Raphanus sativus var. sativus
Radish
Photo: Rasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Radishes are the fastest vegetable in the garden, four to six weeks from sowing to the sharp, crisp bulb. That is exactly why they are ideal for getting children excited about gardening.
Care instructions
Sow thinly and only about a centimetre deep, a small portion again and again across the season. Keep the soil evenly moist; spells that are too dry make the bulbs spongy and woody hot, while sowing too densely leaves them making only leaves.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
sandy, loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, moist
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar, Apr, Aug, Sep
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
Companion planting
Good neighbors
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example Bush beanPole beanBroad beanRed beanLima beanchickpea and 28 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
You can pair celery and dill with all Brassicaceae because they repel the cabbage whitefly with their scent, a proven companion.
For example celery rootDillCarrot fennelCorianderCelery (Stalk Celery)Caraway and 13 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed-culture Practice
mint family (Lamiaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example LavenderThymeBasilRosemarySageBohnenkraut and 30 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
nasturtium family (Tropaeolaceae)
Nasturtium serves as a trap plant for you. Aphids and cabbage whiteflies prefer it over the brassicaceae next to it.
For example Tropaeolum majusMashua
Source: Trap plant practice in organic horticulture
Rather not
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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Varieties
5 varieties‘Cherry Belle’
One of the most well‑known radish varieties ever: round, cherry‑red roots with an especially mild flavor that even children enjoy.
‘Eiszapfen’
An old white variety with elongated, icicle-shaped tubers that grow 6 to 8 cm long and resemble small icicles.
‘French Breakfast’
An old French variety with long-oval tubers that are strongly red and have a white tint at the tip, a real eye‑catcher on the plate.
‘Saxa 3’
The fast, round early radish for the start of the season: bright red, even roots that you harvest after a good four weeks.
‘Sora’
A modern, open pollinated professional variety for the bed and for pots that you can grow reliably across almost the whole season.
Notes from real gardens
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From the magazine
Growing crisp radishes and daikon
Not woody, not fiercely hot: how to grow mild, crisp radishes and daikon. Sow in succession, keep the soil evenly moist and lock flea beetles out with fleece.
A snacking garden for kids: quick wins at eye level
How to build a snacking bed with children that pays off in weeks. From radishes and sugar snap peas to snacking herbs, plus the poisonous plants that have to stay out.