Fodder radish: varieties, growing and uses

A root alone does not make a miracle cure

Roots can penetrate a soil layer but do not automatically correct every deep compaction or drainage problem. First check whether walking on wet ground, drainage or another cause is responsible. Some fodder radish cultivars target specific nematode problems. This does not prove an unknown packet controls all nematodes. Keep cultivar name and source for a specific property and seek an appropriate diagnosis for infestation.

Include it as a cabbage family member

Botanical family matters more in rotation than the label green manure. Fodder radish adds another brassica to a bed full of brassicas. Choose another family for relevant soil diseases. In a suitable vacated bed, use a trial strip to observe emergence and roots. Gently lift one plant and photograph the root, observing development without destroying the whole bed. End the crop in time for your next vegetable.

Scent, flavour and use

Not selected as edible winter radish. For kitchen varieties, use the vegetable guide with intended seeds.

Care, cutting and harvesting

Sow according to the batch instructions in workable soil and monitor emergence. The crop belongs to the cabbage family; consider brassica diseases and preceding and following cruciferous crops.

Incorporate young as green manure; no fixed calendar and no general promise that all roots solve compaction.

Terminate before unwanted seed formation and before the next crop. Use specific nematode claims only for a cultivar and problem supported by evidence.