Growing Radishes

Looking for a new superfood to add to your diet? Don’t ignore those poor radishes.  They are the wallflowers of the vegetable world while the avocado and cauliflower  get to walk the red carpet. Let’s fix that right now.

Radishes are crazy rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and barely any calories to count.

They look pretty, and with all the  antioxidants they boast, you’ll be looking pretty too! 

Easy to grow? You bet! and one of the first veggies you’ll pick from your spring  garden because they grow so fast. Radishes are a cold hardy crop, so you can plant  them when it’s still freezing outside. The colder it is, the longer it will take for them to  germinate (start growing) so you can always start them inside and transplant them  outside if you are impatient. If you start them in the spring, a month or so before  your end-frost-date, you’ll have radishes in a few 
weeks.

Here’s what to do! 

First, purchase some seeds. I like Easter Egg radishes  – they come in a rainbow of colors all in one bag and they are on the mild side, which I like. All radishes are planted the same way, so buy whatever appeals to you the most!

Next, loosen the soil or your garden bed or a pot and water it well. 

Scatter your seeds if you don’t mind thinning them  later, or plant them carefully 4 inches apart if you  don’t want to bother pulling out all the ones that  germinate too closely. I normally just scatter them to  ensure I get a lot of radishes, but up to you! 

Cover them very lightly with a thin layer of potting soil  or peat moss.

I always prefer peat moss because it  sticks in place. If it rains hard or you accidentally hit  your garden with the hose too aggressively, peat  moss stays, while soil washes away. 
Using the mist setting on your hose nozzle, spray the  peat moss until very wet. Keep it wet for 4-5 days. 

In a few days, bright green leaves will pop up!

If  you planted too many, thin them to one radish  per 4 square inches. If they are crowded, they  won’t get very big. Thin them by either gently  pulling the extra ones out and planting them  somewhere else or just snip them with some  scissors at the soil level if you don’t want them.  

Then water!

All root vegetables require lots of water. If it  rains regularly, great! If not, make sure you give them a  good drink every other day, especially if it gets hot.  When you see the colorful head of the radish appear,  you can begin picking them! If they seem very small,  wait a few more days; they will grow quickly.  

Just promise me you won’t wait too long. A  few weeks after they are ready, radishes start  to turn fibrous and woody. Terrible! So my  advice is pick them and eat them all – and then  plant more! You can plant radishes all season  long and have them almost all year round! 

Aren’t they beautiful? 

With just a quick rinse, they are stunning!  Ready to serve as an impressive crudite to  friends or just nibble on all afternoon.