Growing Radishes: Fast, Cool-Season Roots for Continuous Harvest

Radishes at a roadside market. Annette McCarthy

Radishes are hardy, cool-season vegetables with rapid maturity, allowing multiple crops per season. Plant spring and fall; suspend in summer heat. Very easy to grow.

Planting Radishes

• 4–6 weeks before average last frost, after aged manure/organic fertilizer worked in.
• Direct sow ½–1 inch deep, 1 inch apart, rows 12 inches apart.
• Thin to ~2 inches—crowded plants fail.
• Need sun. Shade (even from neighboring plants) → energy into leaves, not roots.
• Three-year crop rotation.
• Consecutive plantings every 2 weeks in cool weather for continuous harvest.
• Fall planting: later than any root crop in late summer/early fall still yields harvest.

Care

• Well-drained soil, consistent moisture. Evenly moist, not waterlogged.
• Thin to ~1 inch apart at 1 week old—amazing results.

Pests and Diseases

• Cabbage Root Maggot
• Clubroot

Harvest and Storage

• Ready as early as 3 weeks for some varieties.
• Don’t leave past maturity—condition deteriorates fast.
• Cut tops short, wash, dry thoroughly. Store in plastic bags in fridge.
• Radish greens stored separately up to 3 days.

Recommended Varieties

• ‘French Breakfast’: late-maturing, tolerates moderate heat.
• ‘Burpee White’: spring, white skin.
• ‘Rat Tail Radish Pods’: especially tasty.

Wit & Wisdom

Don’t fear 5-year-old seeds—many germinate.

Recipes

• Radishes with Butter & Salt
• Radishes in Cream
• Red Radish Soup

Cooking Notes