 | Radishes are fabulous vegetables that can be easily grown in most gardens, but are often overlooked by many people as a real source of nutrition. They provide a good source of potassium, fiber and vitamin C, and also add a nice crunch to sandwiches and salads. There are two types of radishes - winter and summer. Both types are usually eaten raw in a diced or shredded form.
Unlike many vegetables, the summer radish thrives well during the cool weather of early spring, and normally matures quickly. The winter radish is usually planted during the late days of summer and matures a little slower than the summer radish. Winter radishes grow fairly large and remain crisp longer.
Planting Radishes
As mentioned above, you'll need to time your planting according to the type of radish seeds you're planting. For winter seeds, planting will be done during late summer. For summer seeds, you can plant either during winter in a container until time to transplant into the ground, or plant in garden during spring as early as possible.
You can plant radish seeds among and in between other vegetables such as broccoli to save space or add variety to your garden. Just remember to be careful when harvesting your radishes not to harm the other vegetables.
Radish seeds should be sown at least 1/4 or 1/2 inch into the ground. Summer radish seeds need to have around an inch of surrounding space, while the larger winter radish seeds will require two to four inches of space to give their roots enough growing room.
Taking Care of Your Radishes
Use fertilizer to improve the soil before planting your radish seeds. The radish plants will need plenty of sunlight (even in cold months) and moisture. Keeping the soil fertile and the water supply sufficient will enable the radishes to mature quickly as needed.
Harvest Tips
Begin harvesting your radishes as soon as the roots reach an edible size. Frequently check your radishes for maturity and pull them as soon as they're ready. They can be quickly damaged if not picked right away. Winter radishes will be much larger in size when ready for harvesting. They also typically last longer in the garden.
The summer radish can turn red, pink, white, or purple when mature. The winter radish might be black, green or white.
After Harvest
Once you've harvested your radishes, you can store them in the refrigerator for five to seven days wrapped up in plastic wrap or bags. Winter radishes may last up to two weeks. Remove the radish leaves before storing to prevent moisture build-up.
Growing radishes is an easy way to add variety to your garden and your salads! Because they mature quickly, you'll be able to see results from your garden while waiting on those vegetables that take a while to grow. Use the guide above to grow delicious, crunchy radishes.
|  |
|
