Fast-growing and useful for both greens and the root crop; also very easy to grow.

Botanical Information

Taxonomy

 from Wikipedia

Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Raphanus
Species:	R. sativus

Part of the Cole Family (Brassicaceae), which includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, kale, collards, rutabaga, turnip, mustards.

History

Physical Description

Varieties & Cultivars

Categories or Types of [plantname]

Colors Available

Varieties (link to ../category/cultivars/tag/[plantname])

Growth Requirements

Climate & Temperature Requirements

Air Temperature

• considered a cool season crop, but happy in cool, warm, or hot weather
• temperature guidelines:
  • minimum: 40°F
  • optimal temperature range: 45°-90°F
  • optimum temperature: 85°F
  • maximum: 95°F

Soil Temperature

Humidity

Day Length or Light Requirements

Site Conditions Favored

Soil Requirements

Soil Texture

pH

Nutrient Requirements

Propagation

Methods of propagation

Seed

• start outdoors since they are such quick growers
• sow seeds in mid-summer and no later than early fall ^BG

 

Transplanting or Potting Up

• root crops don’t usually like to be transplanted

Seed Saving

Planting Out

Bed Prep & Soil Amendments

Bed Spacing

Row Spacing

Planting Depth

• 1/2″ ^BG

Alternative Bed Methods

• biointensive: 3″ equidistantly ^BG

Container Gardening

Routine Cultivation & Maintenance

Water Requirements

Fertilization Recommendations

Mulching & Weeding

Pinching or Pruning & Dividing

Support

Winterizing

Companion Planting

Helpful Companions

• Peas ^HGMV
• Nasturtiums: deters aphids, squash bugs, and striped pumpkin beetles; improves growth & flavor ^HGMV
• Lettuce ^HGMV
• Cucumbers ^HGMV
• Chervil: improves growth & flavor ^HGMV

Harmful Companions

• Hyssop: keep away from radishes ^HGMV

Companion to..

• Peas ^HGMV
• anything susceptible to striped cucumber beetles (radishes are thought to be helpful in controlling them) ^HGMV

Pests, Diseases & Problems

Common Pests

Common Diseases

Symptoms

Whole Plant

Leaves

Stem/Trunk

Flowers

Fruit

Roots

Harvesting & Storage

Edible Parts of the Plant

Yield

• biointensive:
  • Neither weight nor area efficient ^HGMV
  • 100 lbs per 100 sq ft for beginners
  • 540 lbs per 100 sq ft for advanced

Days to Harvest / Harvest Timing

• days to maturity: 70-182 days ^BG
• matures in 17+ weeks ^BG
• harvest lasts for 4-8 weeks ^BG
• can succession sow & harvest easily with this quick-growing crop
• allow crop to mature over winter
• When radishes begin to mature you’ll see their shoulders rising above the soil; pull one up and check out the size; mature radishes will be about 1/2″ – 1 1/2″ in diameter ^VG

Harvest Methods

Storage of harvest

Fresh

Canned

Frozen

Pickled

Dried

Cooking

Nutritional Benefits & Values

Toxicity

Cooking

Preparation

Cooking Methods

Recipes (link to …/category/recipes/tag/[plantname])

Resources

Information for this article was taken from these sources:

• HGMV: How to Grow More Vegetables
• VG: Vegetable Gardener