How to Grow Radishes: Quick and Easy Guide for Harvesting Peppery Roots

Those leaves are large already, plus wilted, probably not going to be very tasty. Try doing radish as microgreens if you want to eat the greens. They are extremely nutritious as well as tasty. Ready to eat in about 7-9 days after planting & can be grown year round in your home.

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Hi Sandra,
There are a few reasons why your radishes are not growing properly. Radishes are sensitive to overcrowding, so when they are young (1 to 2 inches high), it's important to thin them to give them at least 2 inches of space between each plant. Another possibility is your soil may be compacted or dense. Radishes need soft, loose, and well-draining soil to be able to grow properly. Also, at this point in the growing season, the radishes may be bolting (going to seed). The reason for the large tops may be that they are growing a seed stalk, which will tripple the height of the plant. Try growing another crop of radishes in late summer/early fall, when the weather begins to cool again!

do radishes come in different varities

You got it: the spacing is meant for traditional rows that you'd need to walk between. If you're growing in a raised bed or container, however, feel free to plant rows closer together.

Problem as above. Planted in ten inch pots .Potting mix used for soil.

Do you plant the radishes in the same part/place in your garden every year? Per above, you should only put them in the same spot every three years. Has the soil got enough organic matter? How's the pH? Excess acidity and excess nitrogen in the soil will slow the formation of radishes. Test for either or both of these conditions. Has the weather been uncommonly warm? Too hot conditions will cause early bolting. Crowded conditions will halt formation of a root bulb too. Any of this sound like you?

These varieties mature 20 to 30 days from seeding and can be grown in spring or fall. 

'Cherry Belle' - This globe- to round-shaped variety has bright red skin and white flesh. Popular with home gardeners. 

'Early Scarlet Globe' - This classic globe-shaped, red-skinned, and white-fleshed variety features a mild, crisp flavor.

'D'Avignon'- This French breakfast-type radish is elongated, with red skin and a white tip. It withstands some hot weather without getting pithy.

'Sparkler'- A globe-shaped, red-skinned variety with a white tip, 'Sparkler' has white, crisp flesh

'White Icicle'- This slender, 4-inch-long, white radish is mild flavored and tender.

Hi, Burppee, Your question is answered above. "Though the soil needs to be rich in organic matter, it can not be compacted. If your soil is more clay-like, mix in some sand to loosen it and improve drainage. And till your garden bed to remove any rocks before planting. If your soil isn't rich in organic matter, incorporate a few inches of aged compost or all-purpose fertilizer (see packaging for amount) into the planting site as soon as the soil is workable."

watering radishes reply Submitted by Almanac Staff on June 12, 2017 - 10:44am Watering depends on your type of soil. Right after planting, water seeds thoroughly as you’ll want moist soil down to 6 inches deep. Keep seeds moist until they sprout. Thin the plants to an inch apart soon after they come up. In normal weather and with normal soil, radishes should get an inch of water per week. (A trick: Put out an empty can of tuna and measure how much rain water falls to see if you get an inch.) In hot and dry weather, you’ll probably need to water more often. To see if soil is moist, put your finger in the soil up the first knuckle. It should feel moist, not dry.

A couple of things could be at play here: Raised bed soil tends to heat up sooner than ground soil. Radishes are a cool season—and soil—crop, and you may have gotten them in after the soil warmed. Soil is often the culprit when vegetables/edibles fail to thrive. Radishes prefer sandy loam with a pH ot 6.6–7.0; below 6.5 lime should be added. Too-low pH (for turnips) can also result in clubroot, a fungus that causes cruciferous crops (of which turnip is one) to fail to form. Warm soil, high soil moisture, and acidity (low pH) favor the presence of the fungus. Spores can live in the soil for up to 20 years—but can also become inactive/nonviable after a 2-year respite from the host crop. This points to the importance of rotating crops, or, at least not planting the same thing in the same place year after year.

We hope this helps!

This article was actually written and edited by multiple authors, all of whom are Almanac editors. Perhaps you could get away with citing the "Editors of The Old Farmer's Almanac" as the author!

You're on the right track. Nine times out of ten (an unofficial statistic ;-)) the failure of plants to thrive is due to unsuitable soil conditions. In this case, fertilizer is not rhe solution. The soil pH is likely too low. Radishes like neutral pH, betw 6 and 7. See more about this and how to correct it: https://www.almanac.com/content/soil-ph-levels

And the soil may be too wet, possibly too cold.

All of these circumstances lead to plant/seed failure via a fungal disease.

Before you plant anything else, you should have a soil test (why experience more failure?). See here: https://www.almanac.com/blog/gardening/garden-journal/soi...

It's possible that, this early in the season, you could correct the soil and try again. Or at least have a plan B (containers, for example).

We hope this helps!

When growing radishes in Alaska, choose varieties that thrive there, such as: Cherry Belle, Burpee White, Chinese White, and Champion.
Direct seed radishes in the ground (not inside) up to two weeks before the last killing frost. Yes, radishes can be planted before the danger of frost is past if the ground is workable!

In Alaska, it is very important to thin or your radishes will grow luxuriant tops and no bottoms. Thin radishes at one inch.

A red stem can happen and isn't anything to be concerned about. Just make sure you "thin" out your radishes so they're not crowded.

Yes, radish thinnings are edible! Some people like to add them to salads. The thinnings can be replanted, as long as you have carefully extracted them from the soil and their roots, leaves, and stem are intact. They might be a little more stressed than the seedlings remaining in the ground, but in most cases, they should recover. Sometimes, though, it is better to snip off thinnings at the soil line, so as not to disturb the roots of those seedlings that you'd like to keep. In those cases, the thinnings would not survive--toss these into salads and enjoy!

This is not a common problem. What variety did you plant?

Watering depends on your type of soil. Right after planting, water seeds thoroughly as you'll want moist soil down to 6 inches deep. Keep seeds moist until they sprout. Thin the plants to an inch apart soon after they come up. In normal weather and with normal soil, radishes should get an inch of water per week. (A trick: Put out an empty can of tuna and measure how much rain water falls to see if you get an inch.) In hot and dry weather, you'll probably need to water more often. To see if soil is moist, put your finger in the soil up the first knuckle. It should feel moist, not dry.

Anthony, you should keep the straw on your new lawn until the blades reach 2 to 3 inches. Find more lawn care tips here: http://www.almanac.com/content/basic-lawn-care-fertilizin...">http://www.almanac.com/content/basic-lawn-care-fertilizin...

How many seeds you plant will depend on the size of your garden and how much you like radishes. :0) Recommended spacing is to plant seeds about an inch apart, and then when they sprout, to thin them to about 2  or 3 inches apart. This is a general guideline for spring radishes (which are planted in early spring, and sometimes also in late summer/early fall). Winter types, which are larger, can even be thinned to about 4 or 5 inches apart (these are often planted in summer for a fall harvest, and take longer to mature). No matter what type you plant, you will see the leaves (also called tops or greens) grow above the soil while the swollen root will develop mostly below the soil. However, you may see the upper part of this root poking out above the soil. The swollen root may be round, or cylindrical like a carrot, depending on what type of radish you grow. For spring radishes, harvest as soon as it is mature; check the days to maturity on the seed packet for an idea; for spring radishes, usually they are ready when the roots are about 1 inch across or a little more. If left too long in the ground, they will get tough. Winter radishes can keep in the ground for a few weeks after they are mature, if the weather is cool (but harvest before frost). Hope this helps!

you can plant as many as you want as long as you have enough room

How big a pot would depend on how many radishes you'd like to grow in one container. The pot should be at least 6 inches deep (4 inches may do for the smaller types of radishes). Make sure that the container has drainage holes. Check the recommended spacing for the radish variety that you'd like to grow, and then you can plan the width of the pot. Window boxes often do well, for example.

Radish prefer a pH of 5.8 to 6.8. They also need well-drained, loose soil high in organic matter, no stones, and plenty of moisture.

What fertilizer you use will depend in part on your soil's pH. Asparagus does best in soil about 6.5 to 7.0, but also does well up to 8.0.

Compost and aged manure are helpful when preparing beds. When the first year's growth just starts in early spring, add a fertilizer with a balanced ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or, as some gardeners prefer, add fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. Bone meal might be included in the mix. For established plants, side dress with balanced fertilizer just after harvest in late spring/early summer. If fronds look yellow in their prime, you can use a fertilizer a little higher in nitrogen. Be sure the fertilizer does not touch established plants, or it may burn them. Follow manufacturer's instructions. Adding compost each year, and mulch, will help keep plants happy.

For more information about asparagus, see: http://www.almanac.com/plant/asparagus

Hi NJ,

There are several experiments that you can do with fast-growing radishes to teach students about plants. Search online for "radish" and "classroom" and similar keywords for some ideas. Depending on the age of the students, you might consider experiments such as demonstrating how plants turn toward the light or roots toward the water, what does the plant do in darkness/why does it need light?, the germination process (take a time-lapse video? make drawings of the stages? do the seeds germinate better in warm temperatures or cold? in light or dark?), growing radishes in a raised bed or container to have kids learning about the process of gardening and talk about where our vegetables come from, what are those baby leaves called (cotyledons) and what do they do? How do radish varieties differ (grow several to demonstrate)? . . . There are lots of fun activities! Hope this helps!

It's hard to know, especially without seeing a picture. Have you noticed any pests, such as thrips? Pests that suck sap can sometimes leave tissue with silvery spots. Fungal troubles may also do this. Has there been any extreme temperatures? Environmental conditions can also cause leaves to become spotted. Sometimes pesticides, or just a droplet of water left on a leaf in the hot sun can damage tissue.

Hi, Melissa: All is not lost! Just grow these indoors, making sure to follow the proper procedures for light, water, and thinning. Then plant your second crop outdoors when the time is right. Way to get a head start on things, and thanks for asking!

Some radishes may show a little above the soil but others might be hidden. You can dig gently around the root and check how large it is. In general, radishes should be about 1 inch in diameter, but it will depend on the variety--the seed packet will also tell you how many days to harvest for that particular variety, so that you will have a guideline. If a radish is left in the ground too long, it will become pithy and the flavor will become hot.

When you water radishes depends on your soil and the weather. In general, the soil needs to stay consistently moist. Otherwise, the radishes will get too spicy. Put your finger in the soil to your knuckle and make sure it's moist at that level. Radishes need to be watered every week in dry spells.

Radishes do self-seed. You need to pull them out as soon as you see them. Do NOT wait until they form flowers and seed again. "Weed" them ruthlessly until they are eliminated.

Hyuk Ro, You will need to remove all seedlings except 1 per 2 inch area. I do the same thing with lettuce, or other small-seed varieties, where they start to grow in small clusters. Now is the time to make sure there is just 1 plant per cluster (preferably the healthiest, strongest looking seedling). Just grab the others by the thumb and forefinger, and gently lift them out. If all sprouts come along as you thin, just return one that is still intact back to its hole. Hope this helps. -Eric

It might be OK, if you allow enough space between the radish bed and the bitter melon. If you will be using trellising for the bitter melons (these are vigorous vines), be sure that it won't block the light of the radishes (on the north side might work best). If the radishes and bitter melon are planted around the same time (and you don't plan succession plantings), the radishes will mature much faster and be harvested (around 3 to 4 weeks, depending on variety) by the time the bitter melons are forming flowers (about 5 to 6 weeks). Bitter melon harvest may be in about 2 to 4 months, depending on variety.

Radishes and carrots do not spread very well. However, yams and sweet potatoes do. Remember that they prefer warm weather (so plant after last danger of frost), but they are vines that need several feet in at least one direction for their vines and large leaves. They are low-lying, so don't plant where other plants will give them too much shade.

Depending on how deep the seeds were planted, the soil temperature, the age of the seeds, their health, how closely they were planted, and other factors, they may take about 3 to 12 days to emerge. Hopefully, yours will come up in the next few days!

Yes, one seed produces one radish.  You do want to plant extra seeds to make sure they "take."  Plant 2 to 3 seeds per inch--and a week after you see the sprouts, then thin down to one seeding per inch.

The most common cause of radishes growing only tops is hot weather. Also planting too thickly and not thinning between plants will causes radishes not to develop. Radishes can handle a little shade but need several hours of direct sun light to develop.

If the radishes have been in the soil all summer they may not taste very good. Usually the radishes get "woody" and dry after they have bolted. You can taste them and see if they are edible. If they taste OK you can use them in pickles.

Thank you. This plant page was first published in January of 2010. As it's a "living" Web page, it's probably been updated since then.

Radishes are best picked when relatively young and small (usually staring when roots are less than 1 inch in diameter) or they get spongy and taste hot. If your radishes are splitting, then they are getting too old.  You also want to provide consistent moisture as uneven bouts could also cause splitting.

I left some radish bulbs in the ground just to see what would happen. They flowered (very pretty little white and pink flowers) and then once the flowers dropped off little pods formed. I opened a pod yesterday and inside was a small round seed. I am going to treat the pods like peas or beans and let them grow until they start to dry out and then pullup the entire plant, seperate the seeds from the pods and let them dry before storing them for the summer. This is all off the top of my head, hope it helps give you some ideas.

They may have depleted the calcium if you plant them in the same place year after year,try adding ground up egg shells to the bed

You may wish to bring a sample to your cooperative extension service office. Radishes rarely have pests or problems. The only time the root can have a black color (unless it's meant to be a black radish) is black rot, which starts at the root. This is caused by a soil-borne fungus. The solutions are crop rotations every 3 to 4 years (so do not plant radishes in this spot for a while!) and good soil drainage so they don't get wet feet. The long-rooted radish are more prone to this disease; the rounded types are usually safer.

The main trick to having milder radish flavor (versus hot and spicy) is to harvest them as soon as they're mature. Don't leave them in the ground or they get hot and woody. In addition, they taste better when you grow them in cooler weather and keep the ground moist. Otherwise, you get what you get!  Frankly, they grow SO quickly that you can seed every few weeks.The best time for Florida is September through March.

What's wrong with spicy?

Radishes can become stronger in flavor and pithy in warmer temperatures. With the longer daylength and warmer temperatures, they also bolt (send up a flower stalk) faster; in this case, the growth of the radish root slows. Radish plants like air temperatures between 50 and 65, ideally. Some cultivars are more heat tolerant. Perhaps the best you can do is try to keep them cool; use row covers or similar during the hottest part of the day. Keep the soil consistently moist (not soggy). Be sure to thin them to recommended spacing so as not to stress the plants with overcrowding (pinch seedlings off at the base, rather than pulling them up). A Kansas Cooperative Extension article recommends planting in mid- to late March and early September, so if this crop doesn't fair well, you'll at least have another opportunity for a fall crop.

Yikes, Ken! Most radishes are cool-weather plants that like 55°F to 85°F for germination and 50°F to 65°F for growing. Hot temps can cause radishes to bolt (go to seed) quickly. If they do grow, the radishes are liable to be bitter and ... well ... hot. At the very least, wait till it cools off at least a little. Better yet, try to find a hybrid that works fine in heat, such as Rover.

We're Curious, too! Where in western Canada are you? As you may know, planting times are based (among other things) more on north-south location than east-west. Go to "Gardening" above and click on "Best Planting Dates for Seeds." Then enter your town and province to get the ranges for a number of veggies. Also check out "Frost Dates Calculator" to get your approximate growing seasons for radishes and celery. Check your seed packets for time to maturity, but in general radishes (easy to care for) take 3 to 4 weeks and celery (harder), 3 to 4 months. The short answer: Yes, get planting!

Hi John,

Horseradish is a perennial and usually planted as root cuttings. Plant in a container or in a spot where they won't be disturbed, possibly in the border of the garden. Horseradish needs little or no attention in order to thrive. It likes a sunny spot and water once a week during dry spells. You can harvest horseradish one year after planting.

Get a decent .177 or .22 cal air rifle putting out about 700fps for the 22 or 900fps for the 177 and find a hidden place to post up. While your waiting for the rabbits to show up, you can read up on how to gut and clean them and rabbit stew recipes.

Radishes aren't very picky and they should grow easily. If the roots are above the ground, your soil might be too compact. Add some sand.

They may have survived. Wait and see if they will start growing. If they come up sparse you can fill in the gaps with more seed.

The leaves are the key to growth, so your answer is no.  Harvest as soon as roots reach edible size and harvest quickly. You can use the greens, too, in many recipes.

Zero. The only time you cut the radish leaves is when you harvest the tuber itself.

It really depends on your soil type; radishes need about 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water a week. What's most important is to water consistently; avoid moisture fluctuations or you'll slow growth and get a bitter taste. You have watered enough if you can press a handful of soil into a firm ball and your finger marks make an imprint on the ball. Your hand will feel damp but not moist, the soil doesn’t stick to your hand, and the ball is pliable.

Water is very important to radishes. Always water in thw morning. If yours leaves turn yellow; you have watered too much.

See the planting information above. (Thin to about 2-inch spacings. Crowded plants will not grow well.) No, you can't transplant but you can eat the thinnings.

One way to prevent this is to lay out a long strip of toilet paper and place seeds on it. the white background makes it easier to see the seeds and the paper detiorates rapidly.

Yes, you can save radish seeds and replant unless they've been cross-pollinated.

Radishes can be eaten young -- no more than 1 inch in diameter. Radishes can bloom if the weather is too hot; some of the spring varieties do best in cool temperatures. You may need to plant this variety earlier.
Another reason that radishes don't develop is because they are seeded too closely and they are not thinned enough.

Spring radishes are ready to harvest 21 to 60 days after sowing. They mature rapidly so you do want to keep an eye on them.

The best way to determine when the radishes are ready to harvest is to simply push back a little soil to see if a bulb has grown and then pick and taste a few.

The roots are mature when they push out of the ground a little and measure about 1 inch across. 

Radishes are spicy and acidic.  However, they can be "hotter" if they are growing too slowly or they are too old. Also, select a mild variety of seed.

Radishes are a cool weather crop. In warm weather they bolt more quickly and put most of the growth into the tops. If your tops are growing and you are not getting radishes it's best to remove the plants and reseed in a shady area or wait until the weather turns colder.

Here are some ideas: Manual: Dust plants with diatomaceous earth. Biological: Rove beetles are predaceous on root maggots. Chemical: Treat with a registered insecticide. Consult with your local cooperative extension or nursery. Rotate your crops as best you can; root maggots overwinter in the soil and you want to move the host plants.

There is a radish variety that has brown skin versus red. Otherwise, if they are nice and firm inside, we don't know.

Having too high a nitrogen content in the soil is the classic issue with radish growing. The most common organic sources of phosphorus include steamed bone meal, rock phosphate, and horse, cattle, or poultry manure. Just keep in mind that natural fertilizers provide relatively low amounts of nutrients, as compared to commercial fertilizer so it's more important to have the right soil from the start. If you use fertilizer, work in about 10 to 15 pounds of 5-10-5 per 1,000 square feet of garden.

You direct seed radishes. Make sure they get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight and soil that is low nitrogen and high potassium.

Most gardeners grow one root per plant. Traditionally, radish seeds are sown directly into garden soils because they mature so quickly.

Hear Hear! It is wonderful to see the Almanac community sharing tips and advice. With so many Web pages, we editors couldn't do it all and we learn so much from our readers, too!

Keep them in water in a Tupperware bowl with about an inch or so of water. This will prevent them from cracking and also keep them moist and un-squishy! Change the water if you don't eat them after a week, mine keep in water for a few weeks like this.

You can let the radish form a seed stalk with pods (at this point, the radish itself will not be tasty to eat), and leave them on the plant to dry as long as possible. If necessary, you can pick the maturing seed stalk and hang it up in a cool, dark, dry place to finish drying. The pods will turn brown. Once the pods are fully dry and brown, you can break open the pods (you might need to use a mallet on some of the pods), gather the seeds, and store them in a container in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 4 years. (Note that this method should work fine with an heirloom variety, but if your mother plant was a hybrid, the seeds may not produce offspring with the same features.)

In general, plant radish seeds one inch apart. Some varieties will need more space; check the seed packet for recommendations for your particular variety.

In "normal" conditions, you need to check roots often for usable size (when roots are less than 1 inch in diameter) and young. Pick quickly as radishes will not remain edible for long and get spongy. If you have all tops and no bulb, the usual reasons are: 1. seeds are too crowded/lack of thinning, 2. weather too hot for spring-variety radishes.

same problem...nice plants..actually they are starting to produce seed heads..? but no bulbs just long red roots..?? can you eat radishe greens?

Just harvest radishes as soon as they reach the size you like. You may have to experiment. Pull all of them before they get tough and pithy. Trim off the tops and store in plastic bags in the refrigerator.

Radishes need to be planted one inch away from eachother to ensure that there is enough room for the roots to grow. Also, there's a chance that the soil is to acidic, causing only the leaves to grow. Next year, skip out on the fertilizer or test the pH levels of your soil to know how to properly create a more neutral soil. Thank you for your interest in the Old Farmer's Almanac and our Web site.

All tops and no bulbs is usually because 1. they were seeded too thickly/not thinned, 2. too hot for a spring variety, or 3. too much shade. Another reason is related to the soil: too much too much nitrogen and too little potassium. Radishes prefer the opposite.