Radish
Quick Reference:
Harvest Type: Single or continuous
Transplant/Direct Sow: Direct sow
When to Plant: 2-3 weeks before the last average frost date.
Days to Germinate: 4-10 days
Days to Maturity: 20-70 days (depending on the variety)
Planting Depth: ¼ - ½” deep
Germination Temp: Minimum of 40°F. Optimal range is 70-75°F.
Seed Spacing: 1-2 seeds per inch and thin as needed.
Light: Full sun
Soil pH: 6.0-7.0 pH
Water: 1" of water per week
Soil Temperature: 70°F is optimal
Fertilizer: Not necessary. Start with quality soil.
Rotation: Root Vegetable. Rotate annually with heavy feeders.
Planting and Care:
Harvest Type
Radish is a single harvest plant.
Transplant / Direct Sow
Direct sow radishes. They grow fast and their taproot does not like being disturbed.
When to Plant:
Plant radishes in the spring when the soil is between 40-70 °F.
Days to germinate
It takes radish seeds 4-10 days to germinate.
Days to maturity
It takes about 20-70 days for plants to mature, depending on the variety grown.
Planting Depth
Plant seeds at 1/4-1/2" deep with 1-2 seeds per inch.
TIP: Radish seeds are small. It is easier to broadcast the seed and then cover the area with a fine layer of soil.
Germination Temperature Range
Radish will germinate at temperatures as low as 40°F but do best when the soil is around 70°F.
TIP: Use a cold frame over the row to get radish started early.
Spacing Between Plants
Radishes need 1-2" of space between plants. 3" is ideal for larger varieties and Daikons
TIP: Radishes are ideal crops for successive planting.
Growing conditions
Radishes are one of the easiest crops to grow. They are fast to mature and offer one of the best staple foods around. They like to grow in loose soil without additional fertilizer, making them an excellent crop to follow heavy feeding plants, such as tomatoes. Because of their fast days-to-harvest, you can plant them alongside slower producing plants, such as tomatoes, and harvest them before the tomatoes are crowding them. Radishes like to be moist but not soggy, and they germinate best when the soil is around 70°F.
Companion Plants
Lettuce and greens, such as spinach, squash, parsnips and carrots, beans, pole beans, peas, sunflowers, tomatoes, and herbs such as basil are excellent companion plants for radishes.
Rotation
Rotate radish crops each year to avoid pest issues.
Anticipated yields
Plan your garden yield at 10-25 Radishes per person. Generally, expect about 2-5 pounds of radish per 10-foot row space. Use successive planting to extend the harvest time.
Family Sown collections with radish seeds: