How to Grow -Radishes

19 May 2012, by gj

Being a Master Gardener doesn’t mean you know everything about gardening.

In reality, it means you are just crazy enough about gardening that you are willing to use your free time and some of your own money to help others garden. It means you will try to find the answers you don’t already have, and in the process, you learn -a lot.

So recently I was asked for tips on growing radishes. I have had mixed success with radishes myself, and whether I did or didn’t, I never knew why. I searched the internet and recommended a good site to answer the questions.

In the meantime I learned:

1. Just because they grow fast does not mean they are easy to grow.
2. Radishes want even watering, about an inch per week.
3. Radishes want even temperatures, not too hot.
4. Radishes don’t like to be left in the ground too long, they get ‘hot’ when they are.
5. They are way too temperamental for a vegetable so small.

That being said, the pictures below are from radishes planted at the same time and grown in the same bed. Go figure.

Our temps this particular summer were above normal and the rainfall below…guess this one didn’t like my watering:

uneven watering causes radishes to split

I don’t even know what caused this:

gnarly and nasty

At least this one has an excuse:

the varmint et my radish

Of course I take all the credit for this bunch of beauties:

now that's more like it