Radish Plants
Important Facts about Radish Plants
Radish plants are easy to grow and you can have the joy of having a fresh home-grown vegetable when you get to harvest them. The radish is actually the edible root of this plant and it belongs to the Brassicaceae family. These plants have been long a part of human history because there are records indicating that they were domesticated even in the pre-Roman years. Radishes are known to be a good source of folic acid, ascorbic acid and potassium. They are also rich in Vitamin B, riboflavin, copper, magnesium and calcium. Radish is also recommended for people on a diet because it is one of those foods that are filling but fairly low in calorie count. Given all the health benefits of the radish, it is particularly attractive to grow your own radish plants.
Radish plants offer the dual attraction of having a quick maturation cycle and taking up very little space. So whatever the size of your backyard or garden, growing radish plants is a real possibility.
Choose a location where there is plenty of sun and the possibility of shade. The soil should be well composted and it is even a good idea to till the soil to make sure the nutrients are well mixed in. Good drainage is also critical for radish plants.
Radish seeds can be planted about half an inch in depth and one and half to two inches apart from each other. You can also try sprinkling radish seeds in a given area and then cover it with a thin layer of potting soil. After the seedlings start sprouting, you can spread them out two inches apart to give them enough space for growing.
Sandy-loamy soil is recommended for radish plants especially for the winter and spring crops. Soil that hardens easily can be an impediment to growth. Plenty of water, well-composted soil and excellent drainage play a big part in the quality of your radish harvest. Radish plants do need sun to grow but then tend to wilt in the heat and so an area with shade is considered the best place for growing these plants.
Even watering is important for these plants. Uneven watering is said to affect the taste of the vegetable also.
Radish plants do grow very quickly and so with spring radishes you will be ready to harvest in 3-5 weeks. The winter harvest can take slightly longer and you may have to wait 7-8 weeks. If radishes are not harvested at the right time they can turn spongy and bitter and so you should pick these vegetables when they reach the right size and color.
There are a whole range of radish plants available. Radishes vary in everything from color and shape to size and taste. It is probably best to choose your plant based on taste as it will be good if you can use what you grow. Gardeners should plant the short season spring varieties during spring time and use the winter varieties for fall and winter planting. By sowing the appropriate variety at the right time, you can have a steady supply of radishes. You can also store radishes in the refrigerator if you have an abundant supply in any one harvest. The winter varieties are also known to wear well on the plant for a few weeks after maturation.
The ideal temperature for this plant is 60 -65 degrees. The taste of the radish can be influenced by the temperature during growth and maturation.
Root maggots can be a pest problem for radish plants and it is a good idea to get the advice of the garden center in dealing with the pest and disease issue.