How to grow Radishes

How to grow Radishes - Introduction

There are more than 250 varieties of radishes to choose from.
They come in dozens of colours, shapes, sizes and flavours that you won't find in any market.
Radishes are among the easiest and fastest vegetables to grow, making them an ideal crop for new gardeners.
These taste-filled tubers like cool weather and thrive anywhere.

Radish is a member of the Cabbage Family, and it is recommended that it should not be grown in the same soil as other family members for at least three years.

Radishes grow best in full sun and light, sandy loams with pH 6.5–7.0.
At the time of digging, add two handfuls of bonemeal per square metre (yard) and work it into the topsoil.
The soil preparation should ideally be complete a month before sowing, but it makes very little difference if it is done at sowing time.
Radishes like sun, but at the same time like cool conditions. If they are grown in full sun during the summer, they will run to seed or bolt very quickly. For this reason they are ideally suited to as a growing companion to other vegetables such as peas or beans.
Soils that form a hard crust can impair growth.

Radishes do not transplant well, and so should be sown directly in the final seedbed.
Radishes should be sown two to three seeds per 2.5 cm (inch) and thinned when they are about 5cm (2 in) tall to a spacing of 2.5cm (inch) apart.
The depth at which seeds are planted affects the size of the root, from 1 cm (0.4 in) deep recommended for small radishes to 4 cm (1.6 in) for large radishes.
Sow small amounts of radish seed but often to ensure a continuous supply rather than a glut at one time; radishes do not keep well in the soil once they are mature.
For summer varieties, begin sowing in mid-April and continue at three week intervals to September. Where cloche protection is available, sowing can commence in March.

Thin plants to a spacing of 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart when plants first emerge.
Radish plants require almost no attention once past the seedling stage - their main requirement is a reasonable supply of water and weed removal.
As with other root crops, tilling the soil helps the roots grow, however, radishes are used in no-till farming to help reverse compaction.
Do not apply any additional fertiliser to summer or winter radishes, their needs are minimal.
Sometimes birds take a liking to to radish seedlings, however once past the seedling stage, they leave them alone.

Summer radishes should be harvested when they are crisp and young, normally about five weeks after sowing - consult the seed packet.
If they are left in the ground past maturity they will go peppery and the texture will quickly loose its crispness.
If you have too many at any one, give them to friends because they do not freeze well and will only last five days or so in the fridge.
The larger winter radish plant takes about 3 to 4 months to mature, but they have been bred to remain in good condition left in the soil for another three or four weeks past maturity.
Alternatively, they can be harvested, placed in sand and kept in a cool dark place for a month or so.