Radishes

Planting radishes

Sow directly as soon as soil can be worked, and repeat every 10 days while weather stays cool. Radishes dislike heat and transplanting.

Planting details

• Thin promptly to give roots room to swell
• Spacing: 1 to 2 inches
• Seed depth: about 1/2 inch

Growing requirements

Radishes need cool weather, loose soil, and even moisture. Crowding and dry spells produce small, woody, or overly hot roots.

Harvesting and care

Pull roots as soon as they reach usable size; quality declines within days if left in the ground. Cut tops before storing so they do not draw moisture from the root.

Common mistakes

• Skipping thinning, which produces roots that never size up
• Leaving roots in the ground too long, which turns them pithy and hot
• Sowing in hot weather, which gives poor roots and fast bolting

Companion plants

Radishes mark rows for slower-sprouting carrots and beets, and loosen soil as they grow. Harvest them before taller neighbors fill in.