Permapotes
Radish

Black radishes

Black radishes: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Winter black radish is a vegetable in the Brassicaceae family, alongside other radishes and cabbages. It belongs to cultivated forms of radish, commonly described by the botanical name Raphanus sativus. Its dark skin contrasts with flesh that is generally white, firm and crunchy. This distinctive contrast and its peppery flavour give it a different character on the plate from small red spring radishes.

The part used as a vegetable is the thickened storage root, rather than a fruit. Above it grows a rosette of green leaves, often rough and divided. The plant thus develops visible foliage as well as a fleshy underground part. When a radish starts flowering, its appearance changes: an elongated stem carries flowers with four petals, followed by fruits containing the seeds. The root vegetable and the seed bearing fruits are different structures.

Black radishes include round and long forms. Noir rond d’hiver and Black Spanish Round illustrate the globular types, while other selections have a more elongated root. Shape influences the appearance of the whole vegetable and of pieces prepared for a dish. However, it does not determine flavour intensity by itself. Size, texture and the vigour of the foliage also vary with the plant and conditions.

Not all winter radishes are black. Daikon often has a long white root, while Violet d’hiver de Gournay belongs to types with purplish skin. These vegetables share relationships and some culinary uses without being interchangeable names for black radish. Winter radishes are generally larger and slower developing than small salad radishes. The word winter does not imply resistance to every level of frost.

In the kitchen, black radish combines crunch, pepperiness and a variable touch of bitterness. Raw, it suits salads, remoulades and garnishes alongside milder ingredients. It can also complement hummus or other spreads. The firm flesh provides a noticeable texture, while its internal colour differs from the dark colour of the skin.

Cooked, it appears in soups, broths, stews and roasted vegetable dishes. Cooking changes both its texture and the expression of its peppery flavour, offering another way to appreciate the vegetable. In a garden, it broadens the range of root vegetables associated with autumn and winter cooking, retaining its own character among the many forms of radish.

Black radishes
Black radishes
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Annual
  • Exposure : Partial Shade
  • Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
  • Mature height : 15 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
  • Sowing Depth : 1 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 5 cm
  • Row Spacing : 20 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Low
  • Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Disease Sensitivity : Low
  • Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Pollination : Insect-pollinated
  • Propagation : Sowing