How to Grow a Daikon Radish
Daikon radishes are used extensively in Japanese and Asian cuisine. Their long, white roots provide a pleasant crunch and a mild radish flavor. They are used both raw and cooked in soups, stir fry or as a steamed vegetables. Like other radishes, daikon grows best in the cool spring or fall season. It grows throughout winter in areas with mild winters where temperatures usually remain above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The seeds sprout quickly and the plant matures within two months, allowing you plant crops at 2 to 4 week intervals for an ongoing supply of the fresh root. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Cover a full-sun planting bed with a 2-inch layer of compost. Sprinkle 2 cups of a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer over every 100 square feet of composted bed. Turn these amendments into the top 8 inches of soil.
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Sow the daikon seeds when the soil temperature reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit in early spring or late fall. Sow the seeds ½ inch deep and space them 1 inch apart. Space rows 1 foot apart.
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Mist the bed with water as necessary during the germination period so the soil remains moist without becoming soggy. Avoid sharp sprays of water or heavy irrigation that may rinse the seeds away.
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Thin the daikon sprouts in each row after the seedlings germinate, approximately 10 days after sowing. Pluck out the extra seedlings so the remaining daikon plants are spaced approximately 3 inches apart.
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Water the daikon plants once a week, supplying approximately 1 inch of water. The soil must remain moist to a 6 inch depth.
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Tips & Warnings
Harvest daikon radishes when the roots are approximately 8 inches long, which is about 35 to 45 days after planting.
Mulch over the garden bed after the daikon sprout to help maintain even soil moisture and to suppress weed competition.
References
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
