How to Grow Radishes

How to Grow Radishes

Radishes spice up salads and vegetable trays. Their color adds appeal to many dishes, and makes them a very desirable garnish. Their sharp, zippy taste livens up salads, and are great with dips and dressings. Radishes are fast and easy growing. In addition, they take up little space in your garden. As a result, it is very popular in the back yard garden.

Tip: Radish seeds germinate in a matter of days. Many gardeners put a few radish seeds amongst the rows of carrots and other vegetables that take a long period to germinate. This "marks" the rows. As the carrot crop begins to grow, you can either pull and discard the radish, or pull and eat them (We much prefer the latter!).

Even though many kids do not like them, they are a great crop. They are easy to grow, perhaps the fastest to harvest of all vegetables. With a harvest in as little as twenty days, young gardeners are quickly rewarded for their efforts.

Varieties:

• There are a wide variety of radishes.
• Colors are red or white.
• While the most popular radishes are round, the french varieties are cylindrical, resembling a small carrot, but less tapered at the tip.

Sowing Radish Seeds:

Sow radish seeds 1/2 inch deep. Space them 1 1/2 to two inches apart. Separate rows eight to ten inches apart. We recommend double rows, with wider rows between the double rows to afford easy access. 

Tip: Broadcast spreading is also common, and easy to do. Prepare a square or rectangular area and spread the seed out across the entire area. Then, lightly sprinkle loose soil over the area.

Thin seedlings to two inches apart in all directions. Radishes do not like to be crowded, and will not bulb properly if overcrowded by other radishes or weeds. Weeding is also important to proper bulb growth. Most growers don't give much thought to weeding because of their quick growth, but it is important for proper bulb growth.

Succession planting every two weeks will result in radishes all season long! Note, you may want to skip the mid-summer weeks, as radishes will not perform well in high heat. Like many other vegetables, they tend to bolt in hot weather.

Days to Maturity:

20 to 30 days. Note, some cylindrical varieties may require longer.

How to Grow Radishes:

Radishes will grow in average soils. Like other vegetables, they will respond to rich, well drained soil. While preparing your garden space, work the soil six inches or more if you are growing the long, cylindrical varieties. Add fertilizer while working the soil. Make sure to remove rocks and stones.

After the seeds germinate, thin rows to avoid crowding.

Keep rows weeded, especially in the first week or two.

Make sure to provide ample water.

Tip: Radishes will sometimes bolt or fail to form a bulb. The most common causes of this are crowding and insufficient amounts of water. 

Insects and Pests:

Sucking and chewing insects can sometime infest the leaves, but not overall growth of the radish.

Root maggots can enter the roots, destroying the crop. If this occurs, plant future crops in a different location.

Disease of Radishes:

Few diseases affect radishes in their short growth cycle.

Hardiness:

While radishes thrive in cooler weather, they do not take a liking to frost. You can plant seeds just before the last frost date. If frost warnings are posted, cover them up at night.

Credit by : http://www.gardenersnet.com