Radishes are a cool season, short-day crop, that is best sown late fall, late winter and early spring, all depending on your climate. If grown during the hotter summer months, radishes have a tendency to go to seed, but can be planted in a cool shady spot, except in the hottest of climates. We can not grow radishes here in our zone 8 after the first of April and before October first with any success. Our days are to hot and long, which causes radishes will not bulb up.

Radishes come in various shapes and sizes, and different varieties crop best in different seasons. Eaten raw, they have a hot, peppery flavor and crunchy texture. They provide a good source of vitamin C as well as a source of potassium and fiber.  

Radish is a hardy, quick maturing crop that is remarkably easy to grow, and is ideal for intercropping. It does best in light, free draining, moisture-retentive soil that is reasonably fertile. We begin sowing here in Southern Utah (zone 8) in January as soon as the soil can be worked. Seeds are sown 1/4” deep in rows or broadcast in raised beds, spacing seeds approximately 1 to 2 inches apart, thinning later. Gently tap down soil after seeding to ensure good contact. With all of our seed sowing we water in with a diluted liquid kelp fertilizer.  Successive sowing is done every two to three weeks. Water frequently and harvest the crop when they are young and tender. Some radishes such as cherry bell are ready in as little as 16 days after germinated.  

Follow seed packet for the right planting times, or better yet, ask a neighboring gardener when he or she gets their seeds in the ground.