Else, the seeding time - when Mountain Ash blooms

When I saw a mountain ash in its full bloom yesterday (June 2/2012)  I recall that in the publication, referred in my previous post, it is the time when the author seeds black radish.
"еще срок  посева редьки- когда цветет рябина"
"Else, the seeding time - when Mountain Ash blooms".
I  seeded two experimental rows at this time also.

 

 Below is my experimental plant seeded indoor and replanted in garden at the same day.

 

Last bed.

If you go back to my first post you can see that the best plants I've got on the sunny end of the row. No doubt black radish needs space and likes direct sun. If you limited in space, that is common for urban gardens, you need to be creative to find a room for black radish. Besides you want to seed it late when day length starts to roll down at time when your garden is full of thriving plants shading each other and spreading wide. Interesting solution you can find from Olga Demi's granny that I found on Russian Internet as follows:

"When I first time seeded a radish (about 20 years ago), I re-read all about it and I followed the science but my plants went bolting. Then I started to think why it did not go bolting in my granny garden. I have recollected in my memory where it was grown. It was always placed on edge of carrots, onions, or potato ridges. Plants were space 60-70cm apart and grew very well. Besides you safe on seed cost as you don't need to thin it out latter. Plants do not compete to each other also. The roots grew huge. Awesome.
(http://dv0r.ru/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=9vmdpm7q4i0jj1e4i8cmla8jc7&topic=5908.10;wap2)
ОльгаДеми:
Когда я первый раз посеяла редьку  ( лет 20 назад), а до этого все добросовестно перечитала об ней и сделала "по  научному" она мигом пошла в стрелку.   Тогда я вспомнила о том , а почему она не шла встрелку у моей бабули.   И мигом вспомнила где она росла, а садили её по краю морковной, луковой, или картошечной гряды.  Натыкали семян см через 60-70 и растет преспокойно и расход семян небольшой и ничего не выкидывается из загущения. И не мешают и не подавляют друг друга.   Такие огромные вырастали, ужасть.

May 27, 2012. Early seeded black radish on the south edge of my garden

Walafrid Strabo's poem Hortulus about black radish

Walafrid, alternatively spelt Walahfrid, surnamed Strabo (or Strabus, i.e. "squint-eyed") (c. 808 – August 18, 849), was a Frankish monk and theological writer (Wikipedia). 

Walafrid is remembered for his Hortulus, or  "Little Garden." Although it was written in Latin verse I have found only english and russian translation.

Here in the last bed we find radishes,
with their mighty roots and spread of leaves.
When coughing shakes your insides, the sharp
root of the radish suppresses it. If you eat some,
or make a drink from crushed radish seeds,
it will very often heal the sufereing causes
by this malicious illness.

Здесь же и редька, что корнем могуча, широкую сенью
Листьев своих вознеслась, и растет она с самого края.
Кашель, трясущий нутро, хорошо унимается горьким
Съеденным корнем ее, а растертое семя от редьки
Этот же самый недуг исцеляет собою нередко.

Temperature is important.

Although it is well known that temperature is important in plant growth I like to demonstrate it again. The current year experiments I started with seeding indoor in a pot on March 26. On April 11 plants were re-planted outdoor. At the same time I also seeded a row directly in soil. One plant was left indoor until May 11 when it was also re-planted in soil. The plants replanted on April 11 went through snow and frost (see my previous post) and only a few plants survived but looked not very well after all of that. As you can see on picture plants growing from seeds are catching up in the size. The plant grown at room temperature is much bigger that re-planted plant.

Centre of Origin

In one of my previous post I point out to Mediterranean origin for black radish. Recently I came across a reference from Ian Bancroft book Genetics and Genomics of the Brassicaceae as follows:"There is some controversy as to the probable centre of origin of Raphanus sativa. It most likely originates in the Middle East or West Asiatic region. Other suggestion indicates Asiatic origins with a centre of major diversity in China".

Black Radish - Canadian seed standard

In Canada Black Radish seeds offered for sale must be graded. Each package shall meet and shall be labelled with prescribed grade in Table XIX of the Seeds Regulations.
(http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.%2C_c._1400/index.html).
On retail side you most likely meet only common seeds (equivalent to VNS in USA - variety not specified). There are 2 grades for such seeds - Canada No.1 and Canada No.2 .

For small retail packages there is no requirements to label with lot number, year when seed were packaged, and weight of seed as well as germination and number of weeds. The following package is labelled as "Canada2". Most likely it stands for grade Canada No.2.

Black Radish and Frost

The wave of cold weather is over and I am eager to update you about my experimental radish plants health. I should say it is no so bad so far. Since my last publication there were eight cold nights and one cold day. Environmental Canada reported minimum and maximum temperatures for Edmonton as follows:

At the end of this cold weather I found that all plants survived either covered by glass jar or not.