Growing Radish

Raphanus sativas : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    P P P     P        

(Best months for growing Radish in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 46°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 1 - 2 inches apart
  • Harvest in 5-7 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Chervil, cress,lettuce, leeks, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes
  • Avoid growing close to: Hyssop, gherkins

Your comments and tips

18 Dec 22, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It is about picking the variety you like.
04 Oct 22, ELIZABETH (USA - Zone 7b climate)
I had no idea you could actually eat the green end of a radish until i started gardening myself this past year. doing research on the when and hows has taught me so much and the green end of the radish was actually really good! Great flavor! thank you for gardeners and gardening! So much peace in my life now!!
29 Sep 22, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hint: Radish leaves can be used as a stir fry green.
19 Jan 22, Warren (Australia - temperate climate)
I always grow radish but often let them get too fibrey. I let some go to seed, amd found my sugarbag bees loved them. I then let them go to seed and found the young, tender seed pods are tastier than the radish itself, and you get far more output as they seed like crazy. Pickling the pods also works well, so now I grow them for the seed pods, and the bees. I recommend trying it
20 Jan 22, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Pick your radish when they have grown to the right size and put them down in the veggie section of fridge - they will keep for weeks. They are more a late autumn winter early spring crop in sub tropics.
20 Jan 22, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
What kind of radishes are you growing?
26 Jun 21, Jane (Australia - tropical climate)
I'm growing radishes for the first time.Tasty! What does 'they will mark the rows' mean? Thanx.
29 Jun 21, Kasy in SE WI (USA - Zone 5a climate)
Radish will mark the row next door if planted next to some other seeds that come up in more days than radishes. For example if you plant __?__ veggie that comes up in 10 days, next to a row of radishes, the radishes will come up certainly by day 2 ( all things present as to sunlight and water). That mean the ?? veggie will be along side and in next row but not until day 10. That way you know not to plant something else in row space next to radishes. Neat trick I never thought of. Wish I had marked my lettuce groups with one radish seed in middle.
29 Jun 21, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
They are talking about planting radish with other seeds to mark the row. Like a couple of radish between two lettuce seeds/plants. Radish will germinate in 2-5 days to show where the others are planted. I suggest you do a thin line of radish.by itself. Plant the other seeds in a different row. What I do now is have soil nice and fine and level, pat it down a bit., then plant seeds in a thin row - pinch a few seeds in your fingers and wriggle your fingers to release a seed or two at a time. Then cover the seeds with seed raising mix or fine potting mix. Try and keep the seeds shaded until they germinate. Keep the plant area moist all the time.
02 Oct 21, Selina (Australia - temperate climate)
This is great advice for a beginner. Thanks.
Showing 11 - 20 of 144 comments

Christine, you can probably eat them without harm (they're a brassica), but the leaves are usually covered in prickly hairs, so why you'd want to is the main question - I would rather just eat the radish. You can certainly eat turnip and beetroot leaves, so radish leaves might be ok cooked? Perhaps you can let us know how you go with them?

- Chris

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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