Raddish

Ok I planted some raddish seeds a few weeks ago - I know it's way to early for them to be ready but since most of them have germinated so far my question is; how do I know when they are ready?

Whenever they get large enough for you to eat. European types that means a half inch or so so in diameter.

Some radishes will get a woody texture and really hot if you wait too long to pick.

I meant how do you know before you dig them up that they are ok? Or do you just try one and see? - It does seem sensible I just wanted to know I wasn't missing anything

You can usually see the tops of them at dirt level and can sort of judge their size. Or you can brush a little dirt off around the tops to check. Me, if it's been close to the days to maturity, I just pull one and try it. Kelly ;)

My radishes seem to be all tops and not much to actually eat. I'm betting it's a symptom of too much something or not enough something else in the soil?

When I planted my radish in an area with only partial sun, they were all top growth and no roots.

Thanks for your input. I thought the radishes had plenty of sun, but maybe not.

I've had more problems than sucess with radishes. 7.5 soil, low nitrogen, but good on everything else. For the few that were decent, it took longer than the estimated maturity time. This was with full sun. Radish greens are good eatin' though...not the best but especially if you saute them a bit they're ok. Similar to turnip greens. Also I found that the radish produced a better root when planted deeper...more like an inch rather than 1/2. As far as how many days until they are ready, maybe 60ish days.

Ok my next newbie question is, roughly how long do they take to mature?

Thanks :)

I've generaly found that my radishs end up all top if they get too much fertalizer, esspeicaly nitrogen.

Days to maturity is usualy printed on the package. I've had some that are 28 day and some quite a bit longer.

Thanks for the tips, neworleansdude and duchessdreams. My garden appreciates it!
LiseP

=) Always welcome

I grow 200-600 radishes each spring and usually another bunch each fall. I use a mix of cherry belle, easter egg, and sparkler tip. They are usually ready about 30-40 days after they stick their heads up. I pick them when they are about 3/4 to 1" across. Usually they rise up a bit, like onions, so you can see the radish, but if they don't you can stick 2 fingers into the soil and give them a squeeze. All the important root fibers are underneath so the growing radish does not mind.

Here in NJ, I plant about March 15, and am well into harvest by the end of April. I usually put about 6 radishes in an 8" half-height pot in a circle around a baby buttercrunch lettuce. Each pot has 1 teaspoon of organic fertilizer mixed in, and they get nothing else. The radishes are harvested just as the lettuce needs the space to itself. Both the radishes and the lettuces are out by mid May, so I can plant basil in the pots. Sometimes I replant radishes around the basil in late Aug- early September. Just as they need the pots to themselves, its time to harvest the basil.

I have no luck at all with radishes from May to September. They are just aphid magnets and never grow right. However, I do allow 1-2 pots each spring to go to seed, producing pink/white flowers and then nice size pods. Once the pods are dry on the plant, harvest them. Let them dry in the shed for another week or so, and then split the pods to get out the seed. Two pots usually produce enough seed for next season's planting.

Ed

Oh I didn't know raddishes flowered - but I suppose they do when you think about it - I may leave a few out and see. I only planted a few raddishes to begin with - trial and error but I think all but one have grown maybe so I'll plant some more :) - I just need to collect more soil.

I actualy think the flowers are fairly pretty. =)

(Hey Dipsy... I just noticed your address. Brilliant! Aahm a Geordie mesel like! What's the chances of the first person on the board I reply too being from up north, and I never even noticed. Sigh!)

DD.. The bees must think so. Radish flowers pull them from miles away. I suspect letting a few flower helps the tomatoes and peppers get fertilized.

I should be honoured then wulfsden :). What made you move so far away?

Thanks for this! I just planted some raddish seeds (Cherry Belle) last week and they've sprouted and are growing. Will be checking them for readiness in about a month!

There was no work in Shields back then. I meant to try in London, but after a few pints, I mistook a 747 for the 7:47 from Euston. I kinda wondered when the food was edible, and the gals in uniform didn't check my ticket, but they wuz handing out free booze so I didn't ask. It's not too bad here. The weathers nice and the girls are pretty. I managed to teach a local lass how to taahk proper and make Yorkshire pud. But still, I would kill for a decent plate of cod and chips and a couple of bottles of NB. Leastways, that's my story and I'm sticking too it. ;))

Ed

lol, yorkshire pudding is the BEST EVER! I LOVE them! Cod and chips and mushy peas actually :-P (although I don't like mushy peas).

Well NB technically isn't from Newcastle anymore - the brewery has been closed and moved to Gateshead I think now.


To Stephanietx - I've had mine planted a month or so now...I just potted a few to see if it was too early; I moved them from their small pots into bigger pots and they were about 1cm in diameter - you could see one or two of the tops above the layer of soil.

On 4/10 I planted a short row each of White Icicle and Watermelon radishes; another short row each yesterday (my father brought the packets over... guess he wants salad!). The first set sprouted nicely, and all have fine looking lil' leaves. I pulled one of each yesterday (had to thin 'em) and the fruit is about the size of the stem right now. Very tasty, though - especially the White Icicle. Mild and radishy, not hot. Yum.

Hadn't thought of planting any in a pot; I'll have to do that. I have a few pots that I need to stick something in anyway...

-T.

Too late to plant radishes in Zone 5?

The birds also appear to like my raddishes, I will have to get some netting to cover them. I pulled one the other day as it was the only one that wa big enough, the ones the birds ate appeared bit enough too but since there was only a tiny bit at the bottom left I had to throw them away.

Awww! How disappointing! I've been watching mine and they're starting to get ready! I think they'll be ready to harvest about mid month.

Woowee, you fine folks have just solved a family problem! My 82 year old dad told me yesterday that something munched two of his pepper plants. He asked what to plant in the pots. Heck I told him this evening I was thinking what to do. Dad said get on that machine that you look and find something. I would have not read this thread except dad told me he liked radishes. Fast results and grow in pots, hey that fits the bill perfict!!!! Thanks for helping my dad. P.S. I'm hard of hearing I hope he didnot say he likes rashes!

haha crazyfish.

Anything can grow in pots provided the pot is big enough. You just can't grow as much as you would in the ground is all.

Lol. There's a great container book. The Bountiful container. Looks of good info on things to grow in pots and varrieties that do well.

Hope your Dad's radishes grow wonderfuly =)

Dad said to tell you fine folks THANKS! By midmorning the seeds will be out of the store and in his 3 gal. pots. Daddy is not in the best of health. I put in,my first in the ground garden this year because dad said he didnot feelup to it. Well as you can guess he couldnot stand it. He acts years younger and seems to have a new lease on life. We tried potattoes for the first time this year. They really do well here. He lives in one of those golf course, canale neighborhoods and just planted 20 potattoes in his FRONTYARD. Our family has been laughing so had this week we hurt. God bless the old farmers where ever they live and plant. Thank you all bunches for your quick help. Crazyfish3

Well you have to plant them somewhere. My neighbough grew potatoes in a garden pot last year, she said they did really well. I don't even recal it being a bit pot when she pointed to it.

This year I'm trying my potatoes in a trash can. Couple inches soil then added leaves to hill up. So far so good. And at the end of the season I should be able to tip over the bin to get my treasures.

Crazyfish3: LOL!... Well at least the yellow potato flowers are pretty. The foliage, not so much!

duchessdreams: How does the plant get light when you first start and the leaves are near the bottom?

I put the trash can in an area where I know the sun passes overhead. My honey was worried about the same thing but so far the plants are coming along fine.

Unfortunately we do not have sun here in NJ, just clouds and rain. I think that due to a looming fiscal crisis, the state legislators dropped our subscription to the sun-of-the-day club. Hopefully, when things pick up we may renew our membership, possibly next year. ;))

Roflol! I'll trade you a bit of our sun for a bit of your water =) Lol.

Thanks again for the raddish anvice. Dad called to say his has sprouted and now he is looking at a fall crop of lettuice and cabbage, and tatters. So much for " I don't feel up to a garden this year", he sounds younger every day. Bless you all for your help.

I just picked my first crop of raddishes. I didn't plant many because I thought it may have been too early. I got 9 of them :). One I'd ate a few weeks ago and 3 fell victim to the birds. My next lot will have netting over them. I'll be planting the seeds out tonight; along with more beetroot and lots of corriander.

Dipsy, does your cilantro (coriander) grow like crazy and take over the world of your garden? It does here!

Stephanietx:
It hasn't so far; about a quarter of it sprouted, and it was around an inch tall (it's been like that for a while now).

I wish it did because I absolutely LOVE coriander.

I have the same problem, Dipsy. I have not figured out the correct spell for coriander yet.