Radishes are best sown in spring or late summer, maturing when days are shorter, sunlight weaker, and temperatures milder. They are high yielding in limited space and can be grown wherever there is sun and moist, fertile soil, even on the smallest city lot, and are well suited to growing in containers. Plant a row every 2 or 3 weeks for a continuous harvest throughout the season. It is an excellent catch crop throughout the season with exceptional colour and flavour and is easily pulled from the ground due the strong tops.

Radish greens can be used in a variety of dishes, including raw in blended drinks or in salads. Both roots and leaves are also great in a stir fry as well as sautéed. If the plants past optimal root eating age, you can let them flower and enjoy the young mildly spicy seed pods as snack, salad addition or thrown into a stir fry. The delicate flowers are quite beautiful and attract many pollinators.

Prepare the site:

Radishes grow well in almost any soil that is prepared well, is fertilised before planting and has adequate moisture maintained.

Sowing:

Sow indoors from late winter or sow directly from late spring through to early autumn

Radishes can be planted from as early as the soil can be worked. Make successive plantings of short rows every 10 to 14 days. Plant in spaces between slow-maturing vegetables (such as broccoli and brussel sprouts) or in areas that will be used later for warm-season crops (peppers, tomatoes and squash).

Sow thinly, 0.5in (1.5cm) deep in rows 9in (25cm) apart.

Keep moist and thin as necessary. Proper thinning focuses the harvest and avoids disappointing stragglers that have taken too long to develop. Slow development makes radishes hot in taste and woody in texture.

Repeat sowings every two to three weeks to ensure a continuous supply. Remember, it is much more economical to sow little and often rather than have a long row of radishes all coming to maturity at the same time.

Cultivation:

If you want good-tasting radishes also pay close attention to the watering regimen you provide. Moisture stress can result in the same woody, hot radishes that poor soil conditioning and lack of fertilizer or humus will result in.

Harvesting:

Plants will be ready to harvest when they are of usable size and relatively young from 21 days, starting when roots are less than 1 inch in diameter. Radishes remain in edible condition for only a short time before they become pithy (spongy) and hot.

Gently hold the tops twist and lift. Remove the tops by twisting them off with your hands. The tops are very tasty and can be cooked and eaten like spinach.