How to grow Radish

At a glance

🌱 Grow your Radish with GardenDex

• Reminders to water it, timed to your weather and whether it's in a pot
• Frost and disease alerts for your garden, the night before
• Follow it from seed to harvest, and see what your garden grew in $
• Point your camera at any plant or bug to identify it

🗓️ When to plant

Sow spring varieties from mid-spring through early summer, then again in late summer for autumn harvest. In mild climates, sow winter varieties in mid-autumn for winter and spring harvest.

🌰 How to plant

1. Prepare loose, weed-free soil and rake smooth.
2. Sow seeds directly 1 cm (0.5 in) deep in rows or broadcast, spacing thinly.
3. Keep soil moist until seedlings emerge (5–10 days).
4. Thin seedlings to proper spacing once they develop true leaves.

💧 Care

• Water regularly to prevent splitting and woody texture.
• Thin crowded seedlings early to allow proper root development.
• Succession sow every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvests.
• Avoid excess nitrogen, which promotes leaf growth over root development.
• Provide afternoon shade in hot climates to slow bolting.

🧺 Harvest

Pull radishes when roots are 2–5 cm (1–2 in) in diameter; they lose quality if left too long in the ground. Check by gently brushing soil away from the shoulder to assess size.

🐛 Common problems

Flea beetles: Cover young plants with row cloth and remove it once they're established; spray neem oil if damage appears.

Root maggots: Use row covers and rotate planting sites; avoid planting near other brassicas in succession.

Bolting (premature flowering): Choose bolt-resistant varieties, maintain consistent watering, and provide afternoon shade during hot periods.

🤝 Companion plants

💚 Good neighbours: Lettuce, Spinach, Peas, Carrots

⚠️ Keep apart from: Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli), Hyssop

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