Radish (Raphanus sativus)
Radishes add a delicious crunch to salads, are a great snack on their own dipped in salt and, for the more adventurous, the hotter winter varieties make a great addition to stews and can even be pickled.
The summer varieties come in a bewildering range of colours (red is the most common but white, purple, yellow and even black varieties are available) and can be mild to really quite hot, the winter varieties tend to be white and are generally hotter
Because they are so quick to grow - 4 weeks from sowing to harvest - they are an ideal child's plot crop. Get them to draw picture or their initial in a seed bed then sow the seeds along the lines.
| Soil | |
|---|---|
| Stony |  |
| Light |  |
| Loamy | |
| Heavy | |
| pH | 6.5 - 7.5 |
| Manure | |
| Previous crop | |
| Previous autumn | |
| Before planting | |
| Position | |
| Full sun | |
| Partial shade | |
| Shade |  |
| Exposure | |
| Open | |
| Sheltered | |
Summer varieties
sow under cloches
Between plants: 3cm Between rows: 15cm
Sow thinly (thick sowings produce small roots) 1-2cm deep at weekly or fortnightly intervals. Thinning is generally unnecessary.
sow outdoors
Between plants: 3cm Between rows: 15cm
Sow thinly (thick sowings produce small roots) 1-2cm deep at weekly or fortnightly intervals. Thinning is generally unnecessary. Water little and often in dry periods to avoid splitting and the overly hot and woody roots that dry conditions can produce.
harvest
Harvest as soon as they have reached full size otherwise radishes can become woody and overly hot.
Winter varieties
sow outdoors
Between plants: 23cm Between rows: 30cm
Sow two to three seeds 1-2cm deep at every station and thin to the strongest when large enough to handle. In warmer areas, delay sowing until towards the end of the period to avoid problems with bolting.
harvest
Lift like parsnips as needed throughout the winter, bearing in mind that it may be worth lifting and storing a few before the heavy frosts make digging difficult.
