Radish ‘Red Meat’: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow 'Red Meat' radishes outdoors?
Sow 'Red Meat', or watermelon radish, directly outdoors in summer for an autumn harvest. July to September is a guide to adapt to your climate. Check your packet and allow enough time before severe frosts. Do not treat it like a small spring radish: spring sowing may bolt instead of developing a good root.
Choose loose, free-draining, moist ground in sun or with some summer shade. Remove weeds and prepare a fine seedbed. Make drills about 1 cm deep, or according to the packet. Moisten the base, distribute seeds thinly, cover with light soil and firm gently. Water with a fine spray without displacing seeds.
Keep the surface moist during emergence without puddles. Once seedlings develop, thin to leave around 10 to 15 cm between plants intended to form large roots. Row spacing may range around 25–45 cm depending on the selection; adapt it to your space and expected size. Watch for slugs and flea beetle damage. Allow roughly 50 to 60 days of development depending on selection and conditions, without guaranteeing this timing or a three-week harvest. Label the rows so you can follow their growth and sowing date.
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 'Red Meat' radishes?
