Arcadian Archives

Radish

Radish has been cultivated as a crop for over four thousand years and was grown in ancient Greece and Egypt. According to botanists, it probably first arrived in this country in the 1500s. The large, turnip-sized, or carrot-shaped radish that were common in the 18th century and are still grown in great quantity in Japan today are slowly becoming available again in the UK. A good selection, often under the name of Chinese radish, is now included in several mainstream seed catalogues.

But although many gardeners are adventurous and enjoy growing unusual vegetables, it seems, in general, we almost always prefer our radish to be small and bright red, usually round, but sometimes cylindrical.

One of the best for early sowing is 'Rougette'. Small, perfectly round, crimson radish can be ready for harvesting as soon as three weeks after the date of sowing. It is particularly well suited for growing beneath a cloche or fleece because its top growth remains fairly low and is less leafy and vigorous than other cultivars. Freshly picked radish are crisp and crunchy with a distinctive flavour that combines spiciness with a hint of earthiness. Whole, round radish can be used as an attractive, decorative garnish for salads, but for those who prefer a more subtle flavour, they can be finely sliced. For slicing purposes alone, cultivars with cylindrical roots are the most practical to grow. 'French Breakfast' is one of the most popular with an elongated, red and white root and a fairly mild flavour. 'White Icicle' has an even longer, almost carrot-shaped, root without a hint of pink or red to be seen.

The trick with radish is to sow them often but sparingly – only sow what you think you can use. Once they are ready for harvesting, they tend to become over mature fairy quickly and are then less crisp and succulent. Sow seeds 2 cm (1 in) apart in short rows in an open, sunny spot. By May, there is no need to provide protective cover from cold weather. Horticultural fleece will, however, protect foliage from damage from flea beetles if they are a problem. Slugs and snails sometimes tend to nibble the tops of the roots at soil level and, although they don’t do a lot of damage to this particular crop, they greatly spoil the appearance of red skinned radish.

Don’t forget that radish foliage can also be added to summer salads to impart a flavour not dissimilar to rocket. Young leaves quickly grow back to replace those that have been cut. Removing some foliage from each plant doesn’t seem to hinder the development of the radish roots.