How to Grow Radishes

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Gardeners have more than 250 varieties of radishes to choose from. They come in dozens of colors, shapes, sizes and flavors 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 zesty tubers like cool weather and thrive anywhere.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Spring Radishes

Step1

Choose a site that gets at least six hours of sun a day and has light, rich, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.8.

Step2

Till the soil to a depth of at least six inches. Remove any debris that could obstruct the growing tubers, and work in organic matter to ensure the right soil conditions.

Step3

Sow spring varieties directly in the garden four to six weeks before the last expected frost. (Like most root crops, radishes transplant poorly and rarely appear as started plants in nurseries.)

Step4

Place seeds 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart, in rows or patches. In soil temperatures of 50 degrees F and above, the seeds will germinate in a week or less.

Step5

Make successive plantings, in the same or other beds, every 7 to 10 days until the average air temperature reaches 65 degrees F.

Step6

Thin seedlings to two inches apart and mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

Step7

Grow spring radishes as a winter crop in warm climates. Simply time your plantings to coincide with their ideal temperature range of 60 to 65 degrees F. Warmer weather will cause bitter, tough roots.

Step8

Begin pulling spring radishes as soon as they're large enough to use. Their quality deteriorates quickly once they reach full size.

Winter (Long-Season) Radishes

Step1

Choose and prepare the site as you would for spring radishes, but till the soil deeper, to at least a foot.

Step2

Plant seeds in spring or winter, depending on the variety. (See your seed packet or catalog for details.)

Step3

Sow seeds 3/4 inch deep for small varieties, up to 1 1/2 inches for larger ones (again, refer to the seed packet).

Step4

Thin plants to six inches, and mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

Step5

Begin pulling winter radishes as soon as they're large enough to use, but don't rush to get them all out of the ground: mild frosts improve their flavor. They can't survive frigid weather, though, so harvest all your plants before the first hard freeze.

Tips & Warnings

Spring radishes thrive in containers. Use a pot with good drainage that's at least 12 inches deep and 10 inches wide. Fill it with potting soil enriched with compost, keep plants well watered, and feed once with compost tea.
As with all root crops, avoid fresh manure and other soil amendments or fertilizers that are high in nitrogen; they encourage lush top growth at the expense of the tubers.