🔴 Radish

Radishes are the fastest crop you can grow, going from seed to salad in as little as three weeks. They are ideal for beginners and children, for sowing between slower crops and for filling gaps, and they grow in a pot on a windowsill as happily as in a bed.

They prefer cool, moist weather and turn hot, woody and bitter if they dry out or are left too long. Small, frequent sowings give the best flavour, while winter radishes such as mooli and Chinese radish are sown in summer for autumn and winter roots.

Types and varieties

Radishes come in two distinct kinds, which are sown at very different times.

Sow thinly in shallow drills 1 cm deep from March to September, in rows 15 cm apart, and cover lightly. Seedlings appear within a few days. For a continuous supply, sow a short row every two weeks rather than all at once. In summer, choose a spot with partial shade to stop plants bolting in heat.

Sow winter radishes such as mooli, black Spanish and China Rose in July and August, and thin to 15 cm apart as they grow larger. Radishes are great sown between slower crops like parsnips, where they mark the row and are harvested long before they compete.

Top tips

• Sow little and often, ideally every two weeks.
• Sow in part shade in summer to avoid bolting.
• Use a pot at least 15 cm deep for a windowsill crop.
• Sow winter radishes in midsummer for autumn harvests.

Radishes need very little care apart from steady moisture. Water regularly, particularly in dry weather, because drought gives hot, woody roots that split. Thin seedlings to 2–3 cm apart once they are about 2 cm tall, giving each root room to swell.

Flea beetle is the main pest, peppering the leaves with tiny holes. Cover rows with fine mesh or fleece from sowing and keep plants watered, as healthy plants grow away from damage. Keep weeds down early, and rotate radishes with the rest of the brassica group to avoid clubroot.

Top tips

• Cover with fine mesh at sowing to keep flea beetle off.
• Water during dry spells for sweet, crisp roots.
• Thin early so the roots can swell.
• Grow in a different bed each year, as radish is a brassica.

Watch out for

Flea beetleSlugsCabbage root flyBolting in hot, dry weather

Most varieties are ready three to five weeks after sowing, when the roots are about 2–3 cm across. Pull a few to check. Left too long, they turn woody, pithy and fiery, so harvest promptly and eat while crisp. Pull gently and in the morning, when the roots are at their juiciest.

Winter radishes need 8–12 weeks and can be left in the ground until needed, though lift them before hard frosts in cold areas. If a plant bolts, let it flower and form seed pods: the green pods are crunchy, peppery and delicious in salads and stir-fries.

Top tips

• Harvest quickly: older radishes turn woody fast.
• Pick in the morning for the crispest texture.
• Twist off the leaves right away.
• Let one plant go to seed to eat the pods.

Slice radishes into salads, eat them with butter and salt, add them to sandwiches and tacos, or roast them for a surprisingly sweet side dish. Pickle them in vinegar and sugar for a bright garnish in about an hour. The young leaves are edible too and can be stir-fried or made into a peppery soup.

Remove the leaves, wash the roots and store them in the fridge wrapped in damp kitchen paper for one to two weeks. Revive floppy ones in iced water for 15 minutes. Radishes do not freeze or dry well, so sow little and often and enjoy them fresh, or quick-pickle surplus roots.

Top tips

• Revive limp radishes in iced water for 15 minutes.
• Roast at 200°C for 15–20 minutes to mellow the heat.
• Quick-pickle with vinegar, sugar and salt.
• Add the leaves to soups for a peppery kick.