Garden Care Guide

Radish Care

Raphanus sativus

One of the fastest-growing vegetables; small red radishes are harvested in 4-6 weeks. It likes cool weather and turns bitter and woody in heat.

Hardy · -6 °C / 21 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

March
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 1 cm deep, 15-20 cm between rows; for a continuous harvest, sow again every 2-3 weeks. Black radish is sown in September.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the young leaves for numerous pinhead-sized holes (flea beetle); seedlings are most vulnerable at this stage, and a fine fleece cover protects them.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 1 cm deep, 15-20 cm between rows; for a continuous harvest, sow again every 2-3 weeks. Black radish is sown in September.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull red radishes without delay when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter; overdue radishes turn spongy and bitter.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the young leaves for numerous pinhead-sized holes (flea beetle); seedlings are most vulnerable at this stage, and a fine fleece cover protects them.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull red radishes without delay when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter; overdue radishes turn spongy and bitter.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 1 cm deep, 15-20 cm between rows; for a continuous harvest, sow again every 2-3 weeks. Black radish is sown in September.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the young leaves for numerous pinhead-sized holes (flea beetle); seedlings are most vulnerable at this stage, and a fine fleece cover protects them.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 1 cm deep, 15-20 cm between rows; for a continuous harvest, sow again every 2-3 weeks. Black radish is sown in September.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull red radishes without delay when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter; overdue radishes turn spongy and bitter.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the young leaves for numerous pinhead-sized holes (flea beetle); seedlings are most vulnerable at this stage, and a fine fleece cover protects them.
November
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull red radishes without delay when they reach 2-3 cm in diameter; overdue radishes turn spongy and bitter.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull black radishes as needed through the winter once the roots have grown large.
December
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Harvest: Pull black radishes as needed through the winter once the roots have grown large.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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