When to Plant Radish Seeds

Harvest radishes when they are young for the best flavor and texture.

If you've never grown vegetables before, start with radishes. They take up little room making them suitable for container gardens, grow easily and mature within a few weeks. When to plant them depends on your climate and the variety. Most gardeners grow spring radishes that thrive in cool, moist conditions. But if you love radishes, extend the season by planting summer and even fall and winter radish varieties.

Planting Time

Plant spring radishes as soon as the soil is soft in early spring. These plants mature within four to six weeks and turn woody when temperatures climb. Plant summer radishes in late spring to summer or plant succession crops every 10 to 14 days. Plant fall and winter radishes in late summer to early fall.

Varieties

Try the following spring varieties for crisp, early radishes with a mild flavor: Burpee White, Champion, Easter Egg, Plum Purple or Snow Belle. Try the more heat-tolerant varieties French Breakfast or Icicle for summer harvests. Winter radishes, such as China Rose, Chinese White and Round Black Spanish, take as much as 70 days to mature and have a more pungent flavor, but store well.

Planting Tips

Plant spring radishes 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep and space them 1 to 2 inches apart. Winter radishes develop larger roots. Space them 2 to 4 inches apart. Plant them in fertile soil amended with compost. Keep the soil evenly moist so plants develop quickly. Dry, infertile soils slow growth, resulting in pithy, hot radishes.

Harvest

Harvest radishes when they are young, three to five weeks from planting time for spring radishes. Pull them gently up by hand or use a trowel. As radishes age, they may develop cracks or hairs and quality decreases. Use radishes in salads or eat out of hand.

References

• University of Illinois; Radish; Ron Wolford, et al.
• "The Garden Primer"; Barbara Damrosch; 2008

Resources

• Recipe Tips: All About Radishes