Great Tasting Radishes in 5 Easy Steps

Radishes; They are easy to grow and you have plenty of varieties to choose from. With these tips I am about to give you, you will be well on your way to adding them to your home vegetable garden.

My dad, whom I give credit to for introducing me to vegetable gardening, is a huge fan of radishes. They would always be the first vegetable to go in the ground, and he would continue to plant and harvest them throughout the year for as long as the weather would allow.

Besides loving the taste of them, he also said they were very easy to grow, which made planting radishes much more enjoyable to add to the home vegetable garden. Here are his tips that he passed along to me, for growing great radishes in the backyard.

Sow your radish seeds no deeper than a half inch. They are fairly small in size and any deeper than a half inch would make it hard for the seed to push through the soil. A rule of thumb is, the smaller the seed the more shallow you should plant it.

Because radish seeds germinate well in a wide range of soil temperatures there really is no need to start them indoors. Simply wait until the fear of frost in your area has subsided and then go ahead and sow them directly in your garden.

You want to give your radishes plenty of room to grow, expand and thrive. That is why you should space your radish seeds out four inches for small varieties and six inches for the larger ones. That is ample room for them.

Even though radishes will tolerate light shade, try to plant them where they will receive full sun. You will see your best yields if your radishes can get sunlight throughout the day.

Finally, make sure you water your radishes evenly. A daily watering of the same amount should do it. When in doubt, invest in a good soil moisture tester to help you along.

You will know when it’s time to harvest radishes as their tops will pop up through the soil. For the best flavor, do not harvest until you are ready to consume. Radishes make a great addition to salads, soups and stews. They are also very easy to grow and one pack of seeds can yield anywhere from 75 to 150 radishes.

About the Author
Michael C. Podlesny is a contributing writer for Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC the exclusive home for the Seeds of the Month Club.