Radish Planting Guide

Overview

Radishes are a quick and reliable crop, which makes them a fantastic vegetable to introduce to your school or home garden! Learn more about what makes radishes so great for fast and easy growing. Then, purchase your own radish seeds from a local garden shop or online and follow the planting instructions below.

Radish Facts

• Radishes have really great germination rates and will sprout quickly. From the day you sow your seeds to the date of harvest is typically about 4-5 weeks. It's probably the closest you can get to instant gratification with growing vegetables!
• Radishes don't required much space to grow, so they are a great crop if you don't have much growing space. In an area where you could grow a single cauliflower plant, you could grow about 15 - 20 individual radishes.
• Radishes are a great Southern California winter vegetable. They can also be grown in the early summer, or in a shadier spot in your garden (but not too shady) or in cooler locations (coastal areas) all throughout summer. However, in peak summer heat they will bolt (go to flower/seed without forming the root).
• Radishes come in many shapes, sizes and colors. French breakfast radishes are long and skinny with a nice gradient of pink to white. Daikon radishes are large, white, narrow vegetables similar to the size of a carrot. Many others like easter egg, rover, or bacchus radishes are small and round with varying colors of pink, white, red, purple and even black (nero tondo).
• Radishes are in the brassica (mustard) family which also includes kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, turnips, kohlrabi, etc.
• If radishes are left in the ground and not harvested (or if it is too hot), the plant will form seed pods. If you want to save seeds for your next round of radishes, let a few radishes go to flower/seed, wait until they brown and dry out, and then harvest the pods. Store your seeds in a cool dry place until ready to plant.

RADISH PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Plant in a sunny area in loosened soil.
2. Sow seeds 1/2" deep about 1" apart in rows that are about 3–6" apart.
3. Thin radishes to about 2" apart once they have sprouted so they aren't overcrowded.
4. Keep soil evenly moist.
5. Harvest about 4–5 weeks after seeding. The root should be about 1" diameter at soil level at time of harvest.

This program is presented with support from GrowingGreat Veggies & Fruits, a national STEM education program sponsored by Del Monte.