Oil radish: sowing as catch crop, harvest & co

The oil radish is an old crop that is planted as an oil plant and for green manure. We will give you tips on growing oil radish in the garden.

Oil radish is a fast-growing and deep-rooting plant with a high percentage of leaf mass. The seeds of the oil plant can be harvested. But the deep tap roots also represent real added value for soil fertility in the garden. In this article, you will learn everything there is to know about the cultivation, care and use of oil radish.

Oil radish: flower, origin and characteristics

The oil radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleiformis) belongs to the cabbage family (Brassicaceae) and originally comes from warmer climates. The oldest records of the oil plant come from Egypt, but the exact origin or origin is unclear. The oil radish forms alternately elongated-oval pinnate and radish-like leaves on long, rather thin stems. The annual plant is not hardy and forms an attractive flower for bees between May and June. This shows the structure of four cruciform petals, which is distinctive for cruciferous vegetables. The color spectrum of the flower ranges from yellow to white to purple. The plant, also known as melioration radish, reaches a height of 50 - 100 cm. A deep taproot anchors the radish underground in the ground. She used to be similar to

Rapeseed (Brassica napus), bred for oil production. Cultivation and use as an oil crop are currently declining sharply. Only in Japan, China and Central Europe is the oilseed still grown. Instead, the focus today is on the use of oil radish as a green manure.

The best varieties of oil radish

Oil radish varieties differ in their flower color, the radish formation of the roots, the fertility of the flowers and in resistance to various diseases. Oil radish varieties that are resistant to harmful roundworms (nematodes) reduce their infestation pressure for subsequent crops. Especially potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) also benefit because plant nematodes transmit viruses and Potato diseases how the iron stain can trigger. There are the following varieties of oil radish to choose from:

• ‘Contra‘ is specifically suitable for use as green manure. The variety is characterized by a multi-resistance to various diseases and nematodes. Unintentional sowing of the plant is reduced by a low flowering tendency.
• ‘Litinia‘ shows an attractive purple-white flower and impresses with its rapid growth and deep tap roots on nematode-free soil.
• ‘Radetzky‘ has a good resistance to nematodes and prevents any weed growth due to its rapid leaf growth. The fast growing variety is suitable for almost any location.
• ’Romesa‘ is an oil radish variety for nematode-free areas. It is well suited as a preculture and as a forage plant for animals. With a long standing time, ‘Romesa‘ begins to develop seeds that serve as a food source for birds, but which may lead to undesirable growth in the following year.
• ‘Rufus‘ is another tough variety against nematodes. Even when young, the plant provides good shade for the soil and is characterized by a high yield of root mass. Here one speaks of the so-called radish formation.

Sowing oil radish: step by step

The cultivation of the oil radish is easy. The oil radish does not make any special demands on the location. It grows on almost all soils. A sunny location promotes the ripening and drying of the seeds. However, a deep soil is helpful for pronounced root development. Depending on the variety, sowing begins in March and is possible until autumn. Basically, seeds should be sown between March and May to obtain seeds. If the oil radish is used as a frost-free winter green, it is sown between the beginning of July and mid-September. The seeds are spread either broadly or in rows. When sowing in rows, the distance between the rows should be around 20 - 40 cm. With regard to the sowing depth, 2 and 4 cm are ideal. Approximately 3 grams of seed are expected per square meter. Germination takes place at temperatures above 2 ° C and takes about two weeks. Due to the low germination temperature, the seeds can be spread in autumn.

Proper care

The care of the oil radish is very easy. No special care measures are required during the cultivation period. In hot and dry periods during the seedling phase, the oil radishes should be watered. Once the long tap roots have developed, the cruciferous leaves are drought-tolerant. Fertilization is not necessary on most soils. Oil radish can self-seed if cultivated early. This can be prevented by cutting back the flower stalks after flowering. If sown in late summer and autumn, however, the oil radish does not ripen for seeds. Oil radish is largely robust to the Carbonic hernia and is considered self-tolerant.

Is oil radish hardy? The oil radish is not hardy in most areas and freezes completely over the winter at temperatures below - 10 ° C.

Oil radish as a catch crop and for green manure

Under Green manure Put simply, one understands the sowing of plants with the aim of improving soil fertility and increasing the humus content. Due to its large biomass and deep roots, oil radish is particularly suitable as a green manure for slightly compacted, poorly draining and humus-poor soils. Areas at risk of erosion on slopes and embankments also benefit from green manure with oil radish. Other cabbage plants should not be planted directly on the same bed as a pre- or post-crop.

In cold winters, the oil radish freezes reliably and the growth remains on the bed as a layer of mulch. In spring, the bed can be dug up and the organic matter can be fed to the microorganisms. Our Plantura organic soil activator supports the work of the soil organisms with the help of the nutrients it contains and also brings mycorrhizal fungi into the soil that promote plants. At the end of the cultivation period, the growth can alternatively be chopped up and worked into the soil in autumn before the first frosts. Here the mineralization of the nutrients takes place comparatively faster and the following crop benefits more quickly from the green manure. However, the soil remains less protected from wind and water erosion.

Is oil radish edible?

Like all types of cabbage, the oil radish also forms antibacterial mustard oils that help destroy Cells, for example when sliced ​​or cooked, have a sharp, charcoal taste and smell form. Basically, all oil radish is edible. As with other types of cabbage, young leaves can be used in the kitchen. With increasing age, the foliage tastes more bitter and pungent, which is why many animals only like to accept the oil radish in mixtures with other forage plants. The flowers can be added to salads and other dishes as a hot-tasting, edible decoration. Young and tender pods can also be cooked in the pan as green vegetables. The root of the oil radish is also edible, but it lignifies quite quickly in the young plant stage. Only the pods of the plant are used in commercial cultivation. After they are fully ripened, these are threshed in autumn and the oil contained in the oil radish seeds pressed out.

Of the mustard (Sinapis) is a relative of the oil radish and can also be planted as green manure or for seed production. In our special article you can find out everything about the mustard plant.