Quick start ⚡ Quick start info for sowing radishes ⚡
🌱 Sowing & planting
Radish ( Raphanus sativus ) is one of the quickest and easiest crops to grow in the vegetable garden. It's ideal for filling beds and giving beginning gardeners a quick harvest.
- Sowing depth: 0.5–2 cm. For round radishes, sow shallowly (closer to 0.5 cm), and for medium-sized varieties, sow 1–2 cm deep.
- Sowing distance: approximately 3 cm between plants, 10–12 cm between rows.
- Sowing method: always sow in situ (in a greenhouse or in the open ground) wherever you intend to harvest.
- Germination temperature: from approximately 8 °C.
- Germination time: 🕒 5–7 days in good conditions.
- Growth cycle: 🕒 30–45 days from sowing to harvest, depending on season and variety.
- Planting out: n/a – radishes are always sown directly.
- Crop structure: Sow small rows every 2–3 weeks for a continuous harvest.
📅 Growing times throughout the year
You can grow radishes for a large part of the year. The earliest crops are grown under glass, but later everything can be grown outdoors in the open ground.
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Early under glass (greenhouse/greenhouse):
Sow under glass from late January to late March . Harvest from mid-March to mid-May . -
Early open ground:
Sow outdoors from March to mid-April . Harvest from late April to early June . -
Summer/Autumn (open ground):
Sow outdoors from early May to August . Harvest from mid-June to mid-October .
Radishes are at their best in early spring and late summer . During the hottest summer months, radishes bolt more quickly, and the tubers become pungent and woody more quickly.
Basic information about radish ( Raphanus sativus )
- Crop group: cabbage crop.
- Crop family: Cruciferous family.
- Height: about 10–20 cm.
- Root system: root depth 12–20 cm.
- Frost resistance: not really frost hardy – light cold is possible, but avoid real frost.
- Fertilization: Radish doesn't require heavy fertilization. A light base fertilizer is sufficient. Pay particular attention to sufficient potassium – a handful of all-purpose fertilizer granules can help support growth.
- Soil: Loose, stone-free, well-drained soil with a pH of about 5.5–6.8.
Location & water requirements
- Sun: 🌤️ Partial shade to moderate sun (as indicated by the two suns). In midsummer, avoid direct sunlight all day to prevent bolting.
- Watering requirements: 💧💧 Keep evenly moist. No puddles, no dryness – fluctuating moisture results in extremely spicy and bursting radishes.
- The soil must also be free of stones to get nice, smooth tubers.
Good neighbors and bad neighbors
✅ Good neighbors
- Spinach
- Salad
- Chervil
- Cucumber
- Tomato
❌ Bad neighbors
- Anise
- Cabbage varieties
- turnip / kohlrabi
Dangers & Concerns
Radish has few pests and diseases, but can be affected by flea beetles , especially during dry periods. Keep the soil slightly moist and, if necessary, use insect netting or covering material to limit feeding on the young leaves.
🧺 Harvesting & storing
Pull the radishes out of the ground when they are nicely shaped (about 2–3 cm for round varieties, slightly larger for medium-sized ones). Don't wait too long: older radishes become woody and may split or start to flower.
Feel free to leave smaller radishes for a while to harvest later. Freshly harvested radishes are best stored briefly in the refrigerator: twist off the leaves and store in a sealed container or bag.
Nutritional value (per 100 g raw radish)
- Energy: 16 kcal
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Proteins: 1 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugars: 2 g
- Vitamins: B6 and C
- Other nutrients: calcium, magnesium, copper, potassium, folic acid and manganese
Table of Contents:
Sowing radishes in kindergarten. My first encounter with growing vegetables. Every preschooler had a little pot with their name on it; I was proud of mine with "Tom" on it. Sowing radishes, and six weeks later, we could go home, brimming with excitement, to show off what we'd grown. I didn't like them at the time, but that's changed. The feeling in your mouth when you bite into a juicy radish is divine. Sliced radishes add bite and, above all, color to your salads. Sowing a delicious radish isn't easy; you can grow radishes that burst, or you can have ones that are woody, dry, and overly spicy. In this article, I'll give you 14 tips for sowing delicious radishes.
Radishes can be ready in 21 to 35 days, depending on the variety. It's better to sow a row every three weeks than too many at once. This way, you can harvest throughout spring and autumn. 13 sowing tips:
Tip 1: Sowing radishes - Sow radishes directly in the soil where you harvest them. Do not sow in pots or trays.
Like other root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, radishes don't thrive in transplanting or prickling. Their short growth cycle (30 to 45 days) also doesn't encourage direct sowing. Sowing radishes directly in the ground or in a large container works well.
Tip 2: Radish seeds can be used for 5 years
Radish seed packets often contain tons of radishes. Don't worry, radish seeds will keep for five years. If you run out of seeds, leave a few radishes. You'll soon see them bolt and form flowers in better weather. A seed will develop inside the flowers. Harvest the plant when the seeds have turned brown and shake it out over a bucket. This way, you'll have free new seeds to plant.
