Your Vegetable Garden: Growing Radish

There is no comparison between a store-bought radish and a home-grown radish. The grocery store versions are watery versions of the tangy sharp vegetables you can grow in your own back yard.

You can find wild radishes in China, and it is believed that this vegetable may have originated in that region. Radish were one of the first crops that the early American settlers planted in their gardens.

Radishes come in wide varieties, with red, white, and purple skins. The most common radish, the red, globe shaped vegetables. Radish are a welcome addition to a fresh salad, eaten raw as a relish, or found in Asian recipes. Radishes are nutritionally rich - high in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), folic acid, and potassium.

Radishes prefer a cooler growing season, so its best to plant early in the spring and in the fall. Plant in well-worked, well-drained soil. Like carrots, radish grow well in loose, crumbly soil. Adding compost or manure six weeks before planting will help nourish the soil. Remove any stones or large sticks or other debris, so that the radish can grow properly.

Plant radish seeds ½ inch deep, about 1 inch apart. Plant according to the package directions for your Hardiness Zone. You can generally plant radish beginning in April, and sow rows through September to get a continuous harvest throughout the summer. Radishes will tolerate a light frost.

Thin radishes so that the plants are about 1 inch apart - otherwise your radishes will be crowded. Keep well watered, especially when the weather begins to warm in the spring.

Radish seed germinate quickly, normally in 3-10 days. You'll have flavorful vegetables ready to eat in 20-50 days, depending on the variety you plant. Check your radishes often to make sure that they don't stay too long in the soil.

To harvest radish, gently pull out of the dirt. It's better to dig up radish before they mature too long in the ground. Radish past their prime can become spongy and have a bitter taste.

Radishes do not keep well once harvested - if you have too many, share with your friends or a local food collection site. They'll last about 5 days in the refrigerator. Continuous planting in the spring and fall will give you fresh radish for much of growing season.

Since radishes germinate and produce a harvest in such a short amount of time, this vegetable is wonderful for children to grow as it keeps their attention.