About
Has small round roots with bright red skin and crisp white flesh which has a mild, sweet flavour and is slow to turn woody. Radishes, Raphanus sativus, are annuals or biennials which germinate fast and grow fast, with lobed, dark green leaves to about 15-20cm high, and succulent, sharp-tasting edible enlarged taproots which can be harvested about four weeks after sowing, and can be round, tapering, or cylindrical, and have red, white, green, yellow, purple, or black skin, while the flesh is usually white but may be red or purple; if plants are left long enough, for example when grown as a cover crop or green manure, to grow to about 90cm then they can produce white or pale lilac flowers which provide both nectar and pollen for bees.
About the genus
Raphanus can be annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous plants, often with lyrate, glaucous leaves, small, four-petalled flowers and indehiscent fruits. Edible species are cultivated as annual vegetables (radish)
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH3
Plant details
Plant typeAnnual Biennial
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, City and courtyard gardens
Care notes
CultivationGrow in full light or light shade, ideally in light, rich, near-neutral, and moist but well-drained soil; sow seed at frequent intervals from early spring to late summer, so that there is a succession of crops; sow in rows 15cm apart, at a depth of 1-2cm, and sow at or thin to a spacing of about 3 cm apart, and harvest them when young so that they do not become woody; for more advice, see radish cultivation
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by seed sown 1-2cm deep, from early spring to late summer
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to flea beetles, slugs and snails, and cabbage root fly
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to brassica downy mildew, brassica white blister, club root, damping off, fungal leaf spot, and virus diseases