Radish

Other common names: 萝卜, 白萝卜，Lobak

Radishes are a popular root vegetable that is eaten raw, steamed, in soup or in sauces. Both the fleshy root and the leaves are edible and have a slightly spicy taste.

An annual crop, this plant is often grown and consumed under 2 months, although skilled growers can also harvest them at 5 months. Its rapid harvest cycle makes it useful for crop rotation.

Radishes are part of the Brassica or cabbage family, which also includes other popular vegetables like kai lan and xiao bai cai.

Sun and soil needs:

As with most vegetables, radishes need about 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. They can also grow in at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight, but may produce smaller leaves and roots.

Plants do best in pots with loamy soil at least 15cm deep, or in true ground.

These plants are vulnerable to root rot, so ensure that your pots drain well, and that your soil has plenty of organic matter to let the roots breathe. High organic matter content also makes the soil soft, encouraging more root growth and larger roots overall.

Sowing seeds:

Seeds can be sown directly into pots or the ground around 15cm apart. Lightly water the soil until damp, once a day. Seeds should sprout within a week.

The seedlings will be vulnerable to high heat and heavy rain and are best kept under netting in a or a shaded space with around 4 hours of partial or direct sunlight.

Growing:

Radish is a rapid grower and will produce larger roots if fed with fertilisers high in Potassium and Phosphorus. Plants can be fertilised regularly once every two weeks after germinating for a fuller crop.

Harvesting:

The plant can be harvested for the fleshy root around a month after sowing. Leaving the plant for more than 1 ½ months usually results in a very fibrous and hard root that is unpleasant to eat, although some skilled growers are able to harvest them at 5 months. Radishes in tropical climates are usually smaller than their counterparts grown in colder climates.

Plants can be harvested for leaves at any time, with younger leaves being the most tender. However, the leaves will become tough when the plant starts to flower. Older leaves can be harvested multiple times via the cut-and-come-again method.

The whole plant can be harvested once by gently digging up the fleshy root with a trowel.

Harvest cycle:

Propagation:

Radish is primarily grown from seeds.

Common problems & solutions:

Caterpillars, usually from the Diamondback moth and Tussock moth, can rapidly eat all the leaves of your plant. If your plant has lots of large holes and small brown or black poo pellets scattered around damaged leaves, you likely have a caterpillar infestation. Manually remove the caterpillars by hand and protect your plants with netting.

Leaf miners are fly larvae that eat the leaves from the inside, leaving white lines or patches in their wake. Manually remove damaged leaves and use fine mesh netting to stop the adult flies from laying eggs on the plant again.

Etiolation is characterised by plants growing long and skinny, with weak stems and small leaves. The plants may also sometimes look yellowish. Plants etiolate when they do not get enough sunlight, which results in slow growth and untidy forms. To prevent this, grow plants in environments with enough light for them and make sure that each plant has enough space to prevent overcrowding.

Rodents are attracted to and will dig up the plant to eat. Protect your plants with netting.