this way, the daisy prepares for impending rain and protects the flowers by closing the petals.

Gazania / midday gold
Midday gold, as gazanias (Gazania rigens) are also called, is very picky about opening its flowers. When petals slowly spread apart, sunshine is usually within “reach”. If the leaves remain in one position while opening, no further change in weather can be anticipated for the time being. If the leaves close completely again, heavy cloud cover is imminent. Rain in this case is not necessarily predetermined, because lack of sun is already enough for the closure of the flower.

Cape Basket / Cape Marguerite
Cape corms (Osteospermum), also known as Cape marigolds, Bornholm daisies and paternoster shrubs, reliably let you know if it will start raining promptly. Its flowers open this weather plant only when the sun shines. However, it takes a significant rise in humidity before it “ramps up” the petals for wear. If you see this condition on Cape marigolds, you can assume that rain is imminent.

Mullein
A weather forecast can be made by the flower direction of mullein (Verbascum). If the flowers face east, the sun is not far away. However, if they turn to the west, they predict rain soon. If leaf rosettes have formed on mullein in the first year, you can even find out how early or late it will snow in winter. To do this, check the leaf density. If this is clearly in the lower range, the chances of an early snowfall are high. If the leaves have grown densely in the upper range, a white Christmas is likely to be cancelled and it will not snow until January.

Linden trees
Similar to birch trees, linden trees (Tilia) can be predicted for weather changes. They also react early by intensifying a noticeable odor. However, only the flowers of lime trees provide the scent. This is delicate, cool and exudes a slightly sweet note. If a thunderstorm threatens in warm air conditions, the flowers reach the maximum fragrance intensity. This can then already be smelled within a radius of 20 to 30 meters.

Dandelion
Like numerous other flowering plants, dandelion (Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia) closes its flowers in time before dark clouds gather and it begins to rain. By the way, dandelion is also one of the so-called indicator plants, because its wild growth indicates very heavy and nitrogenous soils.

Carrots / Wild carrots
By the characteristics of wild carrots (Daucus carota subsp. carota) you can predict the weather, especially in midsummer. At that time, the plants have many seed umbels. If a rain front approaches, these bend inward. Widely standing and straight up seed cones indicate sunshine for the next few hours.

Night violets / common night violets
If night violets (Hesperis matronalis) are particularly fragrant, rain is approaching. As a rule, cruciferous plants react comparatively late to increasing humidity combined with warmth. As soon as the aromatic scent intensifies significantly, it won’t be long and it will most likely rain. If little or no fragrance is perceptible, it will remain dry.

Marigolds
With marigolds (calendula), rain is quite easy to predict. They close their flowers. Often this happens hours before the rain begins. You can still do various gardening tasks.

Wood Sorrel
There are over 700 different species of wood sorrel (Oxalis) worldwide, and each one is considered one of the most “intelligent” weather plants. They are said to be able to predict the weather for the season by the quantity of their flowers.

An immensely abundant bloom indicates a wet year, while a sparse bloom indicates a dry year. For the day’s forecast, look closely at the leaves of wood sorrel. When rain is imminent, it folds its leaves up or down. If folding is indicated, it will take a little while; if folding is evident, have your umbrella ready. In addition, water leaks out when the humidity increases. If you then touch the seed, it will fling around with a pressure of just over 17 bar.

Silver Thistle
Silver thistles (Carlina acaulis) are among the most reliable weather prophets, which is why they are also called weather thistles. If you observe the opening of their flowers, a few sunny hours are usually ahead. If they close, you can prepare for rain and you should slowly start bringing in your garden furniture cushions or covering them with a protective tarp.

Sunflowers
Sunflowers (Helianthus) are rightly named because they show their flowers in full splendor only when the sun is shining. If clouds come closer, the flowers close relatively quickly. If the flowers remain closed despite the most beautiful sunshine, you can assume that a rain shower is coming soon.

Cranesbill
Between March and October, you can use the cranesbill (Geranium) to predict the weather for the next few hours. During this time it blooms and has a seed stand. Pull out a seed. Press a small cavity in a piece of cardboard or Styrofoam and place it inside. The seed protrusion, also called a granule, will rotate clockwise as the humidity increases and counterclockwise as the humidity decreases.

Fir cones
Pine cones have been known as “plant meteorologists” for centuries. Firmly closed cone scales indicate impending rain. If, on the other hand, they stand far off or move into this position, the weather remains nice and dry. This works even when the cones are no longer hanging on the tree. Pine cones are particularly well suited, placed on the terrace as a hygrometer to indicate the humidity.

Woodruff
If it suddenly smells much stronger of woodruff (Galium odoratum) in your garden or on your balcony, this is usually due to the typical reaction to an increase in humidity and too expected rain clouds.