Topic: Why oh why can I not grow radishes??

[antipodes]

I thought I had gotten off to a good start this year, sowing a little patch of radishes (18-day variety), watering them quite often, weeding them etc, and they have now grown to a respectable size, BUT... they are just inedible! They are hard, much too spicy, and just not nice. What am I going wrong? It seems ridiculous not to succeed with these, as they say they are child's play. But this is my 3rd attempt and I think I will just give up. However I really cannot see what I could be doing wrong  ??? ??? ???

[Robert_Brenchley]

What variety are they? I've always found the little ones to be spicy, but then that's how I like it. Maybe they took too long? They need to be grown fast.

[antipodes]

They went in on March 20, and the variety is called "18 days" which is a bloody lie because as you can see it is WAAAAAAYYYYYY past 18 days since sowing!!!
I thought that in the past I had failed from insufficient water but improving that did no good either.

And I just read a spot on the Guardian about "the 5 easiest veg to grow" and what is on there ? BLOODY *(&%!!$^ RADISHES! It's LIES ALL LIES! and comments weren't open do I couldn't even rant about it!!  ;D ;D ;D

[plot51A]

I can't grow them either. Planted some on 23 March - only to mark where parsnip rows are - they have germinated and just sat there. Sure they should have been eaten by now but there is no sign yet of them swelling up. Oh well, don't like them anyway (but OH does. Tough!!)

[Suzanne]

Antipodes - my radish don't do so well when the weather is warm. So I sow them with my parsnips to mark the rows and don't bother again. I note that you arein west France - so not sure what temps you are enjoying at the mo, but maybe the high teens which is just when I stop harvesting mine. (I will have to wait to mid June I think to see those sort of temps).  :)

[galina]

Maybe you like this better - radish pods.  These are much milder than real radishes and you get a lot for your seed.

Leave a radish (does not have to be a podding radish like variety Rat's Tail) to go  on and flower.  Pods will form.  These are thick and fleshy and great in salads, stirfries and the like.

Go for a longish radish, for example white Icicle, and you will get long and fat pods, hundreds of them.

Enjoy!

[pigeonseed]

My trusty gardening book says that the faster they grow the juicier and milder they are. dry weather also makes them hotter.

It sounds like something is 'retarding' them. Are they too cold, dark, dry or in particularly poor soil? Maybe it was too early?

I've grown them successfully many times (sorry!  ;D) But have also had bad crops, in my case when the soil was too poor and they dried out too much.

[antipodes]

It is all very mysterious. I put them next to the raspberries, as there was a spare piece of ground. They are next to onions, that I have put around the strawberries. Bad companions?
The soil had been improved, as I manured that bed this winter. Maybe Is hould try in pots? But surely they will be even drier then???

Thx for the radish pod suggestion, radishes are easy to get new seed from! But I have tried eating the radish pods and don't like them much  ;)

I did eat here something not so long ago that was nice - white radishes. They were longer and more triangular, and a little bit hot. They were very tasty. Maybe I should have asked the bloke what the variety was, as they were grown locally?
I have tried earlier in the year but it is too cold for them then. Funnily enough we usually get plenty of rain here! Trust me to try again in a very warm and dry spell!I guess my regaular waterings were insufficient (I watered every couple of days...)

I think I will just have to accept that I cannot grow them here.  :(

[superspud]

You are not alone. I tried a while back, I tried again last month, unlike last time I fed them tom food, I gave them growmore, I cosseted them like never before, and after 2 weeks, they were still like spindles !, nothing nadda, not a radish in sight, I hate them now, I figured I would try parsnips instead.......

[pigeonseed]

How peculiar!

Is it to do with manuring? I have a feeling they don't like manure, but not certain about that.

Otherwise, it's a mystery to me! Growing in pots sounds like an idea.

[kt.]

I now grow mine in plastic flower troughs  about 12"long, 5" wide, filled with compost,   or 6" plant pots.Perfect everytime.  Direct sowings seem to unpredictable harvests