I haven't bought any new Radish seeds this year, because I have lots left over from last year and before. I find that they keep very well and remain viable for at least 3 or 4 years.
Today's sowing is an exact copy of the previous one. Having prepared the ground (removing any large pieces of twig, and breaking-down any lumps of soil), I made a shallow drill by pushing the handle of my rake horizontally into the soil. Into this drill I placed the seeds individually, spacing them a couple of inches apart. With big seeds like Radishes, this is eminently possible when you are only sowing a short row like mine (2.4 metres), but would be a bit too laborious if you're working in larger scale! Then I gently watered the row using a watering-can with a fine rose and covered the seeds with a thin layer of dry soil.
The final part of the task was to mark the ends of the row with a couple of short sticks, and then cover it with the cloches. The cloches will warm the soil a bit, but they are there mainly to dissuade the local cats and foxes from digging up the seeds.
Radishes grow to maturity very quickly (approx. six to eight weeks is normal), so they are a good crop to get going now, when fresh veg is a bit scarce. They never get big either, so there is no chance of them blocking out the light to other crops that you will be sowing in the next few weeks.
I usually grow Radishes early in the season because I find that later on - say, after June - they tend to bolt very easily, especially if the weather is hot and dry. They like moist soil, so I'm always careful to water them frequently.
Another little tip: either sow the seeds well spaced-out right at the start, or thin them out very soon after germination, because if they are overcrowded they will never develop properly. They will go thin and leggy, without the swollen roots that you want. I find that a spacing of approximately 2 inches between plants is about right.
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| Radishes to the left of Broad Beans. |
Reminds me to sow some radishes and spring onions.
ReplyDeleteI've tried to grow radishes before and they have gone "woody". I think I didn't sow them far enough apart. Hopefully this year I will get to eat them! :)
ReplyDeleteYour raised beds look so smart. Have you grown daikon radish before? That one never works for me so I do stick with Cherry Belle and English Breakfast. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have grown Daikon, but we weren't very keen on it. We prefer the smaller ones like Cherry Belle, Scarlet Globe and FRENCH Breakfast!
DeleteYou've hit on one of my resolutions for this year here, remember to thin, and radishes I always forget to do. No one likes throwing the thinnings out though...
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could use the thinnings as "salad cress"?
DeleteDon't worry if you leave radishes growing past their best because the leaves are a great salad addition, even from old woody plants. At this time of year lots of plants are going to seed from the overwintered orientals to sorrel and and they all produce really tasty buds/flowers so don't be too quick to clear to compost.
ReplyDeleteI've tried eating Radish leaves, but I don't like them. They are hairy and often tough. I suppose if you were to stir-fry them they would be OK.
DeleteTheres something eating my radish..
ReplyDelete