Disclaimer Check with your certifier or the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) that any products mentioned here are included in the OMRI list of approved products, as the list of approved products changes annually. Also, follow all label instructions carefully when using any product. Mention of a product does not imply endorsement by USDA, the SARE program, or the author. Exclusion does not imply a negative evaluation.
Soil preparation
Apply compost and other amendments based on the results of a soil test.
Spread lime as needed to increase both the pH and Ca levels. Dolomite lime will also increase Mg levels. Spread gypsum when calcium levels are low but pH is correct.
A fertilizer company can add OMRI-listed potassium sulfate to compost if it doesn't have enough K to meet the crop’s needs. If this isn’t possible, spread the correct amount of fertilizer and incorporate it before planting. Alternatively, you can side-dress it during cultivation. Divide the rate recommended by your soil test in half if side-dressing.
Test for boron and apply only as recommended by the soil test. A fertilizer company can add boron to compost to optimize boron distribution. If this isn’t an option, distribute soluble boron through a water solution with a sprayer directly on the soil. If applied directly on the crop, don’t exceed more than 1 lb. of boron per acre to avoid leaf burn.
Incorporate compost and plant daikon in raised beds.
Jang, Sutton Jr. or Planet Jr. planters in combination with small seeds like daikon radishes don’t perform well with plant matter on the soil surface, so avoid planting them after tall green manures.
Create a fine and firm seedbed when direct seeding daikon to facilitate good seed-to-soil contact.
Common recommended fertilizer rates1
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potassium
pH
50
0-125
0-200
6.0-6.4
1Rates are for New York and are from Cornell University’s Nutrient Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable Production (2019). Check the Cornell website for updated guidelines, or consult with local experts for recommended rates outside New York.
Varieties
Summer Cross no. 3, Miyashige
Direct seeding information
Seeder
Rows
Seeds per foot
Seed plate no.
Depth (inches)
Sprocket setting
Notes
MaterMacc
2
3
24 H 2.5
1/2
22-17
Jang
2
3
X12
Front 10/rear 14
One planting in the spring as soon as land is prepared. Daikon won’t thrive in hot weather.
Plant weekly successions from July 15 until September 1 in the northern United States for a continued harvest from September through November.
Cultivation procedures
Use a basket weeder or wheel hoe when weeds are in the white thread stage, without burying the young crop. Weed control is more effective when you eliminate weeds before they emerge.
For a second cultivation use a finger weeder or spring hoes in combination with side knives. These tools effectively eliminate small weeds.
Remove finger weeders and spring hoes from your cultivation setup if they cause any crop damage, and cultivate with side knives only.
Remove surviving weeds by hand.
Frost, disease and insect protection
Control black rot (Xanthomonas) by purchasing clean seeds, keeping the greenhouse clean and exposing seed to hot water treatment. Some organic seed suppliers hot treat their seeds,so check with them before applying your own treatment, as double treatment can affect germination.
Cabbage maggots: To reduce infestation of cabbage maggots on young seedlings, cover seedlings with floating row covers or insect netting as you would for flea beetles. Keep covered until harvest, if possible. Maggots appear in 3–4 generations in the Northeast, starting in early spring, and can do extensive damage to daikon roots.
Check the soil for wireworms, as a high population can cause roots to become unmarketable. To avoid wireworm damage, rotate with crops like onions, lettuce or alfalfa, or include buckwheat as a cover crop the previous year. Some results have been obtained using beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes. Applications of Beauveria bassiana have also shown promising results.
Cover the crop with floating row covers or insect netting before emergence to avoid flea beetle damage. Keep covered until harvest. Alternatively, use a spinosyn-based product like Entrust.
Flea beetles emerge over 2–3 generations per season. If possible, follow Extension bulletins that publish the timing of each generation of flea beetles, or place yellow sticky cards at plant height to monitor their presence. Check the cards at least twice a week.
Spray beneficial nematodes on heavily infected land to control flea beetle grubs and avoid future generations. Flea beetles tend to overwinter in nearby hedgerows and grass strips.
To avoid future generations of flea beetles, spray beneficial nematodes on infected land or in hedgerows where they overwinter.
Other cultural practices
Irrigate frequently for optimum yield and plant health. Frequency depends on soil type, evaporation, precipitation and the particular needs of the crop.
Double cropping and/or cover cropping
You can plant a short-season vegetable crop like salad mix or arugula after early-planted daikon.
For later dates, work under any harvest remains to avoid insect or pathogen buildup, and plant a cover crop. In the northern United States and Canada, you can follow summer- and early-fall-harvested daikon with a cover crop of oats and peas in September, or rye and vetch planted at later dates. Adjust accordingly in other regions.
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.
