Growing guide

How to Grow Radishes

The fastest vegetable you can grow — ready in as little as three weeks.

The basics

What radishes need

• Sun — Full sun to partial shade
• Water — Even moisture for fast, mild growth
• Harvest in 22–35 days
• Difficulty — Very easy

When to plant

Time it from your frost date

• Start indoors: Never — direct-sow
• Transplant: Direct-sow only
• Direct sow: 4 weeks before last frost, then succession-sow; again in fall
• Best in Zones 2–11

How to plant

Three steps to a strong start

• 1. Direct-sow ½ in deep and thin to 1–2 in for room to bulb.
• 2. Keep soil evenly moist for fast, mild, crisp roots.
• 3. Succession-sow a short row every 1–2 weeks.

Common problem

All leaves, no root

Too much nitrogen, crowding, or heat — thin well and grow in cool weather.

Common problem

Woody, pithy, or hot roots

Harvested too late or grown in heat — pick young and grow in spring/fall.

Harvest

Picking radishes right

Pull as soon as roots reach full size — radishes don’t hold well in the ground and quickly turn pithy and pungent. Fall crops are milder and crisper than spring ones.

Gardeners ask

How fast do radishes grow?

Spring varieties mature in just 3–4 weeks, making them the quickest vegetable in the garden.

Keep growing

Get the full Radishes guide

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