Radish Growing Guide
Radishes are quick and easy to grow cool-season crops that form rounded or long roots, typically succulent and crunchy with varying levels of pepperiness. These compact plants are suitable for even the smallest spaces and serve as excellent gap-fillers on the vegetable plot. There are four main types: Salad radishes (small, fast-growing for raw eating), Winter radishes (larger, slower-growing for cooking, with edible leaves), Oriental radishes (long, white tapering roots, eaten raw or cooked), and Edible-podded radishes (grown for their spicy seed pods).
This guidance applies to the crop in general. Individual varieties and local conditions can differ.
Planting information
Radishes are easy to grow from seed sown outdoors. Sow salad radishes in spring, early summer, and late summer for best results, avoiding hot, dry weather which can cause bolting. Sow seeds 1cm deep and 2.5–5cm apart, with 15cm between rows. For an early crop, sow from February in pre-warmed soil, protected with cloches. Sow winter radishes in July or August about 2cm deep, spacing seeds (or thinning seedlings) to 15–20cm apart, with 15cm between rows. Oriental radishes are sown similarly to winter radishes in spring and summer. Edible-podded radishes thrive in hot weather; sow seeds 1cm deep and 10cm apart. Regular small sowings provide continuous harvests. Short-rooted salad radishes can also be sown in large containers (at least 30cm wide and deep) filled with peat-free multi-purpose compost.
Harvesting information
Salad radishes are best harvested young, in as little as four weeks from germination, when the roots are about 2.5cm in diameter and mildly peppery. Early sowings may take six to eight weeks. If left too large or old, they can become pithy, hot, and inedible. Pull as required and eat fresh. Winter radishes can be left in the ground and dug up as needed through winter, or lifted in November. They stay crisp and don't turn woody even when large. Oriental radishes are harvested in late summer and autumn, taking at least eight weeks to mature, often reaching 30cm or more. Edible-podded radishes produce plentiful supplies over many weeks; pick the long, pointed pods when young, crisp, and peppery. Regular picking encourages more pods; remove any over-ripe pods to promote new formation.
Storage information
Winter radishes can be lifted in November and stored in a fridge or a similarly cool place. Other types are generally best consumed fresh; salad radishes are pulled as required, and oriental radishes last well if left in the ground.