How to Grow Radishes: From Seed to Table
Last Updated on August 18, 2023
Radishes are one of the most quick-maturing, versatile, easy-to-grow crops in the garden! I think they’re also some of the most under-appreciated and underestimated of crops! Radishes make for a perfect “filler crop” between seasons or in oddball empty spaces. Since they take up so little space, they can easily be grown in containers as well as in raised garden beds, or right in the ground. Radishes are not just for salads either. They are absolutely delicious when fermented, roasted, sautéed, and added to soup or stir fry too. Furthermore, the greens are edible! Daikon greens are particularly tasty, and chock full of nutrients.
Do you want to learn how to grow radishes? Then read along! We’ll discuss the different types of radishes, best timing for planting, tips for preparing your soil, sowing seeds, proper spacing, how to thin them, when to harvest, and also several tasty ways to use radishes in the kitchen.
If you are thinking, “but I don’t even like radishes…” hear me out. I actually used to not like radishes either, at all really – until we started growing them ourselves that is! You don’t need to be a fan of their classic radish spice either. Some types are very mild and even sweet, like many daikon varieties. There are dozens of different radish varieties, colors, shapes, sizes, and flavor profiles to choose from! Despite my early life experience and disfavor for radishes, they’re one of my favorite crops to grow in the garden now!
So what do you think? Feel like giving them a go? Oh good! Let’s get started then. Make sure to check out the video all about growing radishes at the end of this post too!
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Types of Radishes: Maturation Time
Most people are familiar with the classic round radish varieties, usually just under the size of a golf ball. These guys are quicker-maturing, and can be ready to harvest in as little as 30 days after planting when grown in ideal conditions! Our favorite varieties of round, fast-developing radishes are Pink Beauty, Cherry Belle, Plum Purple, and Zlata. In addition to round radishes, some smaller cylindrical varieties also mature in a short window. Popular examples include the French Breakfast Radish, or White Icicle.
Daikon radishes, or Asian “winter” types, take a bit longer to mature. Did you know that “Daikon” is simply a class of radish, not just one variety? Many people think of daikons and immediately envision the classic long, thick white radish – like a Miyashige. Oh my gosh, they’re so good…. But know that daikons can come in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes too! A few of our top choices for daikon varieties include: Bravo, Green Luobo, Watermelon, and Miyashige. Expect these radishes to be ready to harvest in 60-90 days, depending on the variety and climate.
Planting a Little Bit of Everything
When planting radishes, we always fill a raised bed with many varieties, sowing a couple rows of each type! However, when you do this type of mixed-planting, I suggest to keep the slower-maturing radishes in one section of the bed, and the smaller, faster-maturing types grouped in another. For example, dedicating one-half of the garden bed to daikons, and the other half to round radishes.
That way, when the faster ones are ready to be harvested, you can clear that section to make space for something else! Meanwhile, the slower guys can take their time all together, out of the way. You may even be able to fit in two rounds of quick radishes during the time the daikons are maturing!
Furthermore, think about the location of the sun. Daikons get taller greens and may shade out shorter little radishes. Therefore, keep those ones “in the back”, such as on the north side of the bed if you are located in the northern hemisphere – since the majority of the sun exposure will come from the south.
When to Plant Radishes:
Radishes grow best when directly sown in place. Like most root crops, they do not take well to transplanting. Most varieties of radish prefer cooler weather, and can tolerate a very mild frost, perfect for spring and fall in most climates. Here in frost-free zone 9b/10a, we can grow them right through the winter! They do drastically slow down however, so it is best to get them sown by late fall for a winter crop.
There are also some heat-tolerant varieties that can be grown through summer, especially if they’re provided a little afternoon shade or shade cloth. The longer-maturing Asian radishes are best sown in mid to late summer for a fall to early winter harvest. When you are seed shopping, read up on the variety you’re interested in to see what type of growing conditions it prefers.
Generally speaking, radish seeds can be sown outdoors a couple weeks prior to your last spring frost date, which varies by growing zone.
Check your planting calendar to see exactly when your frost dates and suggesting planting times are. If you don’t have one already, I have you covered! The free Homestead and Chill subscriber garden planning toolkit has planting calendars for every zone. It will be emailed to you immediately upon sign-up!
Succession Planting Radishes
As a fast-maturing crop, radishes are ideal for succession planting! In case you aren’t familiar with this concept, succession planting is when new batches of a crop are planted over a staggered timeframe. For example, sowing radish seeds in March and then again a few weeks later in April. As the first batch matures and nears harvest time, the next batch is starting to come along behind it. The practice of succession planting enables you to have a sustained and steady supply of that veggie over a longer period of time.
Soil Preferences
Radishes enjoy soil that is rich with compost. They will tolerate a mild slow-release fertilizer, but do not like too much nitrogen. High-nitrogen fertilizers can lead to large radish greens, but little-to-no bulb development. Like other root crops, radishes will do best in a loose, fluffy, well-draining soil over a more compacted or rocky soil type.
Growing Radishes in Containers
If you are going to grow radishes in a container, I suggest using something more wide and shallow over one that’s tall and narrow. The more surface area to plant them, the better! That means more space for more radishes. Small round radishes could grow in as little as 6” deep, while daikon types would prefer at least 12”. For example, we have successfully grown garlic in this wide 10-gallon smart pot. Garlic has a similar need for spacing and soil depth.
When growing radishes in containers, the same type of spacing, thinning, and care described below applies just the same. However, keep in mind that some containers will dry out more quickly than raised beds or in-ground gardens, so you may have to increase your water frequency. The container needs good drainage too!
Sowing and Spacing
Before you start planting, read the seed package to see what type of spacing is recommended for the given varieties you chose to grow. Most types of radish will call for about 2-3 inches of spacing. However, some types get rather large and will need a bit more space!
I am known for being a bit type-A with my radish spacing and sowing. Many other gardeners just spread their seeds willy-nilly, and then go back to thin them out later. Or, not at all… In contrast, I like to set them up for success from the start, sowing them in neat little rows with proper spacing. Do whatever works for you!
I like to pre-poke all of the little shallow holes with my fingertip, across the whole space I am planting. Then I pop in a couple seeds per hole (2-3 seeds per hole is plenty) and cover them up as I go. By offsetting the holes slightly in a diagonal pattern, I can fit the rows a little closer together than if they were in a perfect grid. We do the same offset rows with most plants! The typical recommendation is to sow radish seeds 1/4 inch deep.
Water
Maintain the soil evenly moist, especially during germination. The radish seeds are sown pretty shallow, so they will not be happy campers if you allow the top inch to dry out before they’ve sprouted. In general, because radishes are a shallower crop, they’ll likely need more frequent water than a deep-rooted plant like tomatoes or peppers. For larger and longer radish types, they’ll especially appreciate deep watering to encourage subsurface root growth. No need to drown them with a daily soak, but a few times per week is pretty ideal – depending on moisture level of your soil.
Potential Pests
Small tender radish sprouts are tempting for birds and other critters. We always have issues with plants that are directly sown, as those just-germinated, tiny seedlings are far more vulnerable to pests than larger and heartier transplants. Therefore, we usually find it necessary to cover our beds until the sprouts have transitioned into bigger, less-tempting greens. You might find the need to do the same, but maybe not!
We utilize wire fencing with a finer bird netting attached to it, laying it down over the beds – but not laying on top of the soil. Avoid smothering the plants. Another option to provide protection for critters like birds or squirrels is using a light floating row cover. For soil-surface pests like pill bugs, a light dusting of food-grade Diatomaceous Earth between the sprouts may help.
Thinning Radishes
About a week after your radishes first sprout, it it time to select your keepers – and your victims! Once the sprouts begin to show their first set of “true leaves” – the ones that come directly after the two heart-shaped embryonic leaves – they’re usually showing off enough to tell who the strongest competitor is.
No matter how you decided to plant your radishes, they should be thinned down to one radish sprout for every 2-3 inches! Using fine trimming snips, we cut away the smaller and weaker looking sprouts down at the soil line, leaving just one thick and healthy-looking spout per hole.
Thinning radishes is absolutely essential for their development – and your future harvest!
Do not feel bad about thinning. If you leave them un-thinned to compete for space, water, and nutrients, they will struggle and be stunted. Truth. Also don’t feel bad about “wasting ” the spouts, because you don’t have to! Eat the thinned seedlings! Microgreens anyone? They’re delicious on salads, sandwiches, or on top of any meal really. And they’re loaded with nutrients.
Some folks prefer to pull and pluck out the spouts they’re removing. Every gardener is different (which is one of the many beautiful things about gardening!) but we personally avoid thinning that way. It may disturb, shock or even uproot that strong sprout you were hoping to keep! That sort of defeats the purpose…
Harvest Time
Harvest radishes when they have reached around the expected size for that variety. Round radishes are usually pretty obvious, as they can sit almost on top of the soil or at least partially exposed sometimes.
For longer, deeper, daikon type radishes, it can be a bit difficult to tell when the time is right. Find one that you think may be ready, gently explore around the soil line, and brush aside a little soil to expose some of the root. If it looks well-developed under there, gently wiggle back and forth and pull it on up! The longer the radish, the more susceptible they are to snapping off down below, so be gentle. This is your test radish. If it looks as you’d hoped, maybe the others are ready too! If it’s still pretty small, you can test another, but maybe they need a bit more time.
Speaking of time…. Waiting longer to get larger radishes isn’t necessarily ideal. Bigger does not equal better! The longer that radishes are growing in the soil, the tougher, woodier, or pithier they can become. They’ll also be more likely to split. Therefore, if it has been significantly longer than the expected maturity time, I suggest harvesting a few to cut into and try, even if they’re still more petite than you’d expected. It’s much better to have lots of small tender, juicy radishes than many that are too tough to enjoy.
Storing Radishes
After harvesting radishes, it is best to remove their greens and thin root tips for storage. The greens will rot most quickly. Remember, those greens are edible! If you don’t want to eat them, at least try to compost them.
We put our harvested, trimmed, clean radishes in a reusable ziplock bag with a little splash of water and store them in the crisper drawer of the fridge. With this method, they stay fresh and firm for weeks, sometimes months! Another storage option is to keep them covered in lightly damp sand in a cold basement or root cellar, if you’re so lucky to have one!
One last storage option is to ferment them, which is also a way to prepare, preserve, and enjoy them! This is what we do whenever we harvest a large amount at once. Sliced dilly fermented radishes is one of our very favorite fermented foods, and also happens to be one of the easiest ferment recipes to make! Fermented radishes can last up to a year in the refrigerator, though we always eat and enjoy them waaay faster than that! Check out the recipe here.
Ways to Eat Radishes
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: radishes are NOT just for salads! Don’t get me wrong though. That is certainly one way we do like to eat them! In addition to fermenting them, radishes are also excellent cooked. They can be sliced and sautéed in a little olive oil (also coconut oil or butter) with salt, pepper, and seasoning of your choice – either alone or prepared in the same manner with other seasonal vegetables mixed in. Pretty much every night, we cook up a huge batch of sautéed mixed veggies from the garden in our cast iron wok. Radishes are always a welcome addition to the party!
Radishes are also wonderful added into soups, thinly sliced to top quiche or frittata, finely shredded or chopped to mix in with egg salad. I already mentioned sliced dilly fermented radishes, but they are also often shredded and mixed with other veggies in fermented kimchi and kraut recipes too! Especially daikons. Radishes are also excellent roasted or baked, either left whole or cut into smaller portions. Or how about this personal favorite? Sliced on top of avocado toast! Oh. My. Yum.
Radish greens can be treated like other hearty garden greens. However, you’ll probably notice they’re a tad on the spiky side. Cooking them totally eliminates that attribute! Therefore, try sauteeing them or adding them into soups. Daikon greens are far less prickly and much more tender. I know many people who love juicing daikon greens as well.
And that’s all she wrote.
About radishes. For now…
Check out the video we made a couple months back, demonstrating most of what we discussed today! Note that it is a somewhat odd example though, since we re-sowed a new batch of radishes in the middle of winter. It is slowest time to start things, so radishes started in spring, summer, or fall will mature much faster than this!
To sum it all up: Radishes are quick, easy, delicious, versatile, and fun! The extensive amount of varieties out there keeps things interesting, with seemingly endless options to grow each year! They’re a central crop in our garden, and honestly one of my favorites. What do you think? Are you ready to make them one of yours too?
I hope you enjoyed this post! Please comment with any questions, and spread the love by sharing this article.
21 Comments
Veronica Waldow
Just curious if you’ve ever let them bolt to get seeds. I know they are easy to buy, but with all the shipping issues, was wondering if collecting seeds is a good option.
Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Hi Veronica, we have never let radishes bolt on purpose in the hopes of seed saving, although it is quite easy to do if you are interested. Just leave radishes until they flower, pods will develop on the flowering spike which you should let stay on the plant until they turn brown and dry. From there you can harvest the pods and get to the seeds within. Hope that helps and good luck!
Cathrnb
Hi Deanna! Do you use a soaker hose in your radish beds? I just bought the drinking water grade hoses you recommend and was wondering if I could just direct seed around them? I was thinking I could hand water with a gentle shower spray until they germinate and get their true leaves, then switch to soaker hose-only watering. Would love to hear what you think of that idea. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
DeannaCat
Hey there! We don’t, mostly because we usually grow radishes during our “rainy season” and don’t need to water as much anyways. Also because we have pretty tight rows (and many of them!) of radishes – too many to run a length of soaker hose up and down between each one. I think your plan sounds reasonable, as long as the hoses are close enough to each row (or positioned in between two) and is turned long enough to saturate the soil in the area around it. But yes, certainly water with other means at first to get everyone to sprout first!
Cathrnb
Thanks so much for your response, I appreciate it. Your explanation totally makes sense and I think I’ll hold off on laying down the hose until the radishes are done and my summer veggies go in! Happy gardening!
Kathleen
Thanks for this thorough and informative article about radishes! I am a beginning (raised bed) gardener and am loving my radish discoveries!! Who knew they make a great a sandwich along with their greens? I found your article as a result of a search for what critter is eating my radish seedlings. I think it’s the lizards, but have yet to catch them in the act 🙁
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Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
Glad you have found a love of radishes, don’t forget to try them roasted or sautéed, they’re delicious!
Jenny
Hi Deanna! I’m attempting to grow radishes for the first time and the greens are huge and some are even starting to flower, but the radishes themselves are tiny and sad. You mention that too much nitrogen in the soil can cause this, but we’re pretty careful about that. Are there any other reasons you know of that this might happen? Thanks so much!
DeannaCat
Hey there! If it is hot where you are right now, they’re probably bolting because of that. Midsummer isn’t the best time to grow radishes, as they prefer cooler conditions. Most folks are successful sowing them in early spring, and again in fall. We are fortunate and have really cool summers, so we can grow them pretty much year round here. Also, look for heat-tolerant or slower bolting types if that seems to be your issue. The other thing could be the opposite – not enough sun. If they’re shaded they’ll stretch and bolt quicker too. I hope that helps! Let me know how the next round goes. Unfortunately, if they’re flowering/bolting, they aren’t going to develop bulbs at this point. They’ll only get tougher.
Jenny
Thank you so much Deanna, that’s so helpful! I really appreciate you taking the time to share all of this info and for answering our questions! More people are successfully growing their own food thanks to you 🙂
Amanda
This post convinced me to try planting radishes for the first time!! I did it and I LOVE THEM. RADISHES IN EVERY BLANK SPOT!
DeannaCat
Haha! I love it! Aren’t the fabulous, quick fillers? I’m glad you get into them. Buying radish seeds is addicting too – sooooo many to try!
Kelly
Loved and used these tips this spring, you convinced me to thin a second time and I had radish microgreens on my salad that day. Win, win. Thank you, Deanna!
chelsey
Hi Deanna!
I have just about given on up on my radishes and would like to know what you think. I live in southern Louisiana and its extremely hot already, average temperature is around 95 each day and climbing.
Each time my seedlings come up, they only make it about an inch high and then they just fall over and die. Not quite sure whats happening, is it just too dang hot right now for success?
My spring batch had great big green leaves and looked great but no radishes ever formed, I learned from your blog I should have thinned them, whoops lol.
Loveeee all your content so helpful for a first time gardener like myself 🙂
DeannaCat
Hey girl! Sorry for the delay! I just found a bunch of comments stuck in the spam box… Oops! Yeah that is way too hot for radishes. They like cooler temperatures. I would start them in March or April, just around your last frost, and then again in the fall once things cool down below 80 during the day. I hope that helps!
Elizabeth
Thanks for such an informative post, as always. I just thinned my first round of radishes! Looking forward to eating the sprouts on veggie burgers tonight, and the radishes themselves in just a few weeks.
DeannaCat
Awesome! Good work! Did you happen to see that video I shared on Instagram recently on the difference between thinned and un-thinned radishes? The results were night and day!
Riley Bianchi
Radishes haven’t been successful for me in the past, but this year they have been great! I love your storage tips on here as well and pickled radishes are some of my favorites. We love making fridge pickles with red onion, habanero, oregano, lime juice and salt for taco pickles
Kim Hodges
Thanks for this info! I love radishes but have not had much success at great crops, looking forward to trying again with some of your tips.
DeannaCat
I wish you the best of luck, and beautiful radishes!
Lilia Beltran
This blog post right here helped my sad, tiny radishes grow big and plump! I adjusted the nitrogen in my soil and thinned very early on–made such a difference! Thinking of growing way more next time to ferment. Thanks for the helpful tips, garden Yoda!