Easy to grow and fast Radishes are usually sown in spring and autumn. They only take around 4 weeks before they are ready to harvest and if you follow our tips on how to grow radishes, you will have the crispest sweetest you have tasted.
When you think about how to grow radishes, they do prefer the cooler ends of the season, spring and autumn, and moisture is essential for good root formation. Best sown in staggered lots so you have a continual crop, two weeks apart is ideal.
Like all root crops, radishes are best grown from seed. This avoids root disturbance.
Seeds can be sown directly about 10mm deep.
Radish prefer a sunny position in a well drained, well composted soil.
Water regularly with a liquid seaweed fertiliser.
Sow sequentially to prolong the harvest season, every three weeks or so.
One they germinate you will need to thin a little to give them room to grow.
Remember to thin them as they germinate to prevent overcrowding, and remember that they need plenty of sun.
The best fertilizer for radishes is one that is low in nitrogen to prevent excessive leaf growth. We prefer to use our own compost for radishes.
Radish should be planted while temperatures are still above 10 degrees C.
Different varieties have different qualities, some radishes have a spicy taste, such as the Spanish Black, while others are milder and crispy such as the Early Scarlet and Cherry Belle. The Daikon Radish is a popular variety, long round and white (raphanus sativus).
They also come in different shapes and colours, one of the most widely grown commercially is the Red Planet, round and red. Pink Beauty is a rounded rosey colored type. The Daikon is long and white. The watermellon is a sort of inside out variety, red on the inside and white on the outside.