How to grow Radish

Raphanus sativus

A fast-growing, cool-season root vegetable sown directly in place, best in spring and late summer. It turns pithy and hot if left too long or grown in hot weather.

Quick facts

Type	Vegetable
Family	Brassicaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	6–7
Frost	tolerates light frost
Soil for sowing	from 4 °C
Germination	5 days
Sowing to harvest	25 days
Where it grows	Open ground, At home

When to plant

It tolerates light frost: sow straight into the bed about three weeks before your last spring frost.

The first harvest comes about 25 days after the shoots appear.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	4…21 °C	—
Harvest	every 2 days	—	—

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	—	—
Harvest	every 2 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Prefers full sun, at least 6 hours a day; light shade helps in hot midsummer weather.

Soil

Loose, fertile, well-drained soil, pH 6–7. Too much nitrogen gives lush leaves at the expense of the roots.

Care

Sow 1 cm deep and 2.5–5 cm apart, or thin the seedlings to that spacing. Sow small batches every 1–2 weeks for a steady supply, avoiding hot, dry spells when plants bolt. Keep the soil evenly moist — dry spells and uneven watering make the roots woody, hot or split. Pull them as soon as they reach size, about 2.5 cm across for round types, before they crack or turn pithy.

Pests and diseases of Radish

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.