Growing Radishes: How to plant, grow and harvest radishesGrowing Radishes Radishes are members of the same family as cabbage, broccoli, collards and kale. They are more of a cool season crop and do not take long to grow. Warmer temperatures tend to make the radish The typical radish grown is the globe-shaped radish. This variety may be oblong or round. They can be a mild tasting radish or a hot radish. Colors are typically pink, red, white, purple or a combination of these colors. Early spring is the time to sow radish seeds. There are many who plant the radish between other crops such as carrots. Radishes tend to help keep the soil looser and help vegetables that are slower to sprout than they are. The seeds should be planted from ¼ inch to ½ inch into the soil. The plants should be a couple of inches apart. They will probably require thinning but you can begin to eat the radishes when they are about an inch tall.
Radishes grow so quickly that they normally do not require the use of a fertilizer. The soil that you plant the seeds in should be a good rich soil, however. They should be checked on a regular basis because they are such fast growers. This will ensure you get the tender young radishes instead of ones that have let go and become woody. If you want, you can continue growing radishes throughout the summer until the temperatures get too hot. All you have to do is plant new seeds about every 10 days. This can be done until the hot summer weather begins. Spring radishes may be grown in pots as long they have at least 4 inches of soil in which to grow. This is a good option for growing radishes if your garden has root maggots. Harvesting Radishes Growing Radishes can be harvested normally about 3 or 4 weeks after planting. The radish will peek through the soil and when they are about an inch wide, they are ready for harvest. The radish is harvested by pulling it up and this is easier done if the soil around it is loose. The spring radishes are the fastest growing type and winter radishes will take about 2 to 3 months to be ready for harvest. Storing Radishes Radishes are easy to store if you remove the tops. This should be done to keep them from drawing moisture. The spring radishes will last in the refrigerator for approximately a week and the winter radishes about two weeks if they are in a storage bag. If put in cold storage, winter radishes can last several months. Pests One of the pests of the radish is the cabbage root maggot. They are more prone to northern climates. They attack the radish by tunneling underground to the radish. Cutworms are another problem for radishes. Flea beetles eat the leaves of the radish. The actual radish is not bothered by the flea beetles. Pests can be taken care of by growing the radishes using row covers. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Try Google search now Custom Search
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