How to Grow Radishes: Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Guide
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Few vegetables reward a gardener’s patience faster than radishes. Sprinkle in a row of seeds today, and before the month is out, you’ll be pulling these spicy, colorful roots out of the ground!
Radishes germinate in days and mature in mere weeks making them the ultimate quick-win crop. Follow this step-by-step guide to plant, care for, and harvest perfect radishes all season long.
Why Grow Radishes?
Fast-growing: Most radish varieties are ready to harvest in 20 to 30 days. That’s a quick growing veggie that gives you a nearly instant reward!
Cold-Hardy: Ideally, radishes prefer to grow during the cooler parts of the growing season, usually in the spring and fall depending where you live. When temperatures reach 70°F (21°C), planting should be suspended until temps cool back down.
Space-saving: Radishes are small, so they are great for planting between slow-growing plants (carrots, brassicas) as a “catch crop,” or a fast-growing crop planted between the harvest of your main crop.
Cost-effective: Radishes are fairly inexpensive seed, and you tend to get a lot of them! One packet can last you the entire spring and fall growing seasons.
Soil Helper: Because radishes are a root crop, they help to loosen the soil for neighboring plants. Plant radishes as a “companion plant” to carrots or beets, who prefer a sandy, loose soil to develop long and thick roots.
Best Radish Varieties to Try
There are different types of radishes for different seasons, both “spring” and “winter.” Some varieties do not tolerate heat as well. You will notice that some varieties mention how spicy or mild they are. In my experience, the smaller radishes are less spicy than the big ones!
Easy-to-Grow Radishes:
Crunchy King: 23 days to maturity; classic round red radish that’s often blemish-free. Slower maturing rate than other varieties for a long harvest window— this is my favorite variety to grow!
Easter Egg: 25 to 30 days to maturity; A fun blend mix of colorful roots in pink, red, purple, and white. They mature at different rates, and are on the mild side. This is a big favorite to grow with kids!
French Breakfast: 20 to 25 days to maturity; One of the most popular varieties, this is a farmer’s market staple. Roots are spicy and elongated with a pink top and white taproot.
Rover: 20 days to maturity; another classsic red variety, Rover matures early and has uniform roots. It produces perfectly round radishes!
Pearl: 28 to 30 days to maturity; a bright white round radish, unlike many other varieties! Moderately spicy and a little bit sweet.
Summit (Daikon Dupe): 55 days to maturity; a Korean type radish similar to a Daikon, which is crisp and spicy. It’s a perfect variety for preserving in kimchi or drying.
Watermelon or Rose Heart: 50 days to maturity; a beautiful radish with a green outer skin and bright pink-red flesh. They have large tops and a sweet flavor. They are often used for pickling or fresh eating on colorful salads.
When and Where to Plant Radishes
Radishes can be grow just about anywhere, as they grow quickly and do not take up much space. They can even be grown in containers! Radishes prefer full sun but can also grow in partial shade, especially in hot climates. You want to look for a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.
Timing Tips:
Spring Planting: Sow 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date with soil temperature around between 45°F (7°C).
Fall Planting: Sow 8 to 10 weeks before your first expected fall frost. Cooler nights are better for crisp roots!
Succession Planting: Every 7 to 10 days for a steady harvest in the spring and fall/winter.
Best Growing Conditions:
Sun: 6+ hours of sunlight per day (light afternoon shade in hot climates)
Soil: Loose, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0; remove stones and rocks for uniform roots.
Containers: They can be grown in containers that are at least 6-inches (15-cm) deep.
Tools & Supplies You Will Need
Radish Seeds — Choose the proper type for your season!
Garden bed, pot, or shallow container — Radishes prefer to be direct sown into the soil and should not be transplanted. If you are planting in containers, make sure they are at least 6-inches (15-cm) deep.
Shower head watering can or drip line — Radishes are a root crop, so getting water as close to the root as possible is ideal.
Floating Row Cover — This is an optional tool, but it can be incredibly useful. If you are wanting to prevent insects from eating little holes in your radish greens (they are edible!), then a floating row cover can be your best option. This keeps insects from getting to your greens without using any sprays. You will also need these wire hoops to support your row cover.
Shade Cloth (optional) — This is an optional tool that can be useful in the summer heat to help keep your radishes cool and prevent bolting during the warmest weather.
Garden scissors — for cutting off the long taproots and greens.
How to Plant radishes
Prepare your bed or container by gently loosening soil and removing weeds. Rake in 1-inch (2.5-cm) compost for a nutritious start.
Sow seeds 1/2-inch (1-cm) deep and 1-inch (2.5-cm) apart in rows that are 6-inches (15-cm) apart.
Cover seeds with 1/2-inch (1-cm) soil.
Water gently with a fine mist or rose-headed watering can. Keep soil consistently moist until germination (3 to 5 days).
Thin seedlings once they have 1 to 2 true leaves, gently pull out or clip back any crowded seedlings, spacing them 2-inches (5-cm) apart. The thinnings can be enjoyed as microgreens on your salad or burger!
Schedule Succession Plantings: Plant more rows of radishes every 7 to 10 days for a continuous harvest.
Care tips for radishes
Moisture: Water your radishes evenly for tender roots. Radishes that go through dry spells can be spongey and pithy. On the flip side, over-watering radishes can result in roots that will rot. Even, consistent moisture is the key.
Mulch: Mulch can help keep your soil evenly moist without having to water as often. It also helps to keep pests like root maggots away and competing weeds down. You can mulch with straw or grass clippings.
Fertilizer: Avoid fertilizers that are high in nitrogen or fresh manure, which encourages lush foliage. This draws the plant’s focus away from developing nice roots. Instead, use an aged compost to enrich the soil before planting.
Pests: Flea beetles and root maggots are the biggest pests for radishes. To keep these pests away, use a lightweight floating row cover over the radishes from the first day of planting. Compost enriched with wood ash around the roots can help keep root maggots away.
Harvesting Radishes
Harvesting radishes is fairly easy, though there are a few tips that can be really helpful so that your roots stay fresh and crisp for weeks in the fridge!
Check Size: Be sure to check your seed packet; different varieties have different maturity rates and size recommendations. Most radishes are ready to harvest as soon as the roots are approximately 1-inch (2.5-cm) in diameter.
Harvest Promptly: Harvest roots as soon as they have reached their final size. The longer you leave roots in the ground, the more woody and excessively spicy they become— so be quick about it for crisp, crunchy radishes!
Pull Gently: Grasp the top near the root and pull gently out of the ground. If your soil has become compact, gently loosen the soil with a garden fork.
Trim Tops & Taproots: Once the radishes have been pulled, quickly trim off the taproots and greens. If you are growing radishes to sell at market, you may choose to leave the tops on. Just know that the green tops and taproots draw moisture away from the root, which can make your radishes squishy.
Wash Quickly: After trimming down the tops and the thin root tail, wash the radishes as soon as possible. The longer the roots have dirt on them as they dry out, the harder it is to scrub the dirt off of the skin. Wash the roots in cold water with a gentle vegetable brush to remove dirt.
Storage Tips
Short-Term Storage: Store washed roots in produce containers or zip-top bags in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. They can also be stored in a bowl of water in the refrigerator— this is a great way to keep the roots super crunchy! Just change the water out every few days. They will keep for about 7 to 14 days.
Long-Term Storage: To store your radishes long-term, you can quick pickle, lacto-ferment, or store winter varieties in damp sand at 34°F (1°C).
Storing Green Radish Tops: You can store the greens separately from the radishes for about 1 week. Wash the greens and dry in a salad spinner. Then, store in a produce bag or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.
Troubleshooting & Tips
| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cracked roots | Uneven watering | Keep moisture levels consistent and even; use mulch like straw or grass clippings to retain moisture |
| Hot, woody flesh | Old age or heat | Harvest radishes when they are younger; sow seeds in cooler seasons |
| Tiny holes in leaves | Flea beetles | Apply row cover at planting to prevent flea beetles from eating the leaves |
| Wilted/Stunted plants; off-color leaves; larvae feeding on roots | Cabbage root maggots | Use cabbage collars (cardboard, tar paper) around base of plants; Rotate crops in the future to reduce maggot populations; Apply row cover at planting to prevent adult flies from laying eggs on plants; Delay planting until after first flight of adult flies (mid-May) |
| Wilted/stunted plants; yellow leaves; swollen or distorted roots | Clubroot (fungus) | Destroy the infected plants; "bake" soil in the sun for a few weeks; amend the soil and restore the pH; rotate crops to prevent the spread to more brassicas |
| Spindly roots, big tops | Too much nitrogen | Skip the nitrogen-rich fertilizer and amend soil with compost before planting |
Final Thoughts
Radishes are the gardener’s instant-gratification crops— perfect for growing with kids, beginner gardeners, or anyone looking to add a speedy harvest to their kitchen garden rotation. All you need is a small patch of soil and some seeds to enjoy crisp, colorful roots in under a month. Enjoy sowing a row or two and see how quickly small efforts can yield big (and tasty) rewards!
xoxo Kayla
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Radishes germinate in days and mature in weeks—making them the ultimate quick-win crop. Follow this step-by-step guide to plant, care for, and harvest perfect radishes all season long.