Black radishes: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow winter black radishes outdoors?
To sow winter black radish outdoors, check the calendar for your variety and climate. In temperate climates, sowing is generally done in summer, often in July or August, for an autumn or winter harvest. Choose a sunny position with well-drained soil. Weed and loosen the soil if needed before sowing, without requiring a particular tool.
Make furrows 1 to 2 cm deep. You can sow seeds about 5 cm apart, then thin the seedlings after germination to leave generally 15 to 20 cm between plants, depending on the variety. Cover the seeds with fine soil and firm gently. Keep the soil moist during germination.
Monitor young plants, especially for slug and flea beetle damage. Insect netting with sufficiently fine mesh can protect radishes against flea beetles. Identify the pest before choosing a suitable control method.
Harvest mature roots by lifting them gently without damaging them. For storage, remove the foliage and keep sound roots cool, checking their condition. Storage life depends on conditions.
How to care for this plant
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Thin seedlings
If emerged radishes are already crowded, remove the weakest. Follow packet spacing: winter radishes need more room.
How do you harvest winter black radishes?
Harvest winter black radishes when roots reach the size appropriate for their variety, generally in autumn or winter. Round and long varieties have different dimensions. You can lift roots as needed if soil is well drained and conditions allow, but hard frost can damage them. Protect the crop or lift it for sheltered storage in cold regions. Loosen soil if needed and lift roots gently without injuring them.
Before storing, remove foliage and loose soil. Keep sound roots cool, for example in the vegetable crisper of the fridge. Use slightly injured roots promptly if sound and discard rotting ones. Check regularly: storage life depends on maturity, damage and conditions.
During growth, keep the soil slightly moist, especially in dry weather. Mulching helps retain moisture and limit weeds. Remove weeds close to the roots carefully to avoid damaging them.
Black radishes
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Root vegetables
- Botanical Family : Brassicaceae (cruciferous)
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