Crunchy radishes
Your vegetable plot will be filling up with lots of crops. This month sow some radishes for a quick growing crop and if you have space some courgettes to harvest at the end of the summer
- Season
- Spring/summer
- Name
Radish
- Common Name
- Radish
- Description
Radishes can be ready to harvest just 4–8 weeks after sowing and their tasty roots are delicious added to salads. Try sowing two or three different varieties and then carry out a family taste test. Radish flavours can vary from mild to quite peppery and hot. Varieties you can try: ‘Cherry Belle’ (round shape, red), ‘French Breakfast’ (long, red and white), ‘White Icicle’ (white) and ‘Purple Plum’ (purple).
- Interesting Facts
Radishes are a member of the Brassica plant family, which also contains cabbages, turnips and swedes.
Growing Tips
Radishes prefer to grow in a sunny position but can grow in light shade in the summer.
When to grow:
Sow seeds outside this month through to August (check the seed packet for details).
What you’ll need:
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Gardening gloves
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Packet of radish seeds
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Trowel
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Rake
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Label and pencil
What you do:
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Radish can be sown straight in to the ground where they are going to grow, so make sure the space you are going to sow is weed free, by using a trowel to remove the weeds.
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Rake the soil to a fine tilth (a fine crumbly texture) and make some drills 10mm deep. The rows should be spaced about 15cm apart. The spacing can depend on the type of crop, so do check the seed packet.
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If the soil is dry, water the soil before sowing and allow the drill to drain. Sprinkle the seed in thinly along the drill (2cm apart) and cover up with soil. As they grow, if the plants are crowded, then thin them out.
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Flea beetles, slugs and snails might also like to eat your radishes. You can offer some protection to your crop by covering with horticultural fleece. Make sure you keep your crop well watered.
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Harvest your crop as you need them and add them to salads. Yummy.
