[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

How to Grow Radish in Ireland.
By Terry Blackburn

Growing Radish.
Radish are a tasty addition to any salad dish, they give it bite, spice and of course add colour, texture and variety. They are easy to grow; in fact they were the first vegetable crop I grew as a child.

There are two main types of radish: the large winter kind and the small varieties that are specifically grown for use in salads. The winter varieties are giants in comparison to the summer ones, they can reach a length of 12in. (30cm) and have either white, black or pink skins. On the other hand the summer varieties maybe globular, intermediate and long with red or white skins; some types have a peppery bite, others are milder in taste.

Summer radish, photo / pic / image.

Soil Preparation.
Radishes are easy to grow, they are not too demanding and they are a quick crop as they are not in the ground for long, often used as a catch crop in-between other crops. They do not require a deep soil either but they do need plenty of fine organic matter in the top 3 or 4 in. (76mm - 101mm) so that they are able to grow quickly and they must never be allowed to go short of moisture.

Prepare the plot by forking in some well-rotted compost or manure at the rate of a bucketful to the square yard.

Sowing.
Make the surface of the soil level and fine with a rake, and then sow the seeds either in drills ½ in. (12mm) deep or broadcast. The summer croppers can be sown from January until August but it is best done at 2 weekly intervals so that a succession of cropping can be achieved then they may be eaten whilst they are fresh and tender.

Winter varieties should be from July until the end of August so that they are ready to be lifted from the end of October but they can remain in the ground so that they may be used over winter. After sowing pat down the soil with the back of a spade to make it really firm.

Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Producer of blog http://www.lawnsurgeon.blogspot.com Author of "Your Perfect Lawn," a 90 Page eBook devoted to Lawn Preparation, Lawn Care and Maintenance.

[michael brenock]

browning in centre of radish caused by Boron deficiency, prevented by spraying with Borax solution
michael brenock horticultural advisor (Retired)

[daigo75]

Hi, I put radish in my vegetable garden at the end of february, but they are still too small to be harvested. They are in a cosy bed of compost, as per instructions. Is it normal that they take so long, or did I do something wrong?

[Her Outdoors]

The birds pecked holes in mine last year so I have sowed them in pots in the greenhouse this year. The are doing realy well, first lot nearly ready to eat.

[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

[daigo75]

Thanks GPI. Soil is not dry (it could be very damp, instead), and I don't believe it's poor of nutrients, as it's mixed with a lot of compost and I fertilized it. Also, the bed is facing south and it's in shadow only for a short while in the morning. I can't say if it's acidic or too cold, though.

If it can help, I also planted lettuce (instructions said sow in february, I sowed it together with the radish), and it's also still very very small, no more than 2 inch high.

How long should they take to fully grow, in optimal conditions? Thanks again.

[walltoall]

HerOutdoors' picture shows radishes well ahead of mine, in a glass house in the West of Ireland. Mine are very slow this year, outside in Essex. But, I've no idea why. My lettuce (Iceberg) is still on four leaves but seems on sched.

[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

[walltoall]

Yeahhhhhhhhh! I'm ahead on something. On the strength of it, went out and transplanted some of the tight ones out and now I have a proper lettuce plot. I've sown more radish between the transplanted icebergs. And the next spill of lettuce seed is above ground with all yesterday's rain.

[daigo75]

This is my 4th batch of radish, they are HUGE! They decided to grow all together in the last two weeks, I'm harvesting them continuosly. Some of them are almost the size of a golf ball!
And they taste fantastic, 150% organic (I didn't use anything at all, more organic than that...).

Not bad, given that they are in the soil, fighting with slugs and weeds (I remove weeds every time I can, but they grow quite fast).

[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

Looking good daigo75.
No sign of slug damage to me.
That pic looks like it could be used on the side of a seed packet to show gardeners what they can achieve with good seeds and even better conditions.