Pointers and pitfalls to grow the best radishes

The radish are quick to grow and are a tasty addition to salads and meals. These are some facts and helpful hints to grow your own radishes.

There are two distinct types of radish:

1. Bright red or white radish: This is the most popular and is a fast-maturing summer radish. There is only three weeks between planting and eating these radishes.
2. Winter radish: This is slower-maturing and sharper-flavoured. It has either a black or a white skin. Winter radish varieties mature in 50 days or more, and they are planted in midsummer for fall use.

Plant short rows — one and a half to two metres (five to six and a half feet) will produce all that the average family can consume during one crop's brief harvesting period. Make succession plantings every week or 10 days to ensure a supply all season long. In most areas a few succession crops can be planted in late summer for harvest before the ground freezes.

To prepare the soil for radishes:

• Dig it to a depth of about 15 centimetres (six inches), and work in a three- to five-centimetre (one- to two-inch) layer of compost or well-rotted manure.
• Sow the radish seeds directly into the garden as soon as the ground can be worked. The seeds are just large enough so that you can space them by hand when planting, and thus avoiding much time-consuming thinning later on.
• In a one-centimetre-deep (half-inch-deep) furrow, put down one seed every one centimetre (half inch). Tamp the soil firmly over the seeds, and water gently.
• You can save garden space by interplanting radishes in rows with slower-growing vegetables, such as carrots and parsnips.
• The prime requirements for healthy radishes are water (a good soaking at least once a week, and more often during dry spells) and sufficient growing space.

Overcrowded radish plants will not form the thick roots for which they are grown. You will probably have to thin the plants to achieve the optimum spacing of three to five centimetres (one to two inches) between plants no matter how carefully you have sown your seeds. Weed often and carefully, remembering that the roots grow close to the soil surface.

Insects rarely attack the pungent radish. Sprinkle hot pepper over the soil surface to combat root maggots, which tunnel into the roots and is often in the soil where cabbage has previously grown. You can also cover the planting area with a row cover immediately after planting and leave it in place until harvest. Flea beetles often attack radishes, feeding on the leaves, and can kill plants. Protect with a floating row cover.

Following these guidelines will lead you to plenty of tasty radishes to add to your salads and meal creations.