Propagate by seed

Germination temperature: 55 F to 85 F

Days to emergence: 3 to 4

Seed can be saved 4 years.

Grows best in cool (50 F to 65 F), moist weather. Hot weather reduces quality and increases pungency. Late plantings may bolt before edible root forms.

About 3 to 6 weeks before average last frost, direct seed ½ inch deep, 1 inch apart, in rows 12 inches apart. Thin to about 2-inch spacings. Crowded plants may not produce high-quality roots. Use thinings in salads.

For continuous harvest, make additional plantings every 1 to 2 weeks until temperatures average in the mid 60s F, or plant varieties with different maturity dates in a single planting. Resume planting when weather cools in fall.

Plant most winter varieties so that they mature around the first fall frost date. (Frost improves flavor and texture of most winter varieties.) Larger winter varieties need more space than spring varieties, so thin to about 6-inch spacings, depending on variety.

Keep soil moist for uninterrupted growth and best quality.

Adding nitrogen fertilizer or nitrogen rich manure close to planting may produce lush tops and small roots.

Can be sown in the same row with carrots, parsley, parsnips and other slow germinating crops. The radishes help to break soil crust for the weaker and later-germinating crops.

Because they mature quickly, radishes make a good intercrop along with slower growing crops, such as other cabbage family crops, or tomato- or squash family crops. Or follow radish harvest with summer succession crops such as beans, or fall-harvested crops.

To help reduce disease, do not plant radishes or other cole crops in the same location more than once every three or four years.

Cabbage root maggots - Use row covers made of nonwoven fabrics. Hoops can be used to make a tent area over rows or as floating row covers. For fresh radish, weekly plantings can be made. Some will avoid maggot attack.

Clubroot - Locate new plants in part of garden different from previous year's location. If soil is infested, add lime to raise soil pH to 7.2.

Browse radish varieties at our Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners website.

The familiar spring radishes are small and fast-growing - usually ready for harvest in 3 to 4 weeks. Select varieties based on size and shape (globe or cylindrical), color (including red, purple, white and combinations) and bolt-resistance.

Summer radishes are similar, but take slightly longer to mature -- usually in about 6 to 8 weeks.

Winter radishes (Raphanus sativus var. niger) grow more slowly (usually 2 months or more to maturity), produce larger roots (usually cylindrical), and hold their quality much longer than common varieties. They are also known as Oriental, Daikon, Japanese, Chinese, or Spanish radishes. Most are biennials that do not bolt as readily in response to long days, and only develop seedstalks after exposure to cold temperatures. They are usually planted in summer for fall harvest.

Varieties recommended for New York include:

Champion
Cherry Belle
French Breakfast
Icicle
Scarlet Knight
Sparkler