RADISH / BUNCH

Description

The radish is an edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times.

Garden fresh produce.

Uses

Sliced raw as a garnish, added to salads, pickled, or served as a side dish.

Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw as a crunchy salad vegetable with a pungent flavor. There are numerous varieties, varying in size, flavor, color, and length of time they take to mature. Radishes owe their sharp flavor to the various chemical compounds produced by the plants, including glucosinolate, myrosinase, and isothiocyanate. They are sometimes grown as companion plants and suffer from few pests and diseases. They germinate quickly and grow rapidly, common smaller varieties being ready for consumption within a month, while larger daikon varieties take several months. Being easy to grow and quick to harvest, radishes are often planted by novice gardeners.

Storage Temperature

5ºC / 41ºF

Freezing Injury

Freeze damage in fresh radish will appear as darkened translucent or water-soaked areas which will deteriorate rapidly after thawing.

Radishes are a fast-growing, annual, cool-season crop. The seed germinates in three to four days in moist conditions with soil temperatures between 18 and 29 °C (65 and 85 °F). Best quality roots are obtained under moderate day lengths with air temperatures in the range 10 to 18 °C (50 to 65 °F). Under average conditions, the crop matures in 3–4 weeks, but in colder weather, 6–7 weeks may be required. Homegrown varieties can be significantly sharper.

Radishes grow best in full sun in light, sandy loams, with a soil pH 6.5 to 7.0, but for late-season crops, a clayey-loam is ideal. Soils that bake dry and form a crust in dry weather are unsuitable and can impair germination. Harvesting periods can be extended by making repeat plantings, spaced a week or two apart. In warmer climates, radishes are normally planted in the autumn. The depth at which seeds are planted affects the size of the root, from 1 cm (1⁄2 in) deep recommended for small radishes to 4 cm (1+1⁄2 in) for large radishes. During the growing period, the crop needs to be thinned and weeds controlled, and irrigation may be required.